Chief Park Ranger

ABOUT US

Marin County Parks manages 40 public parks and pathways, and 18,500 acres of open space. These public lands, which include McNears Beach, Paradise Beach, Roy’s Redwoods, Bolinas Lagoon, Mount Burdell, and Ring Mountain, reflect the rich variety of ecosystems in coastal northern California.

A department of the County of Marin, our mission is to educate, inspire, and engage the people of Marin in the shared commitment of preserving, protecting, and enriching the natural beauty of Marin’s parks and open spaces, and providing recreational opportunities for the enjoyment of all generations.

Marin County Parks promotes a collaborative and supportive team-oriented work culture based on a shared mission, personal integrity, and positive attitude.

As the stewards of their public lands, we are committed to ongoing engagement and relationship-building with the people and communities we serve. Parks’ priorities are guided by this community dialogue.

These include:

• Park facilities maintenance and improvements
• Open space road and trail management and improvements
• Vegetation management for wildfire risk reduction and ecosystem health, in partnership with regional fire departments, the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, and natural resource scientists
• Climate change and sea-level rise resilience
• Equity

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Chief Park Ranger is responsible for managing operations of several parks, landscapes, and open space preserves within the vast and beautiful Marin County Parks’ jurisdiction.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Park operations and visitor services.
• Planning, prioritizing, assigning, and coordinating the work of teams.
• Leading, motivating, and training their teams to ensure individual and team accountability.
• Ensuring the teams’ services and work are consistent with approved policies, plans, established standards, and the agency mission.
• Educating and assisting park visitors, patrol, maintain facilities, and enforce ordinances, rules and regulations.
• Participating on internal multidisciplinary project teams and assisting the Parks and Open Space Superintendent with development of annual budgets and performance planning.
• Writing reports, creating and maintaining records, and responding to public inquiries by phone, mail, or e-mail.

ABOUT YOU

Our Highly Qualified Candidate will have personal and professional integrity, be highly organized, possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, approaches their work with enthusiasm, and demonstrates a strong commitment to customer service. They must be capable of leading and motivating teams of Open Space Park Rangers, Park Rangers, and Landscape Services Workers in Visitor Services and Maintenance Operations. The ideal candidate has experience in visitor services including enforcing rules and regulations and planning and managing events. They must also be proficient in the principles and practices of equipment, tools, maintenance and repair, plants and materials, open space maintenance, and land management related to park and recreation facility operations. The ideal candidate has experience in employee performance evaluation, employee development, team building, and discipline.

QUALIFICTIONS:

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, equipment, tools, plants and materials related to park and recreation facility operation, maintenance and repair; open space maintenance, operation and development; or forest and land management, including environmental protections, soil conservation, erosion control and reforestation, depending on assignment.
• Scientific identification, general habitat and biotic relationships of native flora and fauna found in local open space lands.
• Wild land fire prevention and control techniques and methods used in first aid and search and rescue operations.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment, coordination, review, evaluation and training, directly and through lower levels of supervision.
• Safety practices, laws and regulations related to the work, including the proper handling, use and storage of pesticides and other hazardous materials.
• Applicable laws, ordinances, codes and regulations.
• Basic budgetary principles and practices.

Ability to:

• Determine the most effective use of staff, equipment and budgetary resources to meet the goals and standards of the unit and Board and Commission policies and directives.
• Plan projects and set goals; develop and implement objectives, work standards, policies and procedures.
• Perform skilled parks facility and landscape construction and maintenance work.
• Use sound independent judgment within general policy and procedural guidelines.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Minimum Qualifications: Any combination of education and experience that would provide the knowledge and skills listed. Typically, equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university and two years of increasingly responsible experience in parks, open space and/or landscape maintenance and operation. One year of experience must have been at a supervisory level. Additional experience in parks operations and/or maintenance may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.

Certificates & Licenses: May be required to obtain California Pest Control Applicator's certificate within one year of appointment, depending on assignment. Ability to obtain standard first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate within one year of appointment. Ability to successfully complete POST Certified PC832 Powers of Arrest training or approved similar training within one year of appointment. Possession of a valid Class C California Driver's License and a satisfactory driving history as obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicle is required at time of appointment.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your governmentjobs.com account to view these emails.

Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list.

LiveScan: Candidates selected are subject to fingerprinting by the Sheriff's Department and must pass a Department of Justice LiveScan background check prior to appointment.

A pre-placement physical examination given at County expense is also required prior to appointment.

Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: If you have questions regarding equal employment opportunities, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at 415-473-2095. If you have questions concerning this position announcement, please contact Anthony Wesley, Human Resources Analyst, at 415-473-4317.

PLEASE NOTE: The benefits described herein do not apply to temporary (contingent) or to part-time employees that work less than 50%.

COUNTY OF MARIN BENEFITS: GENERAL
Below are some of the excellent benefits the County offers. More information about our benefits can be found on the Marin County's Benefits Homepage .

Paid Time Off : Competitive vacation accrual; 12 holidays per year; and generous sick leave accruals. Additional types of paid leaves are available for some bargaining units.

Health Plan : Choice of four health plans (two Kaiser HMOs, Western Health Advantage HMO, and an Anthem Blue Cross PPO) along with dental through Delta Dental PPO, and vision through Vision Service Plan (VSP). There is a County contribution toward the premiums (the contribution amount varies depending on coverage tier elected such as employee only, employee + 1, employee + family). Plus, the County offers excellent Life Insurance, Disability, Flexible Spending Plans, a Dependent Care Assistance Program, professional development and more.

Retirement : Defined benefit plan under the County Employees Retirement Act of 1937. More information can be found online at www.mcera.org.

IRS 457 Plan : Choice of pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical : The County provides access to group health plan coverage to eligible retirees.

For specific questions regarding the employment process, please contact Human Resources at (415) 473-6104. For additional details about the benefits or retirement, please contact the Benefits Division at (415) 473-2197.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 7/14/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• County of Marin

• (415) 473-6104

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