Visitor Services Manager (Naturalist II)

Visitor Services Manager (Naturalist II)

Salary

$60,056.05 - $100,093.76 Annually

Location

ANNANDALE (HJ09), VA

Job Type

FT Salary W BN

Job Number

24-01488

Department

Park Authority

Opening Date

06/15/2024

Closing Date

6/28/2024 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

S22

Posting Type

Open to General Public

• Description

• Benefits

• Questions

Job Announcement

Join the Park Authority and our nationally recognized team of professionals! Hidden Oaks Nature Center within the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is seeking a Visitor Services Manager that oversees all aspects of daily visitor services such as programming, volunteers, education, training, interpretation, and exhibits management for the nature center. With more than 25,000 acres of parkland, nine RECenters, eight golf courses, three lakefront parks, and more, FCPA is an exciting organization to be a part of and there are many opportunities for staff to make a difference at every level. The Visitor Services Manager leads long term planning for and directs daily operations of visitor services including managing the site's interpretation, exhibit/display care and creation, camps, volunteer program, and staff training. They will assist with natural and cultural and resource projects, managing all facility rentals, and financial transactions, preparing administrative reports and plans, regular budget exercises and record keeping, office management, management of weekend and volunteer program staff, safety/security training and inspections, human resource functions, and assisting with outreach and advertising. Serves as Assistant Site Manager taking on site manager duties in the absence of the site manager. Regular weekend work hours will be required. Occasional early morning, evening, and holidays will be required for special events, meetings, programs, resource management or front desk duties.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

• Directs all aspects of visitor/nature center including staffing, facility use, security, safety, resource protection, visitor control, operating procedures and hours of operation, and procurement of supplies, equipment and services;

• Assists site manager in the research, writing, implementation and evaluation of the site's annual operational plan, project plans, prospectus and interpretive plan, including goals and objectives for delivering programs and services;

• Plans, develops and executes an interpretive management program for the nature center;

• Responds to visitor, telephone and staff inquiries concerning natural and cultural history and conservation matters;

• Investigates and responds to citizen complaints and concerns;

• Assists in the development of and accounting for the site annual budget, including donated funds;

• Supervises submission of cash reports and required reporting of management indicators such as visitation, program numbers, and project accounting;

• Disburses site petty cash funds;

• Recruits, interviews, selects, trains, supervises, sets priorities and work schedules, assigns projects and evaluates paid and volunteer staff;

• Assists section manager and agency by providing professional and technical expertise in natural resource protection to include reviewing development plans, managing natural and cultural resource inventory, providing guidance on land acquisitions, and assisting in the development of the agency's strategic natural resource management plan;

• Provides technical support on resource stewardship issues to include researching, writing and producing educational material, articles for publication, signage, exhibit components, training modules and presentations, updates to environment reference manual, and preparation of standard operating procedures for Park Authority policies addressing natural resource issues.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an-all-inclusive list).

• Knowledge of nature conservation theory and philosophy;

• Knowledge of conservation program and resource management practices;

• Knowledge of the natural and biological sciences including the theory, principles and practices of interpretation and environmental education;

• Knowledge of native flora, fauna, geology and ecology of the local area;

• Knowledge of local environmental issues and conservation practices;

• Knowledge of the principles, methods and practices of park management;

• Ability to provide technical resource and program leadership to naturalist staff;

• Ability to perform effective administrative work including budgeting, human resource management, purchasing, and the development of short and long range operational plans;

• Ability to manage and operate interpretation/conservation programs at a site;

• Ability to manage paid and volunteer staff engaged in professional naturalist and technical support positions;

• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;

• Ability to deal effectively with citizen inquiries and complaints;

• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with the community and organizations concerned with environmental, natural, cultural and wildlife matters;

• Ability to analyze and recommend solutions to environmental problems.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in natural or life sciences, natural history, park management, education or a closely related field; plus, two years of progressively responsible experience in conservation management, environmental education, interpretation, park programming, or a closely related field.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with the management and operation of a public park

• Knowledge of local natural and cultural history.

• Experience in planning, coordinating, and conducting natural and/or cultural history interpretive programs.

• Experience writing interpretative exhibits, blogs, and/or brochures.

• Experience operating a visitor center/nature center.

• Experience with financial management, analysis, and budgets.

• Experience with planning, reporting, and project and office management.

• Experience supervising paid and/or volunteer staff.

• Ability to work well with the public and colleagues.

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Professional NAI certification.

• Experience in early education instruction.

• Experience managing outdoor recreation activities.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

Driver's license (required)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to lift 25 pounds. Ability to walk one mile unassisted on rough, uneven terrain. All duties may be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview; may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-SP1