What Success Looks Like In This Job

The Adams County Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department (POSCA) seeks a dynamic individual to enhance quality of life, enrich communities, and inspire. You will perform professional and technical duties related to acquiring, developing, and stewarding land for parks, open space, and trails. This includes planning, designing, and constructing capital projects and infrastructure improvements. You will manage all phases of new construction, renovation, and capital improvement projects, preparing cost estimates, budgets, and schedules. Your role will focus on project planning and implementation, supporting county best practices and POSCA standards, and coordinating with residents, stakeholders, county representatives, and outside agencies. Reporting to POSCA’s Manager of Planning, Design and Construction, you will provide complex professional support. Join us in realizing Adams County’s vision as the most innovative and inclusive county in America.

Examples of Duties for Success

• Provide superior customer service to Adams County residents, especially during the park planning process ensuring residents are equitably service in the park, open space and trail system.
• Lead with YES to meet expectations of residents, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC), and members of the County’s Senior Leadership Team. 
• Lead project management of planning and capital improvement projects located throughout the County’s park, open space and trails system.  Project types may include a variety of projects such as existing park renovations and improvements, new park development, new trail development and pedestrian bridges, etc.
• Facilitate all aspects of POSCA capital projects including budget request, grant submittal, planning/design, RFP and formal bidding processes, construction observation, and grant closeout.
• Schedules, conducts and coordinates construction meetings and monitor construction contracts.  
• Work to implement the goals and objectives of the 2022 Adams County Parks, Open Space and Trails (POST) Master Plan
• Serve as a liaison for the Department with other County departments, professional organizations, and outside agencies.
• Prepare and present to the Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB), Board of County Commissioners, and to the general public for various planning and construction projects.
• Manages and coordinates the activities of construction projects; reviews or analyzes and evaluates construction on site for compliance with contract documents. Makes recommendations for technical solutions to problems encountered during project design and on-site inspections
• Review, advise, and direct on plans and specifications, designs, environmental documents, reports, permit applications and studies; approve changes when needed. Participate in the development review of land use cases from Community and Economic Development and external agencies, including identifying opportunities for trail and conservation easement dedications.
• Represent POSCA at pre-application meetings with the Community and Economic Development Department, Planning Commission, and Board of Adjustment hearings as needed.
• Assist the preparation of various local, state, and federal grant applications and participate with the implementation, closeout, and reimbursement process for grants related to capital projects and open space acquisitions.
• Assist with conservation easement and fee simple open space acquisition projects and trail easement acquisitions. Monitor conservation easements for compliance with easement terms.
• Draft, negotiate, and execute conservation easements with local government agencies and land trusts to meet requirements of the various open space grant funding sources including the Adams County Open Space Sales Tax Program and Great Outdoors Colorado.
• Assist POSCA and County staff with the implementation of an asset management system for POSCA; collect and report data for the POSCA performance management system.
• Prepare staff reports and resolutions for BOCC study sessions and public hearing agenda items.
• Prepare reports, complete applications, and pay annual assessments to maintain compliance with all water augmentation contracts, state permits of county owned gravel pit/reclamation permits, and ditch/reservoir companies.
• Prepare written materials such as brochures, interpretive signage, and web pages in coordination with the County's Communications Department.
• Administer agricultural leases on POSCA properties; track and report revenues for agricultural leases and manage agricultural leasing of county open space as needed.
• Represent the POSCA on a variety of committees and boards.
• Assist POSCA and County staff with planning and implementation of special events such as the County Fair, Stars and Stripes, PRIDE Events, concerts, park dedications, Earth Day events, etc.
• Handle inquiries from the public regarding capital projects, land acquisitions, and policies of POSCA.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None

Qualifications for Success

• Principles and practices of project management developing conceptual plans and budgets for projects with ability to work independently. 
• Prepares requests for proposal bids and conducts all necessary meetings to facilitate selecting contractors and services.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of site planning and design of public property including, but not limited to parks, open space, trails, and building design.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of parks maintenance and organizational management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of planning and design.
• Knowledge of technical, computerized applications and processes needed to maximize planning, design, and construction management scheduling and efficiency.
• Knowledge of recent developments, current literature, and sources of information regarding Parks, Open Space, Recreation, Trails, Cultural Arts, Special Events, and other areas of the Department.
• Knowledge and ability to interpret and apply pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations pertaining to parks, open space, and trail projects.
• Knowledge of grant writing and fulfillment of grant agreements, and of major grant funders for parks, trails, and open space projects in Colorado.
• Ability to analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods, procedures, and techniques.
• Computer Skills: Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, ArcView GIS, Auto CADD and other graphic design software programs.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with others encountered during the course of daily work.
• Is seen by their peers as a living embodiment of the Adams County Values, Norms and Cultural Competencies.

More Qualifications for Success

Experience:

• Three (3) years of practical  experience in the administration, coordination and management of park planning initiatives and improvement projects as an owner's project representative, on a wide range and number of small to moderate projects and types, managing design and specialty consultants, general contractors and sub-contractors, furniture, fixtures and equipment vendors (with an appropriate certification/license) OR four (4) years of practical experience (without an appropriate certification/license).

Education and Training:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in engineering, construction management, landscape architecture, architecture, civil engineering, land or urban planning, natural resource management, ecology, biology, public administration or a directly related field, or any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
• Master's Degree is preferred, but not required.

License or Certificate:

• Prefer professional license or certification in field of education and training listed above; however, it is not required.
• Possession of, or the ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver's license.

Background Check: Must pass a criminal background check.

Other: Ability to work in a standard office or hybrid environment including remote working and be able attend project field visits in remote working conditions.  Job duties and expectations allow for onsite and remote work scheduled every week.  Employees in this classification are regularly scheduled onsite three (3) to four (4) days per week based on the County’s needs and as determined by Department Director with remaining days scheduled remotely.

Adams County complies with Colorado’s Job Application Fairness Act (“JAFA”). JAFA prohibits employers from asking individuals to disclose their age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation on an initial employment application. However, additional application materials such as certifications and transcripts containing this information may be required for certain positions; if such additional materials are requested, applicants may redact information that identifies the applicant’s age, date of birth, or dates or attendance or graduation.