Director of Parks, Recreation, and Public Property

POSITION OVERVIEW AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The City of Omaha seeks an innovative, strategic, community-focused leader to serve as its next Director of Parks, Recreation and Public Property. This executive-level position reports directly to the Mayor and plays a central role in managing and shaping the city’s extensive parks, recreation, and public property systems.

The Director must be a seasoned park and recreation professional committed to excellence in public service, park management and operational leadership, inclusive programming, and long-term urban livability. The Director’s mandate is to bridge the gap between ambitious planning and operational excellence to enhance Omaha’s impressive park system. This position requires a visionary, positive, problem-solving leadership style, strong personnel and systems management skill, and an open, innovative approach to public/private partnerships and collaboration.

The Director will oversee the planning, development, and maintenance of public parks, facilities, recreational programs, natural areas, public properties, and capital projects throughout Omaha. In collaboration with city leadership and the philanthropic community, this person will play a critical role in implementing the city’s park vision and key strategies.

• Lead the realization of Omaha’s bold goal of becoming a Top 10 Parks City in the United States, bridging the gap between ambitious planning and operational excellence
• Ensure park initiatives are seamlessly integrated into the city’s broader growth and sustainability plans
• Lead staff in the development and execution of comprehensive master and site-specific plans, providing high-level input and direction on program goals and objectives
• Create a clear framework for planning objectives that meet NRPA standards, positioning Omaha as a model for parks and recreation systems nationally

• Provide high-level administrative oversight of the day-to-day operations, maintenance, and activities of the Parks and Recreation Department and various public properties
• Oversee a multi-disciplinary team spanning landscape architecture, urban forestry, golf and aquatics, recreation programming, and public property management, ensuring each division operates at the highest level of performance
• Manage a $66M operating budget with financial discipline, accountability, and an eye toward identifying new revenue streams and sponsorship opportunities
• Inspire and direct staff to set innovative goals and achieve measurable results in programming, maintenance, and community engagement, building a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and partnership

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of major capital projects, delegating tasks across teams, and ensuring work is completed on time and on budget
• Oversee the planning and development of a new state-of-the-art sports complex, from site planning and stakeholder alignment through construction and completion
• Develop and implement a prioritized capital improvement program that addresses deferred maintenance, facility upgrades, and new developments

• Cultivate high-level public/private partnerships, aligning the strategic efforts of the Omaha Parks Foundation and City Parks Advisory Board with the city’s long-term goals
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key partner organizations, including the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District, MECA, local sports organizations, philanthropic foundations, and community groups, leveraging these relationships to expand resources and deliver citywide impact
• Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with a variety of individuals within the community, city departments, and city leaders, serving as a visible and accessible ambassador for Omaha’s parks system
• Represent the city at public meetings, City Council sessions, and community forums, and serve on boards and commissions
• Demonstrate tact, diplomacy, positivity, energy, and patience in all interactions, with an unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life in the Omaha…