Job Specifications
Come Join the City of Bellevue!
Please fill out your application as fully as possible. The City evaluates candidates based on the information provided in the online application only. Do not submit resumes and cover letters. Read the " Hiring Process " section below to learn more.
New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.
Job Summary
The position is open until filled with first review of applications beginning Monday , February 9, 2026.
About The Parks & Community Services Department
Vision: In Bellevue everyone can connect to each other and to nature through experiences that help them to live, grow, and thrive.
Mission: We build a healthy community through an integrated system of exceptional parks, natural areas, recreation, arts and culture, and a broad base of community services.
The Parks and Community Services (PCS) Department is comprised of four municipal services:
Parks amenities and services
Recreation facilities, athletics, programs, and services
Human services
Probation services
The Department is accredited by CAPRA (Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies) The department manages over 2,700 acres of parks and open space and 90 miles of trails. Over the course of a year, PCS employs 230 full-time employees and over 270 part-time and seasonal employees. The current annual operating budget is $62 million, supported first by general municipal revenues and then by over $13.5 million in revenues from departmental programs and services. Property tax levies support the capital improvement budget of $27 million plus capital reserves of $40 million. The park system contains a full array of neighborhood and community parks, community centers, sports fields, remarkable waterfront parks and marina, plus historical and cultural venues including Kelsey Creek Farm, the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, the Lewis Creek Visitors Center, and the world class Bellevue Botanical Garden.
As a supplement to county and state services, the Human Services Division administers over fifty contracts with community-based organizations that provide front-line social services. The division provides additional staffing in partnership with the school district as wraparound services to support students in need. The staff also conducts research and analysis in service of ensuring investment align with city council policy and direction.
Additional recreation and cultural arts programs include a broad spectrum of interests and activities for all ages and abilities with an emphasis on removing barriers to participation. The Enterprise Division manages the Bellevue Municipal Golf Course, indoor tennis center, and adult sports programming as a full-cost-recovery model. The department actively seeks partnerships with a multitude of community organizations to provide recreation and community services.
THE POSITION
The director of the Parks and Community Services (PCS) Department is a member of the city's executive leadership team and must be effectively able to navigate the City's political environment. The director advises the city council in coordination with and under the leadership of the City Manager's Office, provides competent and inspirational leadership citywide and for the department, and oversees the programs and services of the department. This position will report directly to a deputy city manager.
The City of Bellevue follows the model of high performing organizations (HPO) as defined by the Leading EDGE curriculum of the Public Management Center of the University of Kansas. In this model, the PCS director is expected to lead with an organization-wide perspective and work collaboratively on an interdepartmental basis in partnership with the entire leadership team. The selected individual will have excellent interpersonal communication skills with the ability to develop positive working relationships with the city's executive team, elected officials, community leaders, business leaders, representatives of other governmental agencies, and the public. The selected candidate will have a proven track record of representing the city in the community and more broadly with regards to policy and operational initiatives.
Within the department, the successful candidate will promote a culture committed to providing exceptional service, upholding the public interest, stewarding public resources, and advancing the community vision. The new director will be a skilled and visionary leader with a proven track record of motivating and developing staff to obtain measurable results. The City of Bellevue seeks a director that will embody its organizational values. The ideal candidate will possess the skills to extend leadership to all levels of the department, encourage innovation, promote continuous improvement, grow a positive organizational culture, embrace new technology to more effectively serve
About the Company
Bellevue is the fifth largest city in Washington, with a population of more than 150,000. It is the high-tech and retail center of the Eastside, with more than 150,000 jobs around the city and a skyline of gleaming high-rises. You can learn a lot about the city from news releases, the It's Your City newsletter and Bellevue Television. While business booms downtown, much of Bellevue retains a small-town feel, with thriving, woodsy neighborhoods and a vast network of green spaces and recreational facilities that keep people ca...
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