Denver's Parks Planning, Design and Construction Division consists of a team of highly knowledgeable professionals dedicated to the development and improvement of the City & County of Denver's network of parks and parkways. The Division's efforts in planning, design, and construction management ensure that Denver's valuable system of parks foster's Denver's development as a world-class city and enriches the lives of Denver's residents and guests for years to come.

The District Planning Supervisor position will directly supervise a team of professional Parks Planners, providing direction, mentorship, and technical expertise while leading parks planning initiatives to ensure city, departmental and division goals are met.  With dedicated funding resources and sound visionary direction– there is no better time to be a part of Denver’s Planning, Design and Construction team!

Job duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

District Planning Team Management

• Leads and directs a team of high functioning parks planning professionals, which includes the district planning and large development review teams, to ensure effective development, execution and implementation of parks planning initiatives
• Creates, maintains, and assigns workplans for District Planners. Provides guidance in navigating complex and controversial projects, situations, or communications
• Reviews and guides work of District Planners in the execution of system-wide planning efforts, site-specific vision plans, and planning support for select major capital projects, as well as the drafting of grant applications, RFPs, proposals and scopes of work for consultants, and communications with councilmembers, the public, or the media
• Provides regular updates and strategic recommendations to Management regarding District Planning efforts including, but not limited to recommending prioritization of capital project requests and effective implementation of planning projects to advance the overall Game Plan vision
• Establishes and guides District Planning priorities including annual and 5-year capital planning and budgeting for parks, short-to-long-term planning projects, inter-agency planning efforts, development review, development of policy guidance for addressing system issues and challenges, and grant applications
• Represents agency on various internal city teams and before external bodies such as City Council, Planning Board, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Oversees efficient use of resources, quality assurance and compliance with DPR policies, internal standard operating procedures, and park standards; makes policy development recommendations, as appropriate, and conducts park site visits as needed

Planning/Project Management

• Applies best practice planning methodology to lead and manage highly complex and multi-faceted planning projects (including scope, schedule, and budget) which may include citywide strategic plans and park vision plans. Also represents the Department on planning efforts led by other agencies
  • Exercises sound technical expertise and strong interpersonal and communication skills in complex and controversial matters
  • Prepares planning strategies and initiatives aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the department and city
  • Conducts research and analysis to determine the needs of the community and inform strategic responses
  • Oversees and executes procurement process to hire consultants, and coordinates and manages the work of consultants involved in the execution of planning projects
  • Provides timely and accurate reporting on project progress and addresses any project issues in coordination with internal staff or the public
• Builds consensus and support for initiatives among stakeholders and fosters positive public relations. Identifies, cultivates, and manages key internal and external partnerships such as city departments and agencies, councilmembers, community-based organizations, resident organizations, nonprofits, interest groups, etc.
  • Coordinates and facilitates public participation in multiple stages of project planning through community outreach and engagement, public presentations, and meetings (some meetings and events held in the evening hours or weekends)
  • Collaborates with park maintenance operations, recreation, and design and construction staff
  • Cultivates and supports efforts to secure grants and other project funding
  • Serves as a collaborative representative, technical expert, and department advocate and ensures DPR’s interests are represented in coordinated interdepartmental planning initiatives including new policy development, area plans subdivisions, re-zonings, large development reviews projects, and right-of-way design projects

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You’ll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you, and Denver to the next level.

We are looking for a reliable and dedicated professional with growing leadership skills. Our ideal candidate will have strong relationship-building and communication skills. Additionally, our ideal candidate will have:

• Strong organizational and critical thinking skills
• Great attention to detail while being self-motivated and reliable
• Data driven decision making abilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to provide exceptional customer service
• Ability to form strong working relationships and collaborate with various internal/external stakeholders
• Parks and open space planning or development experience
• Expert negotiation skills and political savviness surrounding sensitive issues or agreements
• Ability to distill complex issues down into plain language digestible for a variety of audiences
• Strong Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills
• Experience with Workday is a plus, but not required
• American Institute of Certified Planners Certification (AICP)
• Master’s degree in related field

* To be considered for this position, you must include a resume. Cover letter is strongly preferred. Upload the attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in City or Regional Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Public Administration, or a related degree
• Experience: Seven (7) years of professional planning experience
• Licensures/Certification(s): Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment
• Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until December 13th, 2024. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than December 13th, 2024 at midnight.