Employee Services Director jobs in Santa Barbara, CA

Pending Council approval on April 16, 2024, the salary for this position will receive a market rate adjustment, in addition to a 3% cost of living adjustment.

Known to locals as the "Good Land," the City of Goleta is a thriving community located on the south coast of Santa Barbara County, approximately 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles and just ten miles west of downtown Santa Barbara. The City stretches approximately 8 square miles along a beautiful coastline, within a narrow coastal plain of exceptional natural beauty between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The current population of the City is 33,000 and the adopted General Plan allows for a build out population of approximately 38,000 by 2030.

Goleta exemplifies diversity and balance in areas such as: single-family homes and multi-family apartments; new start-ups and long-established and thriving businesses; quiet neighborhood streets and smooth flowing freeways; tree canopies and wide open spaces; organic farms and high technology manufacturing; a busy Old Town commercial district, shopping centers, and lively local farmers' markets. Goleta is located adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara, which is home to six Nobel Prize winners and is one of the leading research universities in America.

The City of Goleta is a great place to live, work, and play!

The Neighborhood Services Director Position
Under general direction of the Assistant City Manager, provides oversight of the Neighborhood Services Department and is responsible for the planning, organization, and administration of Department projects and programs, including parks, recreation, libraries, homeless programs, emergency preparedness, City grantmaking programs, and the Community Development Block Grant program; develops and oversees the department's personnel, budget and finances; and serves as a member of the City's executive team.

The Neighborhood Services Director is considered a Department Director with responsibility for directing the activities of a Department within the City. Positions at this class level serve as a member of the City's executive management team and provides advice and counsel to the City Manager regarding strategic policy and problem-solving relating to the assigned Department and the City overall. The incumbent is responsible for accomplishing the City's goals and objectives related to assigned program areas and for supervising the work of all Department staff.

The successful candidate for the position of Neighborhood Services Director will have local government management experience at management level or above, and strong analytical and written communication skills. They will have a solid ethical foundation and a good understanding of the Council-Manager form of government.

Note: A cover letter outlining your interest in the opportunity and how your experience, knowledge, and skills are relevant to the role must be included with your application.

The first round of interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of May 20th.

The following duties are typical for positions in this classification. Incumbents may not perform all listed job functions, nor are all listed duties necessarily performed by everyone in this class depending upon business needs and changing business practices:

• Assumes full management responsibility for the Neighborhood Services department; oversees the planning, organization, and administration of Department projects and programs, including parks, recreation, libraries, homelessness programs, emergency preparedness, City grantmaking programs, and the Community Development Block Grant program.
• Formulates, recommends, and implements Department policies, procedures, goals, priorities, and objectives that will offer positive experiences for residents and visitors and foster human development, health and wellness, cultural unity, environmental stewardship, safety and security, and enhance community identity.
• Oversees the planning, development, and delivery of a wide variety of programs within the Department's responsibility; identifies community needs and directs staff in delivery of programs.
• Directs the preparation and implementation of the Department's operating and capital improvement budgets, work programs, and strategic plans; makes budget presentations and justifies submissions; provides long-range financial planning for department programs, projects, and needs; approves department fees, purchases, contracts, and expenditures.
• Ensures all resources within each division are properly allocated and managed.
• Provides long-range planning for the development of City parks, recreation, and library facilities; leads or participates in capital project planning and capital project management.
• Serves as Assistant Emergency Services Director and oversees City emergency preparedness activities and services in close coordination with the City Manager's Office.
• Continuously monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and services delivery methods, based on desired outcomes.
• Assess workloads, administrative support systems, and internal working relationships to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Attends meetings of the City Council, the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Library Commission and various other boards, commissions, committees and other public organizations, as needed.
• Directly supervises management, professional, operational, and/or clerical staff; oversees and approves the recruitment, selection, training and evaluation of Department staff accordance with the City's personnel rules, policies and labor contract provisions; recommends disciplinary action, as needed.
• Identifies grant and other funding opportunities; prepares grant applications and administers grant; implements City's own grantmaking programs for non-profit and other entities serving the community, including a competitive application process.
• Assists in resolving work problems and interpreting administrative policies to subordinates, other departments, consultants, contractors and the public.
• Prepares and presents verbal and written reports to City Council, County Board of Supervisors, Commissions, governmental agencies and community groups.
• Represents the Neighborhood Services Department to other departments, elected officials, and outside agencies including community organizations; develops community resources; coordinates assigned activities with those of other departments and outside agencies and organizations.
• Explains, justifies, and defends department programs, policies, and activities; negotiates and resolves sensitive and controversial issues.
• Responds to and resolves difficult and sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; monitors state and federal legislation pertaining to issues affecting the Department and/or City projects.
• Maintains awareness of new trends and developments in assigned areas of responsibility; incorporates new developments as appropriate.

Education, Experience and Training

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

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public administration, business administration, library administration, or a related field. A Master's degree in one of the aforementioned fields is preferable.

• Ten years of increasingly responsible experience in local government administration, parks and recreation, libraries, or similar community-facing quality-of-life departments. Five years of supervisory experience. Experience overseeing complex operations and preparing a department budget is highly desirable.

• Principles of municipal government management, organization, administration, and operations.
• Principles of financial analysis including financial terms and cost benefit analysis; principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration.
• Implementation of Federal and State emergency incident response requirements.
• Administration, implementation and preparation of applications for Federal, State grants including Community Development Block Grants.
• Public agency procurement and contracting management and administration.
• Principles and practices of strategic planning and workload management.
• Theories of management and organization; leadership principles; principles of human behavior.
• Familiarity with planning terminology and permitting processes.
• Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations.
• Principles and practices of project and program management in assigned areas of responsibility.
• Principles of personnel selection, supervision, training and performance evaluation.
• Methods and techniques of effective report preparation and presentation.
• Modern office methods, practices, procedures and equipment, including computer hardware and software necessary for word processing, graphic presentation, mapping, and database management.

• Oversee a range of specialized functions, such as libraries, parks, recreation programs, and grant programs.
• Perform responsible, complex and specialized current and long-term planning assignments.
• Prepare financial reports and analyses, prepare and review economic feasibility studies, provide recommendations.
• Interpret and apply federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, policies, procedures, and standards pertaining to the planning process.
• Oversee parks capital projects, interpret maps, site and building plans and specifications; research, analyze and summarize planning data.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with officials of public and private agencies, community groups and the general public, as well as with City Staff, co-workers, City Council, commissions, media, business groups, financial institutions, regulators, and other parties.
• Solicit community involvement in department programs, enhance cooperative working relationships among all interested persons.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and provide recommendations.
• Make presentations of ideas and recommendations to staff, the City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review Board, advisory committees, and other official groups; prepare clear and visual displays; present ideas persuasively.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials; plan and organize work.
• Exercise sound judgment.
• Plan, organize and execute assignments independently and within established deadlines.
• Supervise, train and evaluate assigned personnel.
• Work effectively and tactfully with dissatisfied citizens and others; deal constructively with conflict and develop effective resolutions.
• Understand and carry out verbal and written instructions; express ideas clearly and concisely verbally and in writing; read, understand, and apply complex materials.
• Establish and maintain professional and cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Use a computer and software applications such as, word processing, spreadsheets, database management, and graphics presentations.