Superintendent of Parks and Planning

Description

The Wilmette Park District is seeking a strategic and visionary leader who demonstrates outstanding decision-making ability while creating a certainty of execution. This engaged and charismatic individual must lead with a bias towards action with the ability to identify and develop great talent. The Superintendent of Parks and Planning must display a broad range of competencies and be a prolific learner who fosters a culture of integrity, respect, teamwork and excellence.

This candidate will be leading a motivated team of professionals responsible for the Wilmette Park District building and park operations.

As a member of the Wilmette Park District leadership team, this professional will report directly to the Executive Director while also working with our elected Board of Commissioners, governmental agencies and community stakeholders.

The Wilmette Park District offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with life insurance (basic and voluntary), a pension plan (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund), 457 Defined contribution plan and Section 125 Flexible Spending Account in addition to paid holidays and vacation time, facility discounts and usage benefits.

Benefit Summary link:

 https://d11ixze0kvt635.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20161127/Benefits-2025-FT-job-posting.pdf

PARK DISTRICT SUMMARY: Founded in 1908, the Wilmette Park District is a government agency responsible for acquiring, developing, and maintaining natural areas, parks, and leisure facilities in the Village of Wilmette. Our suburban community is located 14 miles north of Chicago. We are stewards of over 300 acres of parks and open land including Gillson Park and the Wilmette Beaches; Keay Nature Center; Community Playfield; Mallinckrodt Park and a portion of the Green Bay Bike Trail. Neighborhood parks can be found in 18 additional locations throughout our village. The Wilmette Park District also plans, develops and executes a wide range of recreational programs and activities that reflect the interests of all age groups in the Wilmette community.

SUMMARY: The Superintendent of Parks and Planning is responsible for the administration, maintenance and development of parks, facility maintenance, as well as landscaping maintenance for School Districts 37 and 39 and the Village of Wilmette facilities.  The Superintendent of Parks and Planning shall oversee the management of design, construction, repairs and remodeling projects for all parks and facilities. They will coordinate the projects with the Executive Director, Department Heads and General Managers.

Along with other Department Heads, the Superintendent of Parks and Planning shall act as a staff representative at Board Meetings and Committee of the Whole. The Superintendent of Parks and Planning shall coordinate the activities of the 3^rd of July celebrations and other District and village wide special events with other Department Heads.

SUPERVISORY DUTIES:

• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise and evaluate full-time staff, including Building and Parks Forepersons, Administrative Assistant, Parks Planner, Mechanic and other full-time staff as needed
• Review evaluations prepared by forepersons of their staff members, so that the goals of the District are consistently applied
• Recommend levels of compensation and any responsibility changes under the area of supervision
• Provide guidance to staff regarding problems with their associates, grievances, conflicts, or any other matters of concern which may interfere with a cohesive working relationship
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the Park District’s policies, procedures and applicable laws
• Lead regular staff meetings and participate in and attend District-wide and Leadership Team meetings to keep all levels of employees within the area of supervision apprised of agency business, including opportunities for communicating operational updates, feedback, and questions
• Provide information to Parks and Planning staff regarding goals and policies of the Board and Park District Administration
• Actively support the professional development of division staff

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Prepare, review, evaluate and coordinate the detailed budgets for the Parks and Planning Department including Operations, Grounds, Buildings and Mechanical Funds for review by the Executive Director and elected Board Members
• Develop costs, etc. for maintenance services and construction/remodeling projects as they relate to facilities for review by the general managers and related Department Heads
• Develop costs analysis, financial reports, studies and recommendations for all financial aspects of the Parks and Planning including Operations, Grounds, Buildings and Mechanical Funds as may be required
• Implement purchasing, inventory of supplies, and reconciliation in accordance with Park District policies and procedures
• Coordinate permits, bids and contracts for goods and/or services relating to construction, third shift custodial services or equipment purchases or other purchases that provide supplies to the entire Park District
• Develop effective communication lines with the general community through presentations, reaction to complaints and suggestions, meetings attendance and actively observing the operation and uses of parks and facilities
• Coordinate events with all Village Departments and District 37 and 39 regarding intergovernmental cooperation
• Review and approve time sheets for employees and accurately complete bi-weekly payroll
• Attend conferences, workshops and seminars related to the position, to stay current on industry trends
• Evaluate customer and community interests and needs; make recommendations on future facility operations and services based on community feedback and industry trends
• Communicate to the Executive Director problems, deviations, or daily activities which may have an impact on the overall operation of the District
• With staff, research use patterns of park sites and trends to develop facilities, parks or open space which will provide the maximum recreational opportunities for the community
• Research, locate and apply for federal, state, local and private grants for funding Park District projects
• Work with the Executive Director and the Leadership Team as needed, along with legal counsel to prepare plans and documentation for submissions to the appropriate permit processes
• Provide any other reports, surveys, studies, or additional requirements as assigned or requested by the Executive Director
• Coordinate and compile necessary plans and documentation and apply for permits for any agency required construction work including but not limited to the Village of Wilmette, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Environmental Protection Agency (Federal and Illinois), Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Army Corp of Engineers
• Actively contribute to the Park District's sustainability goals
• Perform other duties as assigned

SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Represent the Park District on village-wide emergencies
• The Superintendent of Parks and Planning shall be the first call by emergency officials in case of alarms or other situations, working closely with Police and Fire Departments to assure that the parks and facilities are safe for patrons and staff 
• Be on site to take the lead on coordination of efforts in case of disaster and emergency type events including mitigating losses and taking steps to assure that the safety of staff and the public is the highest priority
• Actively support the safety program that will effectively control and reduce accidents
• Obey the practical safety rules, regulations and procedures established by the Wilmette Park District safety program that are pertinent to the activities conducted by the department
• Become familiar with and follow safety procedures of the Wilmette Park District including, but not limited to fire, severe weather and evacuation procedures
• Promptly report all unsafe actions, practices or conditions observed to immediate supervisor and Human Resources and Risk Manager.
• Attend and participate in required safety trainings
• Review all accident and incident reports that occur under area of responsibility and send to Human Resources/Risk Management division

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred in Parks and Recreation, Construction Management or closely related field
• Five to seven years minimum, successful experience in a management position is required, with preference given to individuals with experience in Parks and Planning
• Demonstrated leadership ability that is measurable

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong organization management, supervision, attention to detail and problem solving, along with excellent communication skills
• Ability to read and interpret documents and /or instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
• Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out detailed, but uninvolved instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form
• Ability to deal with problems involving few concrete variables in standardized situations
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from the Board, groups of general managers, other staff, clients, customers, and the general public
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS:

Possess computer skills with the ability to learn and use new computer software. The Park District uses Microsoft Office Suite, Wrike for project and content management, Paycom for payroll processing, Incode for financial record/budget management, and RecTrac for program registration/facility booking.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Must hold a valid Class D driver’s license
• Must possess CPR/First Aid certificates within three months of hiring, provided by the Park District
• Complete annual District trainings including, but not limited to, Sexual Harassment Training annually and Mandated Reporter every three years

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl
• The employee is frequently required to talk or hear; use hands to finger, handle, and feel; and reach with hand and arms
• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk and sit; climb or balance; and push/pull objects
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus
• Must be able to move quickly to respond to emergency situations
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

WORK SCHEDULE:

• The Superintendent of Parks and Planning, as a supervisory employee of the District, shall be always considered on duty, and may have varying hours due to the nature of the business
• General hours of duty will be approved by the Executive Director

Qualifications

Salary : $120,604 - $168,847