Director of Operations - Parks, Forestry and Cemetery

Career Opportunities:
Director of Operations - Parks, Forestry and Cemetery (4814)

Working within our Strategic Plan,
Cambridge Connected
, and committing to our values of Integrity, Respect, Inclusiveness and Service, the successful candidate will work together to help the City of Cambridge achieve our vision: A place for people to prosper – alive with opportunity.

Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for divisional priorities, services, and programs across the following functional areas: operations and maintenance of parks, outdoor sports fields, playgrounds, spray pads, park washrooms and amenities, park workshops, forestry, horticulture, cemeteries, the Community Ambassador Team, community gardens, and trails. Responsibilities also include winter maintenance of sidewalks, walkways, and trails.

• Provides leadership to staff responsible for the maintenance and year-round operation of varied types of infrastructure, including parks, outdoor sports fields, playgrounds, spray pads, parks washrooms and amenities, forestry and horticulture, Cemetery and Community Ambassador Team, Community Gardens, and Trails. Includes winter maintenance of sidewalks, walkways, and trails.
• Participates in the Senior Management Team (SMT), responsible for the development and implementation of corporate strategic initiatives particularly as it relates to the Operations division in accordance with the Governance Model.
• Responsible for service specific community and agency partnerships, and provide support, direction and leadership to other divisions and staff in creating and nurturing community partnerships to facilitate the delivery of outdoor recreation services.
• Accountable for the development, monitoring and control of the Operations division budget.
• Acts as staff liaison to various community organizations and Council appointed committees as required.
• Maintains liaison with Provincial/Federal Ministries and Departments concerning the impact of government policies relative to the division’s services.
• Represents division in meetings, task forces, etc., with the regional staff, Police, inter-municipal consultants, other City departments concerning maintenance and operation of parks, outdoor sports fields, playgrounds, spray pads, parks washrooms and workshops, forestry, horticulture, cemetery and trails services.
• Provides oversight for staff training and development, licensing and standard operating procedure development.
• Ensure employees work in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, regulations, and Corporate Health and Safety Policies and Procedures, and to take every reasonable precaution to protect the worker, covering field staff, miscellaneous park amenities and washrooms and workshops.
• Receives, investigates and resolves public concerns and complaints. Represents the City as an expert witness in legal matters.
• Representative the department in Employee Relations, negotiation and grievance matters relevant to the area of responsibility.
• Consistently exemplifies the Corporate Core Values;
  Integrity, Respect, Inclusiveness and Service (IRIS).

Hold one or more relevant professional designations or certifications, such as Landscape Architect, Professional Engineer, Advanced Parks Practitioner, Forester, Cemeterian, Recreation Facilities Professional, Arborist, or Turf Manager.

Maintain membership in one or more applicable professional associations, such as the Ontario Parks Association (OPA), Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals (OACFP), Landscape Ontario, Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, or Green Infrastructure Ontario, Ontario Professional Foresters Association.

Post secondary education completed in Sport Sciences, Forestry, Landscape Architecture, or equivalent.

• Operations of Municipal Parks, Forestry and/or Cemetery 10+ years.
• Supervisory level experience in a unionized environment 5 years.
• Extensive knowledge of the policies, rules, bylaws, industry, and regulations…