Deputy Director of Vibrant Community and… at City of Arvada · Arvada

Internal Candidates must apply through Jobs Hub in Workday.

All positions close Friday morning at 12:01am.

Apply to join our team today! The City of Arvada promotes Equal Pay for Equal Work. Starting salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity. The range listed reflects the entire range and typical placement is entry to mid range.

Pay Range: $130,897.95-$178,982.87 Annual

Deputy Director of Vibrant Community and Neighborhoods

**A resume is required at time of application.

The City of Arvada is seeking a collaborative, strategic, and visionary public sector leader to serve as our next Deputy Director of Vibrant Community and Neighborhoods. This is an exceptional opportunity for a leader who thrives in a shared leadership environment and is passionate about creating vibrant places, strengthening neighborhoods, and enhancing the quality of life for a growing community.

Successful candidates will have a demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams and service areas, manage complex budgets and capital projects, and navigate politically sensitive issues with sound judgment, transparency, and professionalism. They understand that exceptional public service requires balancing community expectations, organizational priorities, and fiscal responsibility while empowering employees to innovate and continuously improve.

Assigned responsibilities may include parks and urban design, parks operations, Majestic View Nature Center, golf operations, festivals and special events, public arts, housing and neighborhood services, or other functional areas. Assignments are determined based on organizational priorities and the experience and expertise of the incumbent and may be periodically adjusted to support leadership continuity, professional development, succession planning, and organizational resilience.

Estimated Hiring Timeline:

July 23 (11:59 PM) - Position Closes

August 3 -10 Written Assignments sent/Due

August 17 - Interviews

**Timeline is tentative and subject to change.

Essential Job Functions

• Serves as a key executive leader within the Vibrant Community and Neighborhoods work system, partnering with the Director to establish strategic direction, advance organizational priorities, and ensure alignment with City Council goals, the City's strategic plan, and community needs.
• Provides executive leadership and oversight for assigned divisions, programs, services, and initiatives, ensuring effective service delivery, operational excellence, and achievement of departmental and organizational objectives.
• Acts on behalf of the Director as assigned, exercising delegated authority and providing leadership continuity during the Director's absence.
• Partners with the Director in the development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of departmental strategic plans, business plans, workforce strategies, performance measures, and organizational priorities.
• Provides executive oversight of departmental financial operations, including development and administration of operating and capital budgets, long-range financial planning, resource allocation, and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) planning.
• Leads the development and implementation of complex, high-profile, and cross-functional initiatives that have significant community, organizational, operational, or financial impact.
• Provides leadership in evaluating emerging community needs, industry trends, regulatory requirements, and organizational opportunities to inform strategic planning, policy development, and service delivery decisions.
• Conducts executive-level analysis of policy, operational, financial, and organizational issues and develops recommendations for the Director, Executive Leadership Team, and City Council.
• Develops and maintains collaborative partnerships with elected officials, community organizations, neighborhood groups, business leaders, governmental agencies, boards and commissions, and other stakeholders to advance departmental and citywide goals.
• Represents the department and the City before City Council, boards and commissions, community groups, professional organizations, governmental agencies, and the media as assigned.
• Provides executive oversight of contract negotiations, intergovernmental agreements, public-private partnerships, leases, and other strategic agreements necessary to support departmental operations and community initiatives.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, inclusion, continuous improvement, and customer service consistent with the City's mission, vision, values, and leadership expectations.
• Directs organizational change initiatives and supports the development of policies, procedures, systems, and business practices that improve organizational effectiveness and service delivery.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to the Director and executive leadership team on matters affecting assigned service areas, departmental operations, community priorities, and organizational performance.
• Responds to complex, sensitive, or high-profile community concerns and issues, ensuring timely resolution and effective communication with stakeholders.
• Serves as a liaison between community, staff and City Council.
• Position requires attendance at evening and weekend meetings, public events, community engagement activities, and emergency response situations as needed.
• Travels to and attends team and organizational meetings, training, events and activities and appropriately and professionally represents the department.

Other Job Functions

• Represents the city in meetings with professional organizations, boards, commissions, other public agencies, and the public; responds to media as necessary.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Essential Supervisory Duties

• Develops and/or participates in the development of staff work plans, measures and tracks progress towards goals, prepares and conducts timely and constructive performance appraisals.
• Makes decisions or recommendations for hiring, promotions, transfers, disciplinary action, and other personnel actions as necessary.
• Coaches, counsels and supports staff to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. Consistently educates and advises staff on organizational rules, regulations, policies and procedures. Supports creative thinking and problem solving and encourages participatory decision making when appropriate.
• Provides training and job enrichment opportunities and encourages professional growth and development.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of principles and practices of public administration, organizational leadership, strategic planning, and municipal government operations.
• Advanced knowledge of budgeting, financial management, capital improvement programming, and long-range financial planning.
• Solid knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies governing assigned service areas.
• Solid knowledge of community engagement, public participation, stakeholder relationship management, and public communication practices.
• Knowledge of policy development, legislative processes, and governmental decision-making.
• Knowledge of contract administration, procurement practices, intergovernmental agreements, and public-private partnerships.
• Ability to provide visionary and strategic leadership in a complex and dynamic public sector environment.
• Ability to effectively lead diverse operational areas, programs, services, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to develop and implement long-range strategies that align organizational resources with community priorities and City Council direction.
• Ability to evaluate complex issues, analyze alternatives, and make sound recommendations and decisions considering operational, financial, legal, political, and community impacts.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with elected officials, residents, business leaders, partner agencies, boards and commissions, and employees at all organizational levels.
• Ability to navigate politically sensitive situations with professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Ability to lead organizational change initiatives and foster innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to negotiate and administer complex contracts, agreements, and partnerships.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex projects while maintaining focus on strategic objectives and operational effectiveness.
• Ability to effectively communicate information, both verbally and in writing, to support organizational objectives and interact with all levels of personnel within the city in a positive and cooperative manner.
• Must be able to operate a motor vehicle.

Knowledge Skills Abilities Preferred

• Knowledge of parks and recreation services, urban design, open space management, neighborhood services, housing, cultural arts, environmental stewardship, community development, or related municipal functions.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary departments with diverse operational and community-facing responsibilities.
• Experience working directly with elected officials, boards and commissions, and community advisory groups.
• Experience overseeing capital projects, public infrastructure investments, and large-scale community initiatives.
• Familiarity with municipal performance management systems and continuous improvement methodologies.

License & Certification

• A valid Colorado driver’s license and acceptable driving record is required.

Education Degree

• Bachelors Degree (BA, BS, BBA)

Education Major

• Parks and Recreation, Landscape Architecture, Natural Resource, Housing or related field

Education Required

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Work Experience Related

• Eight (8) or more years of experience managing related issues and three (3) years of supervisory experience.

Work Experience Preferred

• Master’s Degree

Other Qualifications

• Must pass a criminal background check and a driving record check, if required by the position.

Physical Demands

• Minimal physical effort typically found in clerical work. Primarily sedentary, may occasionally lift and carry light objects. Walking and/or standing as needed and minimal.

Hazards

• Minimal exposure to hazards are typically found in general office environment where there is rarely to no exposure to injury or accident.

Work Environment

• Exposure to routine office noise and equipment.

The City of Arvada offers a robust Total Rewards package. To find out more details, select here.

Vision: We Dream Big and Deliver

Mission: We are dedicated to delivering superior services to enhance the lives of everyone in our community.

Values:

• Innovation: We excel in creativity, flexibility and the use of best practices while valuing diverse backgrounds, ideas and perspectives.
• Passion: We are a high performing, inclusive team inspiring each other to pursue excellence.
• Opportunity: We value our diversity, embrace possibilities, face challenges, persevere and take action to deliver quality results.

The City’s Core values are in every employee’s individual Performance Plan which helps us to reinforce our expectations for living and working by our Core Values.

Every City employee is expected to perform his/her job to the highest professional standards. This includes upholding the City’s values with integrity and accountability, acting in a manner that is respectful and inclusive towards others, and adhering to the City’s policy on employee conduct as detailed in the personnel rules sec. 70-143.

The City is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.