Description

Venues, Parks and Arts includes four divisions: Experiences & Events, Facilities & Grounds, Community Programs & Recreation, and Venues. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Deputy Director serves as the department's chief internal operating leader, responsible for the day-to-day management, coordination, and execution of departmental operations. This position translates strategic priorities into clear workplans, operating rhythms, accountability measures, and cross-division follow-through so the Executive Director can focus on external leadership, citywide strategy, intergovernmental relationships, partnerships, and long-term departmental positioning.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leads the department's internal operating rhythm, including regular division check-ins, priority tracking, issue escalation, and follow-through on departmental goals, timelines, and assignments.
• Translates Executive Director priorities, departmental plans, and citywide goals into actionable workplans, staffing plans, operating procedures, timelines, and performance measures.
• Serves as the primary internal integrator across Experiences & Events, Facilities & Grounds, Community Programs & Recreation, Venues, and administrative functions to ensure coordination, communication, and consistent service delivery.
• Supervises, directs, supports, and evaluates division leaders and senior management staff; conducts performance evaluations and supports consistent management practices across the department.
• Monitors daily department operations, staffing levels, service demands, operating budgets, purchasing needs, and resource allocation; identifies service gaps, operational risks, efficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Makes timely operational decisions within established policy, budget, and strategic direction; escalates high-impact, politically sensitive, financial, legal, or reputational matters to the Executive Director.
• Acts as the first point of escalation for internal operational issues, cross-functional conflicts, service delivery concerns, staffing challenges, and implementation barriers before they reach the Executive Director.
• Establishes, implements, and enforces departmental policies, rules, regulations, procedures, standards, and guidelines; ensures division-level practices align with approved direction.
• Uses operational data, key performance indicators, service metrics, customer feedback, incident trends, and staff input to assess departmental performance and recommend improvements.
• Provides regular updates to the Executive Director on operational health, emerging risks, staffing or resource concerns, major initiatives, and progress toward department goals.
• Responds to internal and external customer questions and complaints related to department operations; researches problems, coordinates resolution, and ensures appropriate follow-up.
• Coordinates internal systems and administrative supports, including facilities, technology, communications, financial processes, procurement, reporting, and operational documentation.
• Ensures department compliance with applicable codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures; initiates actions necessary to correct deviations or violations.
• Provides operational leadership during major events, service disruptions, emergencies, staffing shortages, facility concerns, or other conditions requiring coordinated departmental response.
• Supports leadership development, onboarding, training, succession planning, and professional growth for managers and supervisors across the department.
• Maintains comprehensive, current knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, professional standards, operating trends, and best practices relevant to parks, venues, recreation, events, hospitality, and municipal operations.
• Provides general oversight of the department in the absence of the Executive Director and supports the Executive Director on special projects or strategic initiatives as assigned.
• Assumes additional responsibilities as apparent or requested.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

Provides direct operational oversight of division leaders and administrative units, with primary responsibility for internal coordination, staff accountability, service delivery, and implementation of departmental priorities.

KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY:

• Ability to lead day-to-day operations across a large, multi-division department while maintaining
  alignment with strategic goals and executive direction.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, assign, and monitor work across multiple teams; establish clear
  expectations; and hold managers accountable for timely follow-through.
• Ability to use operational data, financial information, service metrics, and staff input to make sound
  managerial decisions and recommend improvements.
• Ability to resolve complex operational issues, coordinate across functional areas, manage competing
  priorities, and determine when matters should be escalated to executive leadership.
• Ability to provide guidance, assistance, and interpretation regarding the application of procedures,
  standards, policies, and expectations to specific situations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff, managers, senior leaders, partner departments, elected or
  appointed officials, vendors, community members, and the public.

EDUCATION / QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible management experience, including significant experience leading complex operations, supervising managers, managing budgets, and coordinating work across multiple functional areas.
• Experience developing operating procedures, workplans, performance measures, accountability systems, and cross-functional implementation plans preferred
• Familiarity with any or all of the following industries is a plus: performing arts centers, civic centers, parks and recreation departments, venue management, hospitality, public administration, municipal operations, event operations, or community programming

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Driver's License required

EQUIPMENT:

Desktop and laptop computer, telephone, facsimile machine, and copier.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and walk, and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and walk, and talk and hear.

The employee occasionally required to use hands to fingers, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required in this job include visions and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in office settings, with moderate inside temperatures. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate in the office. Entire office is smoke free.

UNION AFFILIATION:

N/A

DISCLAIMER:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The City of South Bend is an at-will employer.