Managing Director, Ontario Parks

Do you have what it takes to manage and oversee the provincial parks across Ontario? Then this job may be for you.

Ontario Parks in the Ministry of Natural Resources manages some of the most beautiful and diverse natural resources and landscapes in the world. It plays an integral role in protecting Ontario's resources, promoting tourism, providing outdoor recreation experiences and educating Ontarians and visitors to Ontario about our rich natural heritage. Ontario Parks is a unique, service delivery driven organization that operates within a business model aimed at making Ontario Parks financially self-sufficient. Ontario Parks prides itself on its achievement of the highest level of certification from the National Quality Institute and continues to focus on employee enrichment and health and safety to support organizational excellence. It is an organization that employs up to 210 permanent employees and hires over 2000 seasonal and student employees during the operating season each year.

What can I expect to do in this role?

As Managing Director, you will be responsible for directing one of the largest park systems in the world by:

• Leading the development of the Ontario Parks' business and strategic plans that include increasing revenue generation; conducting program reviews to ensure efficiencies and related business objectives are met, while ensuring resource protection in support of government policy.
• Directing the provision of provincial parks services There are 335 provincial parks, 114 of which offer a wide array of services including day use, camping and natural heritage educational programs. These parks attract on average 8.5 million visits a year. The annual revenue derived from these activities and other business initiatives and partnerships is around 70 million.
• Managing and providing oversight for capital assets valued at $800 million.
• Leading and stimulating the marketing, merchandising and partnership programs of Ontario Parks to support the goal of ensuring increased revenue generation while maintaining park quality standards of product presentation.
• Advising the Ontario Parks Board of Directors on the organization's operating policy and fiscal priorities including strategic direction, monthly meeting, park industry trends and acting as Board Secretariat to ensure needs are met.
• Fufilling the role as Ontario's representative on two Federal, Provincial and Territorial initiatives: The Canadian Parks Council, whose mandate is to promote protected area management; and the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board whose role is to designate significant rivers under the program.
• Liaising with other Ontario ministries, such as Tourism and Health Promotion, to explore opportunities for new programs to support tourism, health and recreation programs.

How do I qualify?

Mandatory

Leadership:

• You are a strong, strategic leader who can lead large diverse and geographically dispersed teams to achieve results in a complex environment (6 zone offices located across the province and over 2000 staff during the operating season)
• You can lead the design and development of strategies that will be implemented across the province and a demonstrated ability to deliver results
• You have strong stakeholder relationship management skills and can work across jurisdictions.
• You are adept at managing competing interests in a fast-paced environment prone to constant change.
• You have change management, productivity improvement and influencing skills and demonstrate innovative and creative ways to problem solve.
• You can engage staff and promote a strong organizational culture that supports, safety, excellence and quality


Technical:

• Broad knowledge of parks and recreation activities, provincial policies and legislation and regulations.
• Strong working knowledge and understanding of financial planning and management systems, operating capital and subsidy and revenue accounts.
• Knowledge of Board operations to support their agendas, meetings and decision making.
• You have proven executive-level project management, conceptual, analytical skills.
• You have proven political acuity to manage sensitive, high-profile public initiatives and stakeholders, who have competing interests.
• Experience working in an entrepreneurial, profit making environment including marketing and product merchandising.

Communication:

• Excellent oral and written skills to represent the Ministry at federal meetings, and deal with a variety of private sector, media, lobby groups, labour organization and other special interest groups.
• Proven negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Superior judgment and decision making skills

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

Remember: The deadline to apply is Tuesday, October 25, 2011 11:59 pm EDT. Late applications will not be accepted.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.