Career Opportunity

Equity Program Director - Rec and Parks (0951)

Recruitment: RTF0115568-01148715

Published: March 21, 2022

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Applications Open: January 20, 2022 Applications Close: Open until position is filled. The earliest it may close is February 3, 2022.

Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America.  San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park.  Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

Role description

The Equity Program Director will report directly to the Department Head of the Recreation and Park Department, Phil Ginsburg as a member of the department's Executive Leadership team. This position is responsible for managing a team dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Rec and Parks in coordination with internal and external stakeholders. The essential responsibilities of the position include the following:

Strategic Planning and Vision: Collaboratively identifies, develops, implements, measures and prioritizes departmental strategic plan initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in partnership with the Executive Leadership team; Ensures that the RPD’s long-term and near-term strategic goals are fully reflective of and inspired by an equity lens; Monitors the department's execution of strategies towards diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

Program/Project Implementation: Collaboratively identifies, develops, implements, measures and prioritizes equity related departmental programs/projects (e.g., Racial Equity Action Plan, Recreation programming); Performs systematic changes to existing department programs/projects to include diversity, equity and inclusion goals; Researches diversity, equity and inclusion best practices, particularly in areas related to recreation and parks, necessary to recommend relevant changes to existing department programs/projects.

Data & Assessment: Identifies and develops key performance indicators and metrics for programs and projects in collaboration with other departmental divisions (e.g., Recreation, Policy & Public Affairs, Administration & Finance) necessary to track the progress of diversity, equity and inclusion goals; Prepares reports and makes recommendations to internal stakeholders (e.g., Executive Leadership team) on the progress of diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

Community Relations: Assists the Policy and Public Affairs Division as a subject matter expert on public policy issues related to equity; Assists the Partnerships Division with cultivating relationships with marginalized/underrepresented communities to create meaningful changes congruent with the department’s strategic goals.

Leadership and Staff Development: Oversees a team dedicated to promoting and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the department; Leads the execution of the department’s Racial Equity Action Plan and functions as primary liaison with other City departments including Office of Racial Equity; Supports existing department staff to advance workplace equity in collaboration with Human Resources Leadership; Researches, recommends and implements department-wide training and development opportunities to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

How to qualify

1) A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND

2) Three (3) years of managerial experience (all of which must include supervisory) working in the field of racial and gender equity, gender/diversity inclusion, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), social justice, and/or racial/gender policy development.

Substitution: Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of two (2) years. One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units.

Desirable Qualifications     

• Experience (5+ years) conducting diversity, equity, and inclusion best practice research and using data as the foundation for decision making and program/project implementation;
• Experience (3+ years) with equity program/project development and implementation including full life cycle plans in areas related to diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Experience (3+ years) developing and implementing diversity, equity and inclusion best practices for organizations striving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive;
• Experience (5+ years) working with diverse groups of community members especially groups from underrepresented/marginalized communities;
• Experience (3+ years) managing a budget to accomplish equity goals and initiatives in a cost-effective and efficient way;
• Knowledge (extensive) of principles and practices of effective institutional change management necessary to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion goals;
• Knowledge (extensive) of relevant Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes and ordinances including employment/ HR laws, public sector civil service rules, policies, and procedures;
• Ability (strong) to collect and analyze a variety of complex information into meaningful metrics and reports;
• Ability (strong) to interact tactfully with others from diverse racial and ethnic background; and
• Ability (strong) to build partnerships and work collaborate with community-based organizations and other external stakeholders.

What else should I know?

The normal annual salary range is $116,116 - $148,252.  Appointment above the maximum of the normal range may be considered based on documented and substantiated recruitment and retention issues or exceptional skills.  A special approval process is necessary for appointment above the normal salary range. For additional information about the City's benefits package, please visit: Municipal Executives' Association Benefit Summary

Other outstanding benefits offered with this position include:

• Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance; Long-term Disability Plan; Flexible Spending Accounts
• Municipal Executives Flexible Credits Defined Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation; Social Security
• Paid Management Training Program; Wellness Program
• Vacation/Holiday/Sick Time; Administrative Leave

Selection Process
The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.

Final candidate(s) will be invited to take the Management Test Battery (MTB). The exam results will be for departmental informational purposes only.

Appointment Type:   Permanent-Exempt (PEX) Appointment. Pursuant to the City & County of San Francisco Charter, Section 10.104.13. Any person occupying a position under exempt appointment shall not be subject to civil service selection, appointment, and removal procedures. Exempt employees shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer.

Conviction History
Benefits Overview
Disaster Service Workers
General Information concerning City and County of San Francisco Employment Policies and Procedures
Information on requesting a reasonable ADA Accommodation
Copies of Application Documents
Right to Work

For questions, please contact Antonio Archuleta at antonio.archuleta@sfgov.org.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Race and Social Equity Statement
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all.  With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department’s goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.  

We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations.  With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.