Parks and Recreation Director

Salary : $137,910.00 - $201,960.00 Annually
Location : City of Pasco, WA
Job Type: Regular Full-Time
Job Number: 2026.911
Department: Parks and Recreation
Opening Date: 09/14/2026
Closing Date: 10/12/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt

SUMMARY OF POSITION
SALARY: $137,910 - $201,960 Annually
LOCATION: City of Pasco, WA
JOB TYPE: Regular/Full-Time
DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
WORK SCHEDULE: Monday - Friday, with additional hours as needed

THE ROLE
The City of Pasco is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Parks and Recreation Director to lead a diverse portfolio of services that contribute directly to the quality of life of our growing community.

As a member of the City's Leadership Team, the Parks and Recreation Director provide executive leadership for recreation programs, parks, aquatics, and animal services. The Director establishes departmental priorities, develops organizational capacity, oversees operating and capital budgets, leads long-range planning, and ensures services are financially sustainable, responsive to community needs, and aligned with the City's strategic priorities.

This position leads through managers, supervisors, and professional staff while building a high-performing organizational culture centered on clear expectations, accountability, collaboration, employee development, and continuous improvement. The Director also serves as a key advisor to City leadership and regularly represents the department before the City Council, regional partners, community organizations, and the public.
The full job description can be found here: Parks and Recreation Director

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction across Parks and Recreation divisions, developing managers and employees while establishing clear expectations, accountability, and a high-performing organizational culture.
• Develop, present, and administer operating and capital budgets; monitor revenues, expenditures, service levels, and cost recovery while identifying opportunities for efficiencies, grants, sponsorships, and partnership funding.
• Build strong regional and community partnerships with school districts, neighboring jurisdictions, agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, and other stakeholders while representing the department before City Council and the public.
• Lead the planning and delivery of recreation programs, community services, and special events that serve Pasco residents across ages, abilities, income levels, and cultural communities.
• Direct the maintenance, operation, and improvement of City parks, trails, sports complexes, open spaces, and while overseeing long-range planning and capital projects.
• Provide executive oversight of City Aquatics and the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter and animal control services, ensuring effective operations, appropriate service standards, safety, compliance, and responsible stewardship.
• Establish effective organizational systems, policies, procedures, performance measures, and technology solutions to improve service delivery, operational accountability, asset management, and the customer experience.

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Experience

Ten (10) years of combined relevant education and/or experience.

Qualifying education includes parks and recreation administration, public administration, business administration, community development, organizational leadership, or another closely related field from an accredited institution.

Relevant experience must demonstrate competency in:

• Progressively responsible parks and recreation, community services, public administration, municipal operations, or a closely related public-service environment.
• Leading and developing employees, supervisors, managers, and multidisciplinary teams, including performance management, organizational development, and change management.
• Developing and administering operating and/or capital budgets, allocating resources, evaluating service levels, and providing responsible fiscal and operational stewardship.
• Providing strategic and operational leadership for complex programs, services, capital projects, policies, and organizational initiatives.
• Building effective partnerships and communicating with executive leadership, elected officials, government agencies, community organizations, employees, and the public.

Qualifying education beyond a high school diploma or equivalent may substitute year-for-year for experience; however, candidates must demonstrate relevant professional experience that includes leadership or management responsibility for employees, programs, budgets, operations, or organizational functions.

Education-to-Experience Equivalencies:

• Associate degree + 8 years of relevant experience
• Bachelor's degree + 6 years of relevant experience
• Master's degree or higher + 5 years of relevant experience
• 10 years of relevant experience with no qualifying post-secondary degree

Experience must include work related to the position and demonstrate competency in the following areas:

• Progressively responsible experience in parks and recreation, community services, public administration, municipal operations, or a closely related public-service environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing employees, supervisors, managers, and multidisciplinary teams, including performance management, organizational development, and change management.
• Experience developing and administering operating and/or capital budgets, allocating resources, evaluating service levels, and ensuring responsible fiscal and operational stewardship.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic and operational leadership for complex programs, services, capital projects, policies, and organizational initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective partnerships, communicate with diverse stakeholders, and exercise sound judgment and decision-making when working with executive leadership, elected officials, government agencies, community organizations, employees, and the public.
• Qualifying education beyond a high school diploma or equivalent may be substituted year-for-year for experience; however, applicants must demonstrate relevant professional experience that includes leadership or management responsibility for employees, programs, budgets, operations, or organizational functions.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS & PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Valid Washington State Driver's License, or ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire, with an acceptable driving record.
• CPR and First Aid certification within six months of hire.
• Must successfully pass a criminal background check appropriate for work involving youth and vulnerable populations.
• CPRE (Certified Park and Recreation Executive), Certified Pool Operator, or Aquatic Facility Operator certification is desirable.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are strongly preferred and highly valued in serving the Pasco community.

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS PACKAGE
The City offers a comprehensive benefits package for employees and eligible dependents, including:

• Medical coverage at tiered monthly rates based on plan selection and coverage level
• Dental coverage at $11.59/month and vision coverage at $6.54/month
• Basic life insurance paid by the City and optional supplemental coverage
• 12 days of vacation during the 1st year and 12 days of sick leave (accrual-based)
• 10 holidays plus 1 floating holiday annually
• Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) pension plan
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan with up to 4% City contribution
• Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Assistance, Flexible Spending Plan, Long-Term Disability, Aflac, and flexible scheduling (per department approval)

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
01

Which of the following best describes your combined qualifying education and relevant professional experience? Qualifying education includes college-level education in parks and recreation administration, public administration, business administration, community development, organizational leadership, facility management, or another closely related field. Relevant experience includes work in parks and recreation, community services, public administration, municipal operations, facilities management, or a closely related public-service environment.

• Less than 5 years
• 5-7 years
• 8-9 years
• 10-12 years

02

How many years of professional experience do you have with leadership or management responsibility for employees, programs, budgets, operations, or organizational functions?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 to less than 3 years
• 3+ years

03

I understand that my responses to these supplemental questions must be supported by the education and/or experience provided in my application materials and may be used to determine whether I meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

• Yes
• No

Required Question