CPRS Job Listing

The City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department is looking for a Community Services Section Manager

Why Join our Department?

The Parks and Recreation Department’s mission is to enhance the quality of life and strengthen the bonds of community by providing an appropriate mix of safe, well-maintained and well-designed parks, open spaces, and community center facilities that are accessible for all residents; provide enriching leisure opportunities for all age groups; and to preserve and protect the City’s natural resources, including its urban forest, public open spaces, and landscaped medians and islands.

As the Community Services Manager, you will serve as the strategic lead in developing comprehensive programing of recreational, instructional, and community-building activities. You will have the opportunity to make a lasting, positive impact on the community for years to come by invigorating the division with fresh ideas and directing the trajectory of recreation activities, program development, and community engagement.

Look to some of the reasons why the City of San Mateo is a great place to work, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GTIzeSpc_g

What You’ll Do

The Community Services Section Manager plans, organizes, and directs the activities of an assigned recreation section within the Parks and Recreation Department, coordinates that section’s activities with other divisions or departments; and provides highly responsible technical support to the Community Services Manager.

Some duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recommend and implement section goals and objectives; establish performance standards and methods for multiple recreation programs such as athletics, fitness, arts, aquatics, youth services, facilities, and senior services; develop and implement policies and procedures.
• Plan, develop and oversee the work of staff involved in recreation programing. Participate in the selection of staff; coordinate staff training; conduct performance evaluations; recommend discipline; implement discipline procedures as directed.
• Evaluate operations and activities of assigned unit; implement improvements and modifications; prepare various reports on operations and activities.  Maintain records and develop reports concerning the administration and effectiveness of new or ongoing programs and services.
• Oversee the development and distribution of publicity, including news releases, flyers, pamphlets, and brochures.
• Participate in budget preparation and administration; prepare cost estimates for budget recommendations; submit justifications for recreation programing and administration; monitor and control expenditure.
• Administer contracts for specialized contractual services.
• Maintain close contact with school officials and community groups having related section responsibilities for program and service administration. 
• Oversee the permitting process for park and recreation facilities. 
• Answer questions and provide information to the public; investigate complaints and recommend corrective action as necessary to resolve complaints. 
• Attend meetings of and prepare reports for Commissions and Advisory Groups; provide technical and professional advice and recommendations relating to recreation and human services.
• Respond to and resolve difficult resident inquiries and complaints.

The Community Services Section Manager receives general direction from the Community Services Manager or higher level personnel and exercises direct supervision over assigned supervisory, professional, and technical personnel.

For a complete list of duties, reference our job specifications at https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/Index/86

What We Offer

• Salary:  $9,510 - $11,342/month
• Comprehensive benefits package including generous paid leave and health benefits
• CalPERS retirement (2% @ 55 for classic members; 2% @ 62 for new members). Classic employees contribute 8.34% to CalPERS and New members contribute 7.50% to CalPERS
• Participation in the Social Security Program
• City contribution of 1.5% of base salary to a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, and a 1.0% match to the Employee’s voluntary contribution. 
• The City contributes 0.25% of base salary to a Retiree Health Savings Account
• Free Fitness classes through City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation
• Credit Union Membership
• Bilingual Differential $195 monthly (if applicable)
• For more information please refer to the Management Association Benefits Summary effective January 2022.
• This classification is represented by the San Mateo Management Association

Who You Are

• You possess knowledge of the principles and practices of recreation programing and administration and pertinent local, State, Federal rules, regulations and laws.
• You possess the ability to organize, implement and direct recreation operations and activities and interpret and explain pertinent recreation and department policies and procedures.
• You possess knowledge of the principles and practices of research analysis and management. 
• You have the ability to assist in the development and monitoring of an assigned program budget by possessing the knowledge of the principles and practices of budget development, implementation, and monitoring
• You possess excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills.
• You possess knowledge of the principals of supervision, training, and performance evaluation and the ability to supervise, train and evaluate personnel.

What You Bring

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

• Four years of increasingly responsible experience in recreation programming; including two years of supervisory responsibility.
• Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in recreation, leisure services, public administration or a related field.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California driver’s license.

Bonus Points (highly desirable)

• Experience with Workday, RecTrack, When to Work and/or Recreation Management Software.
• Knowledge of budget development and cost recovery strategies.

Are You Ready?  Apply.

Submit an online application, résumé, and supplemental questionnaire at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-san-mateo or to the Human Resources Department, City of San Mateo, 330 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, (650) 522-7260.

Application Deadline

Recruitment will close by December 31, 2024 @ 5:00 p.m. or upon receipt of the first 50 applications, résumés, and supplemental questionnaires, whichever occurs first.

Interview Process

All applications, résumés (required) and responses to supplemental questions received will be reviewed for minimum qualifications.  A fully completed application is required; a résumé does not replace the information required on the employment application, including work history.  Applications with "see résumé" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with none or unclear current/past employment information, or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered; missing information cannot be assumed.  A limited number of the most highly qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the examination process, which may consist of an oral panel interview, written exercise, training and experience application review, or in the form of a practical demonstration of skill and ability, or any combination of these; a Zoom oral panel interview is tentatively scheduled for January 23, 2025.

An employment list will be established from those who pass the examination process. Current and future vacancies may be filled from this list.  The list will remain in effect for at least six months with the possibility of an extension for an additional six months.  Once placed on an employment list, and at the time a vacancy occurs, eligible candidates may be contacted by the hiring department and scheduled for additional department interviews.

Date Posted – December 2, 2024

Note: The City of San Mateo reserves the right, at its discretion, to limit the number of qualified candidates invited to the selection process. ALL RESPONSES WILL BE CONDUCTED VIA THE EMAIL ADDRESS PROVIDED IN YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION. Therefore, it is imperative that you provide an email address to which you have access, and it is recommended that you frequently check your email for notices from: sanmateo@CalOpps.org

Fine Print

Prior to hire, candidates will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, including a driving record review, reference check, and Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks. A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment.

The policy of the City of San Mateo is to grant equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, ancestry, physical or mental disability, sexual preference, marital status, or national origin. It is the intent and desire of the City of San Mateo that equal employment opportunity will be provided in recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, applicants requiring accommodations for any part of the testing or recruitment process must notify lcoles@cityofsanmateo.org or (650) 522-7264 seven (7) days in advance of the deadline for the part of the process requiring accommodations. Do not upload any documents related to your request for accommodation in CalOpps. The City of San Mateo complies with employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.