Director of Parks and Recreation 
City of Omaha, Nebraska

Job Description
The City of Omaha, NE (population 489,265) is seeking an innovative, strategic, and community-focused leader to serve as its next Director of Parks and Recreation. This executive-level position reports directly to the Mayor and plays a central role in managing and shaping the City’s extensive parks, recreation, and public property systems. The next Director will guide ambitious capital projects, pursue national accreditation, expand equitable access to park resources, and strengthen Omaha’s role as a national model for community-focused recreation systems. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for a seasoned park and recreation professional who brings a commitment to excellence in public service, inclusive programming, and long-term urban livability. The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for delivering a broad range of services, including park development and maintenance, recreation programming, landscape architecture, golf and aquatics operations, urban forestry, and public property management.

Omaha, Nebraska, is the state’s largest city and a growing hub for innovation, culture, and quality of life. Located along the Missouri River, Omaha boasts a vibrant downtown, strong neighborhoods, excellent schools, and low cost of living. The city is recognized for its commitment to sustainability, civic engagement, and public-private partnerships. Omaha’s park system is one of the City’s most treasured assets, offering more than 11,000 acres of parkland, over 250 public parks, $40 million operating budget, a network of trails, community centers, swimming pools, spray grounds, golf courses, and recreational facilities that serve residents year-round. Major destination spaces such as Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park, and the newly revitalized Downtown Riverfront exemplify the city’s continued investment in world-class public spaces.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensures operational excellence and long term-sustainability in the care of Omaha’s parks and public properties. Especially in the maintenance and operation of the parks and public properties
• Inspires and directs staff to set innovative goals and achieve measurable results in programming, maintenance, and community engagement.
• Manage the development and execution of comprehensive master and site-specific plans.
• Oversee the planning and development of a new sports complex. 
• Build strong relationships with partner organizations such as the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, MECA, local sports organizations, philanthropic foundations, and community groups will be essential.
• Establishes and maintains collaborative working relationships and good communication with a variety of individuals within the community, the various city departments, and city leaders.
• Demonstrates tact, diplomacy, positivity, energy, and patience with a commitment to improving the quality of life in the community.

Qualifications
Candidate Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, parks and recreation management, landscape architecture, political science, or related field of study.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• CPRP or CPRE certifications preferred.•
• Ten years of extensive administrative and management experience in parks and recreation operations management, landscape architecture or an equivalent combination of education and experience. •
• Possession of, or the ability to obtain a valid Driver’s License.

Salary/Salary Range
The expected hiring range is $160,000 to $180,000 DOQ with excellent benefits. The City offers group health insurance which includes major medical, vision and dental for the individual and family, including funding of an HSA, a defined benefit pension program, fourteen paid holidays and generous paid sick and vacation leave.

Apply To
Interested candidates should apply online with a resume, cover letter and contact information for 5 professional references to Charlene Stevens, - MGT Vice President of Human Capital Solutions, Tel: 847-380-3240 Ext 124 or Joe DeLuce, MGT Senior Consultant, Tel: 217-714-2333.

The City of Omaha is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce and believes Omaha’s parks belong to everyone. We are committed to building a leadership team that reflects the diversity of our community and ensures equitable access to recreational opportunities for all residents.

Closing Date
September 19, 2025