Manager, Parks and Forestry

The Municipality of North Cowichan (population 31,900) is located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Southern Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Victoria. Our communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Maple Bay, and the South End, are home to a multitude of artistic, cultural, and outdoor recreational activities. The Municipality provides a stable and varied work environment, competitive pay, and benefits.

We are looking for a dynamic, people-focused individual for the position of Manager, Parks and Forestry. Our ideal candidate will have a proven track record of successfully fostering strong working relationships with community partners including First Nations, other municipalities and all levels of government agencies while implementing and monitoring the Municipality's objectives as outlined in Council's Strategic Plan and the Parks and Trails Master Plan. This role is ideal for someone with a strong background in parks operations and community engagement, and who can also provide oversight of forestry-related activities within the Municipal Forest Reserve.

Reporting to the Director, Parks and Recreation, this position will require considerable experience providing overall leadership for the development and implementation of improved policies, measures and programs for a municipal Parks and Forestry Department. Effective collaboration with senior management is required and is expected to provide subject matter expertise on all horticultural matters. The Director of Parks and Recreation maintains the title and authority of Municipal Forester for the organization, and will provide oversight of professional forestry-related activities and decisions, ensuring alignment with municipal goals and regulatory requirements.

Key areas of focus for the position will be the planning, operation, maintenance, permitting and public use programming of the following North Cowichan public spaces, while identifying risks and developing mitigation strategies to prevent or minimize environmental impacts:

• Parks and trails;
• Waterfronts;
• natural park areas;
• Sports fields;
• Boulevards and roadway horticulture and arboriculture;
• Community services functions (roadside brushing, mowing and street sweeping) ; and
• Cemeteries.

Required Skills, Qualifications and Abilities:

• Completion of a diploma or university degree in Horticulture, Recreation, Sport and Tourism, Urban Forestry, Parks and Recreation Management, Parks Maintenance Management, Natural Resource Management, Landscape Architecture or another parks-related field.
• A minimum of six (6) years of progressive experience in parks operations and management, including at least three years in a leadership role with responsibility for supervision and project management.
• Considerable technical and practical knowledge related to managing and delivering diverse regional and/or municipal parks services such as complex park operations and maintenance, visitor services, interpretation services, cemetery operations, sports field operations, resource management, planning, and public consultation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of trail planning, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance practices in alignment with the International Mountain Bicycling Association Guidelines and the Whistler Trail Standards.
• Demonstrable verbal and written communication skills including well-developed report writing and public presentation skills.
• Considerable experience with budget preparation, reporting and resource allocations. Provides year-end forecasts, identifies, and justifies long-term capital and operating requirements.
• Experience leading Occupational Health and Safety initiatives and promoting a strong culture of health and safety.
• Ability to manage a diverse and complex portfolio of work while establishing ambitious and challenging goals; demonstrating innovative solutions to overcoming obstacles.
• Considerable experience in leading public and stakeholder engagement, consultation, facilitation, and negotiation.
• Extensive experience leading and supervising both exempt and unionized staff, clearly understanding the importance of leadership including the ability to motivate and develop a high performing, collaborative team by coaching, mentoring, and developing staff.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective internal and external working relationships. Skilled in dealing openly, tactfully, and sensitively in a variety of situations and responding effectively to emotional triggers in self and others.
• Proven ability to use good judgment, tact, and diplomacy to resolve complex problems.
• Possession and maintenance of a valid Class 5 B.C. Driver's License; a satisfactory current driver's abstract will be required.
• The position may be physically demanding.

Assets

• Experience in forestry-related practices such as silviculture, wildfire risk mitigation, road maintenance and forest education.
• Knowledge of legislation and regulations impacting land use practices on the Municipal Forest Reserve.
• Registration as a Registered Professional Technologist or Registered Professional Forester with Forest Professionals BC.

A competitive salary and comprehensive benefit package is offered. This position is excluded from union membership.

Candidates being considered will be required to undergo a comprehensive evaluation of skills, qualifications, and abilities. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a police information check.