Parks and Recreation Director Lake

Why join our team?

Join a workplace where public service meets opportunity. At Lake County Government, employees are empowered to grow, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact every day. We offer a supportive environment that values innovation and connection, with reliable compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a commitment to helping you succeed both professionally and personally.

The Parks & Recreation Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the Parks & Recreation Department, overseeing staff, programs, facilities, budgets, partnerships, and long-term planning, while maintaining focus on providing inclusive access to indoor and outdoor recreation programs and amenities. Ability to cultivate collaborative partnerships with state, federal, and local partners. This is a critical leadership position responsible for guiding the department through a period of organizational transition and renewal.

The successful candidate will be a steady, collaborative, and accountable leader who can build trust within a team that has recently experienced organizational change, strengthen morale and performance, and establish a culture of professionalism, consistency, and service.

The Director will bring strong financial and operational discipline to the department while positioning Parks & Recreation as a visible, valued, inclusive, and innovative community resource. This includes improving the consistency and visibility of programming; strengthening partnerships with Colorado Mountain College, the City of Leadville, Lake County School District, nonprofit partners, recreation providers, and community organizations; evaluating the condition and future needs of aging infrastructure;

and aligning department resources with community priorities and long-term financial capacity.

This position requires a leader who can balance people, finances, operations, community expectations, and long-term strategy while maintaining a clear focus on inclusive recreation opportunities.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Leadership, Culture, & Team Development

• Provide clear, consistent, and accountable leadership to the Parks & Recreation Department.
• Establish clear expectations, roles, responsibilities, performance standards, and lines of accountability.
• Develop staff through coaching, mentoring, professional development, and regular performance feedback.
• Address performance, communication, and workplace issues promptly, fairly, and consistently.
• Foster a culture that values teamwork, professionalism, innovation, customer service, and personal accountability.
• Lead a comprehensive review and modernization of department operations, staffing practices, workflows, service standards, improve Recreation and GOL! programs to improve organization, accountability, responsiveness, and community impact.
• Build strong working relationships with employees, County departments, elected officials, community leaders, residents, and external partners; maintain a visible, engaged leadership presence across programs, facilities, and field operations.

• Maintain a firm and comprehensive understanding of departmental budgets, expenditures, revenues, contracts, and financial commitments.
• Develop, manage, and monitor the annual Parks & Recreation budget in alignment with county leadership.
• Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs, improve efficiency, increase revenue, and maximize the value of existing resources.
• Regularly evaluate programs and services based on cost, participation, community benefit, and available resources.
• Develop a diversified revenue…