The Role of the Director of Parks & Recreation
The role of the Director of Parks & Recreation is to provide leadership characterized by humility, systems thinking, data-driven decision-making, genuine relationship building, and collaboration to enhance complex community initiatives that improve the quality of life enjoyed and expected by Tacoma residents and our visitors. Directors are responsible for developing, revising, and implementing good policies and monitoring legislative activities pertinent to parks and recreation in collaboration with the Executive Director and Board of Park Commissioners.
This leader oversees a biennial budget of over $50 million and guides administration, financial management, personnel, and operations of the Parks and Recreation Department within Metro Parks. The Department is comprised of three divisions working together to serve the community: 1) Business Operations; 2) Neighborhood Parks & Facilities; and 3) Regional Parks & Attractions.
The Director leads teams stewarding major assets and programs under the department’s care, including nationally acclaimed Point Defiance Park and a diverse system of regional, community, and neighborhood parks throughout the city, along with a marina complex, living history museum, botanical conservatory, golf course, community centers, indoor and outdoor pools, and nearly 100 miles of trails. The department also leads the activation of 47 elementary and middle schools for afterschool clubs and activities.
The Ideal Candidate:
Leads through a lens of strategic systems-thinking.
- Provides humble, high-energy leadership. Has the ability to mentor and coach all levels of staff, developing a high-performance culture, united in community service.
- Is a visionary with an aptitude to translate complex community initiatives into actionable plans and execute project management to support the quality of life for Tacoma residents.
- Possesses creativity, innovation, and the ability to anticipate trends in parks, arts, and recreation and the talent to develop a strategy for maintaining high-quality programs and services.
Understands the importance of public-public and public-non-profit partnerships to avoid duplication, leverage resources, and create an ecosystem of service delivery for our community.
- Demonstrates cultural competencies that support effective working relationships in cross-cultural situations.
- Is capable of redeploying existing resources, prioritizing based on community need, and securing new funding to sustain a premiere, state-of-the-art park system.
- Encourages and empowers the department’s management team to lead and execute day-to-day operations.
Champions workforce equity and diversity.
Salary range:
$13,926 – $19,065 monthly
$167,117 – $228,784 annually
Placement within the range will be based upon the selected candidate’s experience and qualifications along with a review of internal equity. There will be an opportunity to move through the range based on annual performance reviews and merit increases.
Metro Parks Tacoma also offers a comprehensive benefits package including:
- Life Insurance : Provided at no cost to the employee through Unum, amount is equal to annual salary up to $275,000. Benefits will reduce at age 70.
- Retirement Plan : All employees are covered under the Public Employees’ Retirement System through the Washington State Department of Retirement Services (DRS).
- Medical Coverage and Dental Coverage : Metro Parks Tacoma pays 90% of the total cost of medical/dental coverage for employees and their dependents. Coverage begins the first of the month following the date of employment. Medical coverage is offered through Kaiser. Dental options include Delta Dental Service and Willamette Dental.
- Health Care and Day Care Reimbursement Accounts : A benefit plan that allows you to pay for health care or dependent care expenses with “before tax” dollars.
- Deferred Compensation (457 plan) : Optional employee paid retirement savings plans are available through MissionSquare, WA State Deferred Comp Program, and Empower.
- Paid Holidays : New Years Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day. Two Floating Holidays are granted after successful completion of the probationary period.
- Vacation : 14 hours earned monthly (21 days per year).
- Sick Leave : 8 hours earned monthly.
- Administrative Leave : 40 hours granted per year.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) : SupportLinc provides emotional wellbeing and work-life balance resources to keep you at your best.
- Community Center Fitness Pass : All Metro Parks Tacoma employees get a Staff Pass to use at our community centers.
To be considered, please submit your resume and cover letter.
- First Interviews Phone interviews anticipated 11/21/2024
- Second Interviews Virtual interviews anticipated 12/04/2024
- Third Interviews Onsite interviews anticipated 01/07/2025
- Offer to Candidate Anticipated by end of January 2025
Questions?
The recruitment is facilitated by the Metro Parks Tacoma Human Resources team. Questions should be directed to: or 253-305-1087.
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