CPRS Job Listing

The Parks, Recreation & Community Services Manager – Special Events and Cultural Arts is responsible for leading the planning, production, and oversight of the City’s signature special events, while also supporting Redwood City’s cultural arts programming. From large-scale downtown festivals and concerts to cultural celebrations, family events, and community gatherings featured on www.RedwoodCityEvents.com, this position helps ensure that our parks, plazas, and public spaces remain active, welcoming, and full of life.

This role oversees the full lifecycle of major community events, including concept development, budgeting, sponsorship coordination, vendor and performer booking, permitting, logistics, safety planning, marketing coordination, and on-site production. Signature events such as outdoor concert series, holiday celebrations, cultural festivals, movie nights, and destination activations require thoughtful coordination with Police, Fire, Public Works, Economic Development, and community partners. The Manager leads cross-departmental teams, supervises event staff, manages complex timelines, and ensures every event is inclusive, professionally executed, and reflective of Redwood City’s diverse and dynamic community.

In addition to overseeing special events, this role supports the City’s cultural arts programs and public art initiatives. Responsibilities include serving as staff liaison to the Arts Commission, supporting implementation of the Public Art Master Plan, assisting with Percent for Art ordinance compliance, coordinating with developers on qualifying projects, and helping maintain and promote the City’s growing public art collection.

More broadly, this position negotiates, prepares, and manages contracts and agreements with vendors, performers, artists, and community partners, while ensuring compliance with City policies and maintaining  strong inter-agency collaboration.

What you’ll do, at a glance:

As Redwood City’s Special Events and Cultural Arts Manager, you’ll:

• Plan, direct, and oversee the City’s community events, festivals, and cultural arts programs.
• Provide technical, permitting and event related assistance.
• Manage event schedules and supervise event staff.
• Lead marketing and outreach efforts to promote special events, arts and cultural initiatives.
• Manage budgets, contracts, and sponsorships while ensuring compliance with City policies.
• Collaborate across City departments and with regional partners to ensure safe, inclusive, and well-coordinated events and programs.
• Manage website content related to the Special Events, Arts Commission and Public Art
• Lead and support staff, contractors, and volunteers to deliver high-quality events and public art initiatives.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Arts Commission and Parks and Arts Foundation
• Guide the implementation of the Public Art Master Plan.
• Manage the City’s Public Art App
• Build strong partnerships with artists, cultural organizations, community groups, and developers on projects that enhance Redwood City’s creative landscape.
• Promote and maintain records of public art, and support recognition of the City’s cultural assets.
• Ensures compliance with safety and environmental standards and regulations related to public events.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:
A combination of experience, training and education that has prepared you to have the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in this position. Examples of potential backgrounds may include: 

• Experience: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience, the delivery of recreation, parks, and community services, with two (2) years of supervisory experience.  
• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with, public policy, business administration, recreation or related field.
• Possession of, or an ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License

Interested in joining the Redwood City team?  

Submit your application via www.CalOpps.org by April 6, 2026