Community Services Division Director

Job Description:

Community Services Division Director

Description

About the City

Marin County's first incorporated city, San Rafael has a population of approximately 60,000 and lies midway between San Francisco and California's famous wine country. At 22.51 square miles, San Rafael serves as the county seat and is the county's premier economic, financial, cultural, and service center. As a regional transportation hub, San Rafael is at the center of highway and transit access to west Marin, Sonoma County, the East Bay, and San Francisco.

The City of San Rafael offers both a small-town atmosphere and a lively urban environment. It is the economic and cultural heart of Marin County, surrounded by open space and the bay, making it a vibrant city in an incomparably beautiful natural setting. Famous for its favorable climate, San Rafael provides a central base for taking day trips to scenic locations such as the Napa/Sonoma wine country, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Muir Woods. San Rafael's many attractions include its namesake Mission San Rafael Arcangel, the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center, Victorian architecture, a lively downtown, China Camp State Park, and more.

San Rafael has a varied and rich economy fueled by high tech, biotech, entertainment, financial, service-oriented, and industrial businesses. The city is home to major employers such as Kaiser Permanente, BioMarin, and is home to the County of Marin's government offices and courts, and offers residents and visitors an array of regional retailers in addition to unique local shops. The community is primed for growth with the adoption of the General Plan 2040 and Downtown Precise Plan and multiple development projects slated throughout the City.

San Rafael is also one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in Marin County. The City's residential neighborhoods are distinctive, each with its own history, character, and identity. There is a wide diversity of housing ranging from historic to new homes, apartments, multi-family units, and condos. The City has two public school districts with seven elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Dominican University of California, a private liberal arts college, offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. For more information on this dynamic city, please visit the City of San Rafael's website at www.cityofsanrafael.org.

About the Organization

San Rafael, the "City with a Mission," was incorporated in 1874 and became a charter city in 1913. It is a full-service city with a City Council/City Manager form of government. San Rafael has an elected Mayor and four district-based elected City Council Members who serve four-year terms. The City Council is engaged and seeks to strengthen the urban and commercial areas as well as sustain the beautiful natural environment. The mission of the City is to enhance the quality of life and provide for a safe, healthy, prosperous, and livable environment in partnership with the community. The City's vision is to be a vibrant economic and cultural center reflective of its diversity and desires to sustain the beautiful natural environment through informed and active residents, and to be a responsive, innovative local government.

The City of San Rafael has a staff of more than 400 employees and a total annual budget for fiscal year 2023/2024 of $172 million. The City's Departments and Divisions include the offices of the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk, Community and Economic Development, Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Library & Recreation, Public Works, Human Resources, Finance, Parking Services, Digital Services and Open Government, and Sustainability. In 2022, the City was voted one of the top three "Best Places to Work" in local government by ELGL, a nationally recognized organization.

The City's internal cultural and organizational environment is collegial, respectful, inclusive, and champions the staff-developed and led initiative "Together San Rafael", which seeks to bring staff and management together, encourage cross-departmental collaboration, empower employees, and celebrate innovation. Together San Rafael is a City-wide effort to improve service delivery through six guiding principles, where diverse, creative, and engaged employees work to best serve the needs of the community.

In addition, for Managers and Directors, the City's Let's Lead Together core values highlight the expectations and accountability measurements held by and for City leaders in their work to move the City and organization forward with purpose, heart, and inclusion.

About the Division

San Rafael is committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive. With this in mind, the City is establishing a new Community Services Division of the City Manager's Office. The Division is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all residents, with a special focus on disadvantaged, historically underserved, and vulnerable populations. This Division is at the forefront of addressing critical social issues, including homelessness response, and other services that uplift community members in need.

The Division's mission is to develop and implement innovative strategies and programs that provide comprehensive support to those in need, ensuring access to vital resources, fostering community resilience, and promoting overall well-being, with a focus on equity.

As a leader in this dynamic and evolving field, the Community Services Division works collaboratively with local agencies, community organizations, and stakeholders to deliver services that are compassionate, effective, and responsive to the unique needs of our community.

About the Role

The newly created Community Services Division Director position is an exciting and unique opportunity to build a new division of the City of San Rafael.

The Community Services Division Director will play a pivotal role in shaping and leading the City of San Rafael's efforts to address critical social issues, particularly focusing on homelessness at this time. Reporting directly to the Assistant City Manager, the Division Director will oversee and develop the newly created Community Services Division, ensuring the effective development and implementation of programs that improve the quality of life for residents in need.

In this role, the Division Director will manage a broad range of responsibilities, from strategic planning and policy development to budget management and interdepartmental and interagency coordination. They will be a key liaison between the City and our County partners, and various other stakeholders, including public agencies, community organizations, and residents. Their work will involve close collaboration with other City departments, public and private partners, and community groups to advance initiatives that address homelessness and related services.

In their first year, they'll work to develop the City's first homelessness strategic plan, setting priorities and policies to guide the City's work in this space for the next five years.

One of the key, immediate priorities the Division Director will oversee is the implementation of the City's $6M Encampment Resolution Fund Grant. This includes leading the contractor and staff team operating the City's planned Sanctioned Camping Program and spearheading the identification of a site for a future interim shelter and/or transitional housing. In addition, they'll also coordinate the implementation of the City's Camping on Public Property ordinance.

The Community Services Division Director will directly and indirectly lead a dedicated team, guiding their efforts to deliver high-quality services that meet and respond to the needs of the community. The Division Director will also be responsible for securing and managing funding, developing and maintaining partnerships, and ensuring that the Division's programs are both effective and sustainable. This role requires a dynamic, adaptable, creative leader who is passionate about public service, skilled in strategic planning, and committed to making a positive impact on the community.

Job Announcement URL:

https://www.cpshr.us/recruitment/2404/

Job Description URL:

https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/documents/community-services-division-director/

Job PDF:

Rev3 San Rafael CSDD Flipbook Final.pdf

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for the Community Services Division Director is a visionary leader who is passionate about public service and committed to making a lasting impact on the community. They are a self-starter who thrives on taking high-level direction and transforming it into actionable, innovative strategies that address the needs of vulnerable populations. With a strong commitment to equity, they ensure that every program and service is delivered with inclusivity at its core.

Their expertise in communications and community engagement is matched by their ability to build trust and foster collaboration across diverse groups. They are skilled at writing compelling staff reports and delivering impactful presentations to elected officials and community organizations, making them an effective advocate for the Division's initiatives.

Embracing human-centered design, they approach challenges with empathy and creativity, always seeking new ways to deliver services that truly meet the needs of the community. Their grant writing abilities have successfully secured funding for critical programs.

In their leadership, they are both collaborative and flexible, excelling at building consensus and managing complex projects with ease. Their strong project management skills allow them to reliably balance multiple priorities while maintaining a focus on quality outcomes. Compassionate and driven, they understand that leading with empathy is key to fostering a supportive and productive work environment. They also value the importance of work-life balance, recognizing that personal well-being is essential to sustaining energy and passion for the work.

Prior experience serving in a similar role for a local government agency is not required but preferred. Fluency in Spanish language is desired.

Benefits

The annual salary is $156,300 to $189,984. Placement within this range is dependent upon experience and qualifications. The Community Services Division Director is a regular position of the San Rafael Mid-Management Employee Association (SRMMEA), eligible to receive all related benefits to the group including:

• Health Insurance: City contributes for 2024 (City contributions increase December 15, 2024):
  • EE Only - $735.86;
  • Employee + 1 $1,471.71;
  • Employee + Family $1,913.24;
  • Waive/cash-in-lieu- $735.86
• Dental: Fully paid for employee and dependents.
• Vision: Fully paid for employee and dependents.
• Vacation: Vacation accrual of 15 days per year for the first 5 years, pro-rated based on hire date; additional accrual based on years of service up to 25 days per year.
• Administrative Leave: 10 days per calendar year (applied every January pro-rated based on date of hire).
• Holidays: 12 paid holidays, plus 1 floating holiday per year.
• SickLeave: 12 days per year.
• Sick Leave Pay Out: 3% per year of service, up to 600 hours.
• Service Credit for Sick Leave: Option upon retirement for EEs hired on or after 6/30/2009.
• City-sponsored Paid Parental Leave (as eligible) and End of Life Care leave policies. Mid-Managers also contribute to SDI.
• City-contribution to deferred compensation.
• Long Term Disability: 2/3 of monthly salary, up to a maximum benefit of $7,500.
• Life Insurance: $300,000 life insurance policy.
• Bereavement Leave: Up to 3 days for in-state, 5 days for out-of-state.
• Retirement: The City is a part of the Marin County Employees Retirement Association (MCERA) plan, which offers reciprocity between agencies in CalPERS (this is part of the 37 Act County System); Classic members receive 2% @ 55 formula and PEPRA members receive 2% @ 62 formula (differs with years of public service). Employee contributes an additional 1% of pensionable compensation towards the normal cost of pension in addition to the current employee pension contribution.
• Gym Reimbursement: Up to $198/year.
• 125 Flex Spending Account (Employee Option): Up to IRS Limit.

Special Instructions

Applications accepted through CPS HR - CLICK HEREto learn more and apply!

Recruitment Contact

Contact phone:

(916)471-3126

Contact email:

pderby@cpshr.us


Closing Date/Time: Until filled or until 1 applicants