The City of Austin, (pop. 719,000), a world class city located in the Texas Hill Country and known for its lakes, parks, music and high tech/college town vitality is seeking a dynamic, progressive, parks and recreation executive to lead its Parks and Recreation Department. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is an award winning, nationally accredited department with an operating budget of $50.3 million, 545 full time employees and 700 seasonal employees. The park system encompasses 16,700 acres and includes 205 parks, 172 athletic fields, 17 recreation centers, three area lakes, four museums, and more than 117 miles of hiking and bicycle trails. The Department provides thousands of programs for Austin residents of all ages. The Director must be a strong leader, able to combine vision, creativity, and innovation in the development of exemplary recreational, cultural and outdoor programming. In addition, the Director must be an experienced parks executive with a passion for parks, recreation and environmental conservation as well as a commitment to the preservation, maintenance and improvement of the parks system. The Director must possess strong communication and negotiation skills with a record of success in developing collaborative relationships with city leaders, community organizations, advisory boards, and city staff. Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree in recreation and parks administration, urban planning, landscape architecture or related field plus seven years of executive leadership experience in the administration of a municipal parks and recreation system similar in size and complexity to the City of Austin. Master’s degree and/or certification as a Parks and Recreation professional strongly desired. Starting Salary: $150,000 +/- with excellent benefits package. Apply by June 30.