Waterfront Operations Manager

Seattle Center is the region's premier civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our city and region, home to more than 30 arts, cultural, and entertainment organizations, family attractions, and tourist amenities. Our mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. As a department of the City of Seattle, Seattle Center contributes to the quality of life for Seattle residents-and the region's economy and image as its top visitor destination.

In 2023 Seattle Center expanded its role to serve as the City's lead department for operating Seattle's new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle's downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center has built a Waterfront Operations team providing maintenance, public safety and strategic planning and oversight for the operations of the new waterfront, leveraging Seattle Center's experience successfully managing public space. Seattle Center is working in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which is responsible to provide a range of recreational and cultural programming to the community in the new Waterfront Park. In our first year we have grown Seattle Center's team by 20% to meet this new opportunity, building out a unified team to support both Seattle Center and the new Waterfront Park. That team will continue to grow in to be ready for the park's completion in 2025.

We are seeking a Waterfront Operations Manager to continue to build and oversee the new Waterfront Team, plan for future operations and funding of Waterfront Operations, and perform a range of oversight functions for the Seattle Center Department. This existing Waterfront Operations Team includes 10 maintenance and administrative staff, with 6 additional staff currently in recruitment anticipated in future years. The Waterfront Manager will report to the Seattle Center Director and work closely with the department's leadership team to provide other services to the Waterfront including public safety and trades support. The Manager will also support key relationships with waterfront partners on behalf of Seattle Center. The Manager will serve as the lead City staff for the Central Waterfront Oversight Committee, which has a formal oversight role regarding the quality of waterfront maintenance, public safety and programming on behalf of the Mayor and City Council.

Here's more of what you'll be doing:

Leadership

• Drive a positive organizational culture and climate by embracing and incorporating Seattle Center values into a new team.
• Provide leadership to staff, in a unionized environment, responsible for ensuring a high-profile public space is well maintained, safe, and welcoming.
• Manage, monitor, and administer human resource policies and programs consistently and in support of citywide practices to recognize diversity and commitment to race and social justice.
• In coordination with the Department and partnering organizations, make high-level program and policy decisions.
• Develop and ensure fulfillment of all agreements related to operations and management of the waterfront, including MOA's between Departments and key partners/stakeholders.
• Develop and execute high-level operational plans and policy of the Waterfront Park and Public Spaces and ensure overall fulfillment of operational performance metrics.
• Participate in the Department's Executive Team and serve as a Director on Duty when needed.
• Operate effectively in a highly matrixed reporting structure.

Technical

• Oversee and provide technical information and guidance for the Department regarding construction projects, work management processes, staff utilization, resource conservation, and best management practices for operations.
• Develop management, budgeting and performance measurement systems for Seattle Center and the Central Waterfront Oversight Committee.

Strategic Planning

• Provide vision and strategic direction using data, experience, and coordination of critical relationships.
• Directly develop and oversee the Waterfront maintenance and asset preservation program.
• Provide budget forecasting, development, and direction.
• Work with City Departments and the Central Waterfront Oversight Committee (CWOC) on ongoing operations planning cycles, including operational agreements and MPD funding. Develop and implement policies and action plans for operations based on data from the Waterfront Park Performance Standard.

Relationship Management

• Partner with Seattle Center leadership colleagues responsible for providing services to the Waterfront in security, trades and other areas.
• Lead all management and coordination of critical relationships with the city's major Waterfront organizations and partners, including staffing the CWOC and maintaining regular working relationships with Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends), as well as communicating regularly with other partners such as the Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, The Seattle Historic Waterfront Association and the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA).
• Effectively collaborate and communicate with colleagues at the Seattle Center, other City Departments including Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects (OWCP) and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), as well as members of the Mayor's Office, City Council and elected officials.
• Negotiate and oversee interdepartmental agreements related to roles and responsibilities in the provision of key services for the waterfront.

Required Qualifications:

• 5 years' experience in organizational management, including planning for operations, budgeting, and performance management;
• 3 years' experience leading and managing diverse staff and work teams AND
• 3 years' experience coordinating internal and external relationships and stakeholder partnerships

(Other relevant experience and/or training and/or education will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis)

You will be successful in this role if you possess the following traits:

Experience:

• Experience with grounds and landscape operations, facilities operations, asset preservation, construction or a related operations field
• Serving in a leadership position within a publicly accountable organization
• Successfully leading high priority and highly visible policy initiatives
• Experience working with security officers and other public safety staff to support public use and enjoyment of parks and other public spaces.
• Providing transformational leadership to a team or organization
• Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion goals and practices
• Counseling teams in navigating and implementing organizational change

Skills:

• Communication skills such as marketing, writing, public speaking and presenting information to diverse groups of constituents
• Leading by example to motivate and inspire cross-functional teams to do their best work
• Building respectful and collaborative relationships with people at all levels of an organization
• Organizational development and strategic human resource management

Ability:

• Provide clear expectations
• Innovation, resilience, and flexibility
• Set and achieve goals while working independently as well as part of an integral team

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

• The work is performed in an office environment as well as at the Waterfront Park spaces and on the Seattle Center campus.
• Hybrid work arrangements will be considered, but the priority is for the person in this position to be present in-person at the Waterfront site. The expectation is that this position will need to be on site an average of 4 days/week to meet the business needs of the position. Interacting with Waterfront Operations teams and evaluating in real-time the operations of Waterfront public spaces will be required. At times the person in this position will also participate in work on Seattle Center campus.

This position is classified as a Manager 3, Property and Facility Managment.

The full salary range for this position is $52.36 - $78.53 per hour.

How to Apply:

Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. You must submit the following items to be considered for this position no later than 4:00 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 26, 2024:

1. Completed NEOGOV online application.
2. Supplemental questionnaire responses.
3. Cover letter describing how your skills and experience align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications.
4. Current résumé indicating relevant experience and education.

Driving Record - Selected candidates will be required to submit a Driver's Abstract (at your own expense) that demonstrates a good driving record.

Why work at the City?

The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in dismantling racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and create and provide equitable processes and services. Seattle Office of Civil Rights)

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans

For helpful tips on the application process and recruitment process: Working at the City - Human Resources | seattle.gov

Employment Type: Classified Civil Service, Regular, Full-Time