Park Ranger Manager

Virginia Recreation and Park Society; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave

Sick Leave

Medical Coverage

Dental Coverage

Vision Coverage

Life Insurance

Retirement Plan

Def. Compensation Plan

Wellness Programs

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation seeks a dynamic leader to serve as the Park Ranger Manager and build a new Park Ranger Unit. You will recruit staff, deploy equipment, develop SOPs, and establish operations, safety, and incident response protocols.

The role involves high-level decision-making and cross-agency coordination in a public park setting. You will oversee field operations, lead community engagement, manage budgets and training programs, and ensure readiness and compliance across the

Qualifications

• Experience leading park safety and security operations.
• Proven ability to recruit, hire and develop staff.
• Ability to coordinate with multiple agencies for emergencies.
• Strong budgeting, planning and program development skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight of park safety and security operations.
• Recruit, train, evaluate, and discipline ranger staff.
• Oversee patrol operations and staff coverage across parks.
• Coordinate policies and procedures department-wide.
• Serve as liaison with police, fire, EMS and sheriff's departments.
• Lead outreach and community engagement strategies.
• Manage budgets, equipment, vehicles, and incident reporting.
• Develop training programs and standard operating procedures.
• Ensure certifications and operational readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Staff supervision

Emergency coordination

Budget management

Policy development

Community engagement

Job description

Salary: $60,174.40 - $93,766.40 Annually

Application Deadline: Aug 31, 2026

Administration

Additional Job Description

Our Quest

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to serve as the Park Ranger Manager and lead the development of our new Park Ranger Unit. This is a unique opportunity to build and shape a new team dedicated to protecting Virginia Beach’s parks, facilities, and the millions of visitors who enjoy them.

We are looking for a collaborative and forward-thinking leader who is comfortable turning a vision into an operational Park Ranger Unit that reflects the high standards and values of Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation.

The Park Ranger Manager will oversee formation and implementation of the Park Ranger Unit from the ground up, establishing the operational foundation, culture, and standards that will guide the program. Initial responsibilities will include recruiting and hiring ranger staff, coordinating the purchase and deployment of vehicles and specialized equipment, developing standard operating procedures and training programs, and establishing effective protocols for ranger operations, public engagement, safety, and incident response.

Day to Day Duties

Provide leadership and oversight of park safety and security operations, maintain a visible presence throughout parks, lead outreach and community engagement efforts, enforce park rules and regulations, and respond to incidents, emergencies, and public safety concerns.

• Supervise Park Ranger staff to include hiring, training, evaluating, and discipline.
• Conduct patrols as needed to support field operations.
• Oversee citywide patrol operations, ensuring adequate staffing and coverage across all parks.
• Coordinate and administer policies and procedures across the department, recommend revisions, and maintain consistency in enforcement operations.
• Serve as primary liaison with Virginia Beach Police, Fire, EMS, and Sheriff’s departments for planning and emergency coordination.
• Detain individuals in accordance with established procedures until law enforcement arrives.
• Serve as on-site commander during critical field emergencies.
• Oversee emergency readiness and response.
• Represent the department at events, meetings, and public forums.
• Lead outreach and community engagement strategies.
• Manage budgets, equipment, vehicles, uniforms, incident trend analysis, reporting, policy updates, and strategic planning.
• Design, oversee, and ensure compliance with training programs for the Park Ranger division.
• Provide high-level decision-making affecting unit operations, emergency response, enforcement strategy, and policy implementation.
• Ensure the maintenance of required certifications and operational readiness.

Perform other job duties requiring skills, knowledge, and physical requirements as demanded by those duties described or less. Individual assignments will be determined by the supervisor based on the current workloads and department needs.

Preferences

Supervisory experience as a Park Ranger or Police/Security management in a local, state, or federal agency.

Schedule

This position is a 7 day a week operation could including early mornings, evening, weekend and holidays.

The position you are applying for is designated as Alpha I, requiring the selected candidate to work, regardless of the City’s operational status. All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies.

The Perks

Employees who are new to the Virginia Retirement System are eligible for:

Annual Leave and Sick Leave

Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Coverage

Legal and Identity Theft Protection

Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Hybrid Retirement Plan & Basic Life Insurance

Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (COV457)

Basic Life Insurance

Optional Life Insurance

Wellness Programs

Employee Assistance Program / Work-Life Services

Paid Maternity/Paternity/Parental Care Leave

Additional requirements:

This position is being advertised as a pool, and applications could be used to fill current vacancies and any other similar Park Ranger Manager positions that become available within six months from the closing date of this posting.