Parks & Community Services Manager

Job Summary

The Parks & Community Services Department is seeking an experienced and dynamic manager with a proven ability to inspire and support staff while bringing creative, innovative approaches to achieving program goals and community outcomes. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader who values teamwork, embraces continuous improvement, and is motivated to help deliver high-quality and equitable services to the community.

The selected candidate will also support the City's One City approach by fostering collaboration across department work groups and division, city departments, building strong partnerships, and contributing to a culture of high performance that advances organizational priorities and community impact.

The Community Recreation division comprises 13 distinct work groups, 12 of which operate within community centers or recreation facilities. The division includes 5 community centers, an aquatic center and tennis center, Kelsey Creek Farm, Bellevue Youth Theatre, golf course(s) and the Parks Scheduling Office.

You'll be responsible for the overall management and performance of recreation programs and community services, including assigned recreation facilities and programs. In this role, you will ensure that programs, services, and events align with the City's strategic plans, City Council vision, and Parks & Community Services Department priorities while meeting the evolving needs of the community.

You will also be responsible for developing and implementing short- and long-range plans for the respective program areas; balancing overall cost recovery goals while maintaining service levels and performance standards; ensuring equitable and inclusive community access; and providing overall leadership, support, supervision, and professional development of staff, including regular and part-time employees.

This position works collaboratively with one other Parks & Community Services Program Manager to oversee and support the teams responsible for providing programs and services to the community, establish divisional goals, develop and enforce operational policies and standards, and solve issues and concerns that may impact the entire division.

The position reports directly to the Assistant Director, Parks & Community Services and represents the department in public forums, including interactions with City Council, the Parks & Community Services Board, program-specific advisory groups, City management, community partners, and the public.

At The City of Bellevue you'll be part of a team committed to providing exceptional customer service, upholding the public interest and being a part of the community vision. Our people bring unique skills and qualities to the table, embrace the values of honesty, accountability and commitment to service, and take pride in the work they do. You'll work in an environment where being innovative, collaborative, and future focused are the status quo.

City Council Vision Statement: Bellevue welcomes the world. Our diversity is our strength. We embrace the future while respecting our past. Bellevue Parks & Community Services Vision: In Bellevue everyone can connect to each other and to nature through experiences that help them to live, grow, and thrive. Bellevue Parks & Community Services Mission: We build a healthy community through an integrated system of exceptional parks, natural areas, recreation, arts and culture, and a broad base of community services.

Equity: Equity means everybody in our community can access, participate in and benefit from services, resources and opportunities that contribute to a high quality of life, no matter an individual's identities. Put simply, in an equitable society, one's identities are not accurate predictors of one's outcomes. Different from equality, equity considers how the unique identities, circumstances, and histories of different people may impact experiences within institutions and systems.