Manager - Maintenance Operations

THE COMMUNITY

Ideally located on the Pacific Ocean south of Los Angeles, adjacent to Orange County, the City of Long Beach, California (population 470,000) is frequently described as a series of strong, diverse interwoven smaller communities within a large city. Enjoying an ideal Southern California climate, Long Beach is home to an abundance of cultural and recreational options. The Long Beach Convention Center, Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, and the annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, plus a wide variety of other attractions (two historic ranchos, three marinas, and five golf courses), serve to draw 6.5 million visitors a year. The City is also home to California State University, Long Beach, and Long Beach City College. Cal State Long Beach is the second largest university in the state and was recently ranked the No. 3 best-value public college in the nation. Covering approximately 50 square miles, Long Beach is supported by a wide mix of industries with education, health and social services, manufacturing, retail trade, and professional services comprising the highest representation. Known for its livable and desirable neighborhoods, Long Beach was named by America's Promise Alliance as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People two years in a row. While it offers all the amenities of a large metropolis, many say Long Beach offers the added benefit of having maintained a strong sense of community and cohesiveness despite its growth. A superb climate, quality schools, a vibrant downtown, and a wide variety of neighborhoods help make Long Beach one of the most livable communities in the country.

CITY GOVERNMENT

Long Beach, a charter city formed in 1897, is governed by nine City Council Members elected by district and a city-wide elected Mayor. Other elected officials include the City Attorney, City Auditor, and City Prosecutor. The elected officials are elected to staggered four-year terms. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Clerk. The City Manager is responsible for the efficient administration of all City departments, excluding those under the direction of a separately elected official, Board or Commission. Long Beach is one of only three cities in California with its own Health Department and one of the very few municipalities with its own Utilities Department (Water and Gas) and Energy Resources Departments. The City is supported by a FY 2024 total budget of approximately $3.3 billion with a General Fund budget of $719 million. More than 6,000 full and part-time employees support municipal operations with the vast majority being represented by twelve employee associations. To learn more about the City of Long Beach, go to: www.longbeach.gov.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is a nationally recognized and award-winning organization with 1,100 full-time/part-time staff and a budget of $74 million that makes our parks and beaches safe, welcoming spaces for all residents and visitors, putting people at the center of all that we do - including our park users, partners, and team members - to create inclusive, enriching, healthy communities for all to thrive. The Department provides stewardship of 3,200 acres of land, and offers extensive recreational, social, and cultural programs at 166 parks in nearly every one of Long Beach's diverse neighborhoods for all ages. Long Beach's parks system and services are unique including 27 community centers, 3 public pools, 2 historic ranchos, 5 municipal golf courses, 11 dog parks, 9 lakes and wetlands, 6 miles of beach, and the largest municipally operated marina with 3 marinas and 3,300 boat slips. 

THE POSITION

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is seeking an energetic and dedicated professional to fill a Manager, Maintenance Operations (MOB) position, which supports the Maintenance Operations Bureau. The MOB Manager reports directly to the Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine.

The Bureau is responsible for management of the 166 City parks landscaping including the City's park tree inventory, nesting surveys, and all contractor activities. Additionally, the Maintenance Operations Bureau is responsible for maintenance of the park's facilities and amenities as well as special projects and programs, such as the Park Ambassador program, which enhances security and ongoing maintenance in park facilities.

The Bureau houses two divisions: Park Facilities Maintenance and Grounds Maintenance, both of which are overseen by a Park Maintenance Superintendent who each report directly to the Manager. The Grounds section is responsible for maintaining upwards of 2,000 acres of park and open space via a contractor whose activities are overseen by management and staff. Additionally, the variety of grounds managed also includes 71 athletic fields, 9 lakes, 8 dog parks, a duck pond, and two cemeteries. The Facilities section is responsible for maintaining a wide variety of City operated amenities located in parks, including approximately 30 community centers, 9 administration buildings, 52 freestanding restrooms, and approximately 300,000 square feet of indoor recreation facilities.

The MOB Manager ensures that all maintenance and City related policies, plans and programs are implemented.  The MOB Manager is able to be conversant regarding current parks and recreation maintenance issues as well as the changing needs of the community. MOB continues improvement in services, facilities, and grounds in alignment with best industry practices and within allocated budgets. Leadership responsibilities include working collaboratively with Department Bureau Managers to initiate and implement process optimization.

The duties and responsibilities for this position include:

• Facilitates the day-to-day activities currently required of the Maintenance Operations Bureau.

• Supports the Department by way of long range strategic planning for Facilities, Grounds and other maintenance activities, as well as implementing workflows and processes that support the execution of the PRM Department strategic plan.

• Ensures efforts result in maximum community benefit, while being sensitive to matters involving park equity and accessibility, as well as matters dealing with the City's population of People Experiencing Homelessness.

• Develops operational policies and procedures that are in line with policies set by City Council and State law in conjunction with executive leadership team and with support of the Department's Human Resources staff.

• Collaborates closely with the Department Director, Deputy Director, PRM Bureau Managers and Superintendents, the City Manager's office and City Council, as well as counterparts across the City in Public Works and other similarly situated Departments.

• Provides direction and guidance to the Bureau staff; supervises staff in performing their daily responsibilities.

• Trains, coaches, and mentors staff, evaluates employee performance, prepares annual performance reviews, and provides coaching for performance improvement.

• Takes disciplinary action to address performance or other deficiencies; directs and provides guidance to subordinate managers and supervisors.

• Interviews and recommends employees for hire.

• Oversees staff including (1) Secretary, (2) Clerk Typists, (1) Assistant Administrative Analyst, and (1) Administrative Analyst.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Five (5) years of increasingly responsible maintenance experience, including at least two (2) years managing a staff in maintenance operations is required.

• Additional years of maintenance management experience is highly desirable.

• Valid Motor Vehicle Operator license.

• Strong leadership background with experience as a management professional in a complex, similarly situated organization with comparable challenges and structure.

• Experience managing and successfully working with people from diverse backgrounds and areas of trades or technical expertise.

• Experience creating effective working relationships across functional lines.

• Experience demonstrating effective partnering and problem-solving.

• Experience preparing and monitoring a division or bureau budget of a similar size.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Parks Maintenance, Facilities Management, Construction Management, Business Management, Public Administration, or a related field is highly desirable.

• Possession of a higher educational certification is desirable.

This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on July 31, 2024. To be considered, applicants must submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format. Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered.

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners. We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender.

The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.

The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call (562) 570-6314.

In support of the City's Language Access Policy, bilingual skills (Spanish, Khmer and/or Tagalog) are desirable for positions interacting with the public.

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