Parks, Recreation & Community Services Manager - Special Events & Cultural Arts - #26A-8

Location

1017 Middlefield Road Redwood City, 94063

Description

We offer a wide range of meaningful career opportunities with potential for growth, training and development, competitive salaries, flexible work schedules, paid time off, and robust benefits. The Redwood City team is guided by excellence, integrity, service, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. Inherent in these values is a great organizational culture based on trust, strong and supportive leadership, respect, risk-taking, empowerment, and effective communication.

The community is known for its inclusivity, strong engaged neighborhoods, and civic pride. The City works diligently to maintain positive and productive relationships with community partners, together providing outstanding services, programs and opportunities for residents and businesses. This mix of tradition and progress, community and diversity, makes Redwood City an extraordinary place to work and call home. If you’re looking to grow your career as a part of a hard-working and fun Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department team that fosters innovation, creativity and collaboration, we hope you’ll apply.

About the role:

The Parks, Recreation & Community Services Manager – Special Events and Cultural Arts is responsible for leading the planning, production, and oversight of the City’s signature special events, while also supporting Redwood City’s cultural arts programming. From large-scale downtown festivals and concerts to cultural celebrations, family events, and community gatherings featured on www.RedwoodCityEvents.com, this position helps ensure that our parks, plazas, and public spaces remain active, welcoming, and full of life.

This role oversees the full lifecycle of major community events, including concept development, budgeting, sponsorship coordination, vendor and performer booking, permitting, logistics, safety planning, marketing coordination, and on-site production. Signature events such as outdoor concert series, holiday celebrations, cultural festivals, movie nights, and destination activations require thoughtful coordination with Police, Fire, Public Works, Economic Development, and community partners. The Manager leads cross-departmental teams, supervises event staff, manages complex timelines, and ensures every event is inclusive, professionally executed, and reflective of Redwood City’s diverse and dynamic community.

In addition to overseeing special events, this role supports the City’s cultural arts programs and public art initiatives. Responsibilities include serving as staff liaison to the Arts Commission, supporting implementation of the Public Art Master Plan, assisting with Percent for Art ordinance compliance, coordinating with developers on qualifying projects, and helping maintain and promote the City’s growing public art collection.

More broadly, this position negotiates, prepares, and manages contracts and agreements with vendors, performers, artists, and community partners, while ensuring compliance with City policies and maintaining strong inter-agency collaboration.

Job PDF:

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be a creative, organized, and collaborative professional with experience in managing large-scale community events and cultural arts programming. They will bring both vision and attention to detail, balancing the excitement of producing vibrant cultural events with the administrative expertise required to manage contracts, budgets, and ordinance compliance.

This role calls for someone who thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments and can successfully lead teams while building strong partnerships with artists, nonprofits, cultural organizations, developers, and other City departments. The ideal candidate will also demonstrate confidence in public engagement, including presenting to City Council, the Arts Commission, and community stakeholders.

Familiarity with grant funding and sponsorship development is also an asset.

Most importantly, the ideal candidate is passionate about using special events, arts and culture to strengthen community connections and celebrate the diversity of Redwood City.

What you’ll do, at a glance:

As Redwood City’s Special Events and Cultural Arts Manager, you’ll:

• Plan, direct, and oversee the City’s community events, festivals, and cultural arts programs.
• Provide technical, permitting and event related assistance.
• Manage event schedules and supervise event staff.
• Lead marketing and outreach efforts to promote special events, arts and cultural initiatives.
• Manage budgets, contracts, and sponsorships while ensuring compliance with City policies.
• Collaborate across City departments and with regional partners to ensure safe, inclusive, and well-coordinated events and programs.
• Manage website content related to the Special Events, Arts Commission and Public Art
• Lead and support staff, contractors, and volunteers to deliver high-quality events and public art initiatives.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Arts Commission and Parks and Arts Foundation
• Guide the implementation of the Public Art Master Plan.
• Manage the City’s Public Art App
• Build strong partnerships with artists, cultural organizations, community groups, and developers on projects that enhance Redwood City’s creative landscape.
• Promote and maintain records of public art, and support recognition of the City’s cultural assets.
• Ensures compliance with safety and environmental standards and regulations related to public events.
• Perform other duties as assigned
• To view the job description, click here.

Benefits

See Job Flyer

Special Instructions

Submit your application via: www.CalOpps.org by Monday, March 6, 2026 by 11:59 pm.

A City application, resume, cover letter, and responses to the supplemental questions are required. Applications must be filled out completely. Failure to complete the application, attach a resume, cover letter, and responses to the supplemental questions will disqualify the applicant from the recruitment process. Failure to list work experience, and education or training or stating “See Resume” in the work experience section of the application will be considered an incomplete application and subject to disqualification. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a City application.

Applicants who best meet the qualifications and requirements for the position will be invited to participate in the selection process.

NOTE: Emails generated regarding your status in the recruitment process canbe sent to your spam folder by your email system.

Be sure to:

• Check your spam and junk folders.
• Make sure to whitelist our email [email protected] ensure you receive our updates.

Redwood City is an Equal Opportunity Employer • Provisions in this document may be modified or revoked without notice • Questions? Read hiring process FAQs

Recruitment Contact

Contact phone:

(650)780-7243

Contact email:

[email protected]