Superintendent of Parks & Open Space (0953) - Rec and Parks

Company Description

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this announcement may closed at any time but no sooner than March 14, 2024.

Application Open: February 29, 2024
Application Deadline: Continuous
Compensation: $183,314 - $235,274 Annually (Range A)
Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt
Contact: Antonio Archuleta at antonio.archuleta@sfgov.org

About the Recreation and Park Department
Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America.  San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park.  Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

Parks and Open Space
The Parks and Open Space Division embraces a legacy of stewarding over 225 parks inclusive of iconic destination places, Golden Gate Park, regional parks, sports fields, neighborhood parks, open trails and natural areas encompassing more than 3,500 acres of land. Land management efforts, inclusive of conservation, restoration, interpretation and landscape maintenance, are provided through park service areas (PSA) and open space (OS) areas in collaboration with our park partners, stakeholders, and volunteers. The heart and soul of the Department’s operations is the staff who keep our parks and open spaces safe, vibrant and inviting.

Job Description

Under the direction of the Director of Operations, the Superintendent of Parks and Open Space leads and delivers the mission for the Department throughout 220+ neighborhood and regional parks located on approximately 3,500 acres of parkland within the jurisdiction of the City and County of San Francisco. This position oversees the management of parks and landscapes including neighborhood and regional parks, Golden Gate Park,129 athletic fields (both natural turf and synthetic turf), childrens play areas, athletic courts, 32 designated Natural Areas (remnant native landscapes with sensitive flora and fauna) among many other monumental and specialized land management features. The essential responsibilities of the Superintendent of Parks & Open Space include, but are not limited to:

1. Direct the Recreation and Park Department’s landscape maintenance and custodial workforce to ensure successful service delivery of all horticultural cultivation, landscape maintenance, and custodial upkeep of the City’s park system in accordance with the Department’s ongoing operation plans and 5-year strategic plan.

2. Directly supervise a team of managers responsible for day-to-day landscape maintenance and custodial operations of the City’s park system divided into Park Service Areas and Open Space Areas encompassing the entire City that range in size, density and composition.

3. Oversee an annual material and contractual services budget of $2.9M to ensure successful service delivery of all horticultural cultivation, landscape maintenance, and custodial upkeep of the City’s Park system.

4. Advise on strategic planning, policy initiatives, projects, and sustained mission accomplishments as it relates to Parks and Open Space by serving as a member of the Department’s Leadership Team, led by the General Manager.

5. Participate in development of the Department’s 5-year strategic plan as it relates to Parks and Open Space to identify improvement areas, realistic objectives and initiative, and measures of performance using expertise.

6. Serve as the Department’s lead subject matter expert on landscape management, natural resource conservation, and ecological best practices in land management.

Qualifications

1.    Possession of a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND
2.    Four (4) years of experience managing a major division or program within an urban park system, all of which must include supervisory experience.

Substitution: Verifiable experience managing a major division or program within an urban park system, all of which must include supervisory experience, may substitute for the required degree on a year-for-year basis up to four (4) years. One year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Ten (10) or more years of professional landscape maintenance experience.
• Six (6) or more years managing a major division or program within an urban park system.
• Professional experience in natural resource management, conservation and biodiversity.
• Credentials in climate change planning, including adaptation measures.
• Experience with strategic planning and policy development for an organization of similar scope and size.
• Knowledge (extensive) of principles and practices of public sector budgeting, governmental contract administration, and financial analysis and reporting.
• Knowledge (extensive) of personnel management, budget development and execution, labor relations matters
• Ability (strong) to plan, execute and monitor initiatives successfully for an organization of similar scope and size.
• Ability (strong) to approach and solve problems in a creative manner.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verication

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Additional Information

Selection Process
The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.

Final candidate(s) will be invited to take the Management Test Battery (MTB). The exam results will be for departmental informational purposes only.

Appointment Type:   Permanent-Exempt (PEX) Appointment. Pursuant to the City & County of San Francisco Charter, Section 10.104.13. Any person occupying a position under exempt appointment shall not be subject to civil service selection, appointment, and removal procedures. Exempt employees shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Position Based Testing Information
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Public Resources Code 5164
Candidates for positions with the Recreation & Parks Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164.

Race and Social Equity Statement
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all.  With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department’s goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.  

We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations.  With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.