IPRA Job Board

Job Title: Superintendent of Recreation & Facilities

FLSA Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Employee Benefit Status: Level 1

Department: Administration

Immediate Supervisor: Executive Director

Submit cover letter, resume and District application (see website) via mail only.
Itasca Park District, c/o Maryfran H. Leno, Executive Director, 350 E Irving Park Road, Itasca, IL 60143.
Closing Date: Sept 12, 2025.
EMAILED SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Job description is available upon request from Nathan Kinsinger, nkinsinger@itascaparkdistrict.com.

POSITION: The Itasca Park District's beloved Superintendent of Recreation & Facilities will be retiring in April 2026 and we are looking to find someone who is innovative, creative, flexible, dynamic, willing to multi-task and work at a fast pace to fill these big shoes! You do not need lots of years of experience, nor be an expert in any given area, but a dedication to parks & recreation, and having fun. The Superintendent of Recreation & Facilities is responsible for leading the development, planning, budgeting, organization and management of the District’s leisure programs, facilities and related services - early childhood, athletics, outdoor aquatics, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, nature, museum, seniors, special events and more. The Superintendent of Recreation & Facilities is one of four direct reports of the Executive Director and supervises 6 Full-Time Staff. The position is a full-time salaried employee. Flexible work hours are a minimum of 40 hours a week, with general work hours taking place Monday through Friday, with some evening and weekend hours due to the nature of the meetings and programs.

Itasca is a 9,200 resident community, west of Chicago. The District is governed by a 5 member Board of Commissioners and employs 15 Full -Time and over 250 Part-Time Employees, with a $6M annual budget. The District is a 3X Gold Medal Award Winning Agency and boasts 144 acres of parks, 8 playgrounds, nature center, bird sanctuary, athletic fields, softball complex, waterpark, museum and 40,000 sqft, Recreation & Fitness Center. Annually, 76,300 participate in programs and events; 300,000 visit parks; and 370,000 visit the Recreation Center.

The District is committed to the future by being innovative, proactive and evolving; while remaining inspired by the communities’ past. This is reflected in district led projects; including, redevelopment of the Itasca Softball Complex and Ray Franzen Bird Sanctuary - 2025; preservation and restoration of the oldest publicly owned building in the community….The Itasca Train Depot; the $4M Itasca Waterpark Redevelopment - 2021; recently re-developed Benson Park - 2025; and the current 10,000 sq ft addition to the Itasca Recreation & Fitness Center with a completion date of March 2026. The district is a leader among local taxing bodies, businesses and community groups; looked to for creative ways to work together for the benefit of the community. Through over 20 intergovernmental agreements and 50 public-private partnerships/sponsorship, the District has provided the community cost and energy savings, improved quality of life and wellness, and improved access to all.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Communicate with Executive Director on issues and activities related to the Recreation Department in an effort to insure effective operations of the District.
Attend department head meetings and communicate effectively the current events and needs of the Recreation Department and Safety Program. Additionally, attend park board meetings to represent the department and provide information or recommendations to the park board as deemed necessary.
Prepares, reviews and analyzes the budget for the Recreation Department and presents it annually to the Executive Director for consideration, discussion and approval.
Approves all expenditures and assumes responsibility for the complete adherence to the monies allocated to the operations of the Recreation Department.
Acts as leader and nurtures the culture of department in a manner that promotes open and dynamic communication thus allowing department personnel to perform duties efficiently and effectively and work as a team in accomplishing desired goals and objectives.
Provides department staff with performance evaluations based on performance on an annual basis, and furthermore provides continued feedback on performance issues throughout the year.
Develops, directs and budgets for in-service training programs and forwards recommendations to the Executive Director regarding educational and instructional needs of the staff.
Recruits, interviews, select and supervise all full-time personnel within the Recreation Department, as well as, any fieldwork students who may be employed by the District.
Direct, formulate, review and update the Recreation Department goals and objectives consistent with the leisure service requirements of the District and leads department staff in the accomplishment of these goals and objectives.
Oversees the development, implementation and evaluation of a broad and varied portfolio of recreation programs and services to insure that the needs of the community are being met.
Review, analyze and propose cooperative opportunities with local private and public entities with respect to recreation programs and services in an effort to meet the objective of fulfilling all leisure needs of the community.
Prepare long range plans for the Recreation Department as deemed necessary.
Oversee and guide public relations and information dissemination efforts of the Department concerning leisure services including, but not limited to, seasonal brochures, newsletters, reports, flyers, press releases, audio-visual materials. Assure that efforts are completed and used in an effective and fiscally responsible way.
Prepare and maintain required records of departmental activities, attendance, services, personnel, and property and safety program.
Plan, prepare and/or participate in meetings with public, private and volunteer based agencies, including the general public, to inform and discuss district leisure policies, procedures, operations, programs and services.
Prepare, propose, review and maintain the policies and procedures illustrated in the District procedures manual with respect to the effective operations of the Recreation Department.
Work closely with local school districts in an effort to strengthen and maintain positive working relationships and gain continual cooperation and support of Park District use in and around their facilities.
Coordinates the work and requests of the Recreation Department with other departments within the District in an effort to insure a harmonious working relationship with open communications.
Act as contact person and administrator of the scholarship program for those individuals with financial hardships that may prohibit them from experiencing leisure programs and services.
Act as contact person and administrator of employee discount program.

Qualifications:

Applicant must be 21 years or older. A Bachelor’s Degree in Park and Recreation Administration or related field and/or a minimum of seven years full-time progressive work experience in the park and recreation industry. CPRP status or able to attain within one year. The individual should possess friendly and effective interpersonal, written, verbal and telephone communication skills. Individual should be familiar with Microsoft Office applications and able to learn other software packages. The individual should have the ability to plan, organize, supervise and lead, recreation and educational programs and part/full-time staff. Aquatics Experience a plus! The individual will be expected to obtain First Aid/CPR/AED instructor certification and Food Service & Sanitation Certification and have a valid Illinois driver’s license. Other certifications may be required as deemed necessary.

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Superintendent of Recreation & Facilities

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