Deputy Director of Operations and Strategic Development

Deputy Director

The Deputy Director serves as a key member of the organization's executive leadership team and is responsible for overseeing and advancing a broad portfolio of natural resources and conservation, operations, grounds and facility maintenance, planning and capital projects, business development, and customer service. This role ensures the effective stewardship of the park district's physical assets, natural areas, and infrastructure while enhancing the overall visitor experience through improvement of parks, facilities, amenities, and service.

The Deputy Director promotes and implements the policies and regulatory requirements, while ensuring the timely resolution of operational issues, proactively identifying, and mitigating potential challenges, and formulating strategies to reduce their impact. The Deputy Director of Operations and Strategic Development serves as a key advisor to the Executive Director and plays a critical role in long range planning, capital improvements, land acquisition, strategic initiatives, and revenue generation, while advancing alignment with Metro Parks' mission, values, and strategic goals.

• Provides leadership to assigned management teams through regular interaction and communications and provides guidance, support, and professional development opportunities.
• Develops and implements departmental goals pursuant to organizational objectives, measures achievement levels and reports progress. Coordinates resources to maximize overall organizational efficiencies and to ensure that park district quality, safety, and legal requirements are met. Delegates and prioritizes tasks and functions to reach short and long-term organizational goals.
• Drives long-range development plans across the park district, including capital improvements and land acquisition by sourcing partners and funding to reach objectives.
• Manages Metro Parks' capital improvement plan.
• Prepares and monitors budgets and authorizes the expenditure of funds, ensuring adherence to purchasing, budgetary and administrative procedures and policies.
• Oversees Operations which manages all aspects of park properties including grounds and facility maintenance to ensure safety, cleanliness, and compliance with all applicable codes.
• Provides oversight of Natural Resources and Conservation, which plans and implements resource management strategies that support biodiversity, ecological restoration, and land stewardship.
• Directs the Planning division that ensures completion and implementation of long-term infrastructure, asset management, and capital improvement plans.
• Oversees Business Development to ensure the pursuit of opportunities for revenue generation that meets organizational objectives, values, and mission.
• Advances the highest and best use of the Voice of America Athletic Complex for maximum exposure, economic impact and revenue generation.
• Provides strategic leadership for all customer service functions across the organization and ensures alignment of customer experience initiatives with district goals, programming, and public feedback.
• Projects an approachable, energetic, and dynamic persona that aids in the establishment of early and lasting credibility throughout the community. Attends community meetings and gatherings of affiliated organizations as a representative of Metro Parks; conducts meetings and makes presentations as needed to further the interests of Metro Parks.
• Operates motor vehicles and other equipment as necessary to fulfill assigned job functions and duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Provides positive interaction, creates connections and values teamwork with staff at all levels.
• Understands the importance of community collaboration and actively supports the organization's mission, vision, and values.
• Strives to seek opportunities and has a willingness to bring ideas forward.
• Ability to consistently provide positive and unique experiences for guests.
• Understands and provides good customer service and is welcoming to all members of the public and staff.
• Understands financial responsibility and has a commitment to being personally accountable for how work is performed.
• Ability to work unsupervised, to organize and coordinate, to prioritize and self-initiate, and to manage tasks.
• Ability to effectively and appropriately deal with confidential information.
• Collects, synthesizes, analyzes, and interprets complex data to inform strategic decision-making.
• Demonstrated proactive approach to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability. Forward thinker who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.

• Leadership skills (individual and team): coaching, team building, goal setting, decision-making, handling conflict, systems-building and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of federal and state employment law, regulations, and procedures within public organizations.
• In-depth…