ADMINISTRATOR OF PARKS LANDSCAPE, GROUNDS AND ATHLETIC FIELDS

Newport News Parks & Recreation | Newport News, Virginia

Newport News Parks & Recreation is seeking an experienced parks and grounds professional to serve as Administrator of Parks Landscape, Grounds and Athletic Fields. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Parks Development, Operations, and Animal Services, this position provides leadership, administration, and technical oversight of landscape services, athletic fields, grounds maintenance, and related park maintenance operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for Landscape Services, Athletic Fields, Grounds Maintenance, and related park maintenance functions.
• Develops short- and long-range plans, policies, procedures, performance standards, and maintenance strategies for assigned operations.
• Directs maintenance, repair, improvement, and construction activities for City parks, athletic fields, landscaped areas, rights-of-way, and other assigned properties.
• Provides leadership for the management and long-term sustainability of turf, trees, landscaping, irrigation systems, athletic fields, and related public assets.
• Establishes standards for athletic field preparation, turf management, maintenance scheduling, renovation, field recovery, irrigation, and playing conditions.
• Applies sound horticultural, agronomic, turf-management, arboricultural, and landscape-management practices.
• Evaluates operational performance, identifies service gaps, and implements strategies to improve efficiency, quality, sustainability, and service delivery.
• Identifies hazards, maintenance deficiencies, and visitor safety concerns and ensures timely corrective action.
• Oversees assigned capital projects, maintenance improvements, wildlife and natural resource initiatives, and operational improvement projects.
• Coordinates projects and services with contractors, engineers, consultants, vendors, other City departments, and community partners.
• Assists with identifying and prioritizing deferred maintenance, infrastructure improvements, equipment needs, and long-term capital investments.
• Ensures operations comply with applicable laws, ordinances, safety requirements, City policies, and departmental standards.
• Leads and develops assigned managers, supervisors, administrative staff, and other personnel, including hiring, coaching, performance management, employee relations, and staff development.
• Ensures personnel policies, performance expectations, and disciplinary processes are administered consistently and appropriately.
• Assists with employee investigations and disciplinary matters and coaches supervisors regarding performance and employee relations.
• Assists with preparation and administration of operating and capital budgets; monitors expenditures, approves purchases, develops projections, and prepares required financial reports.
• Responds to public inquiries and concerns and represents the Department at meetings, community forums, and public engagements.
• Promotes a culture centered on safety, accountability, teamwork, sustainability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Arboriculture, Parks and Recreation, Turfgrass Management, Agronomy, Urban Forestry, or a related field.
• Five to seven years of progressively responsible related experience.
• Three to four years of lead supervisory or management experience.
• Experience in parks maintenance, landscaping, athletic field management, turf management, horticulture, or a related field is preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will combine strong leadership abilities with technical knowledge of parks, landscaping, turf, grounds, and athletic field management. The individual should be capable of leading complex operations, developing employees, managing resources, improving maintenance systems, and ensuring Newport News' parks, athletic fields, and public landscapes are safe, attractive, sustainable, and maintained to a high standard.