Parks Project Manager
About the City of Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department:
Be a part of the team who helps to improve quality of life in the great City of Portland! The Portland Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department is comprised of 160 full-time and over 250 seasonal staff dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Portland, Maine. They achieve this by operating cultural venues, running community programs (including Before and After School, Swim Lessons, and Senior Adult programs), and maintaining public buildings, waterfront infrastructure, 70 parks, 40+ miles of trails, 13 cemeteries, and 30 playgrounds. Their diverse team, including Park Maintainers, Lifeguards, Event Managers, Horticulturalists, and many others, works collaboratively to provide spaces and opportunities for social connection, recreation, and community development.
Job Summary:
This is highly skilled professional level work that oversees Parks, Recreation and Facilities projects, from developing the scope of work to the completion of projects. Typical projects include, but are not limited to the redesign and installation oversight of: playgrounds, swimming pools, athletic fields, irrigation and drainage systems, historical preservation projects, athletic courts, plazas, sidewalks, monuments, parking lots, restroom facilities, trails, and waterfront infrastructure. This position develops the initial scope of work for Department construction projects and prepares cost estimates for potential and actual projects and monitors assigned project budgets from initial appropriation to final payment. This position also attends all pre-bid meetings with the ability to clearly define the scope of work, prepares the necessary bid and contract documents, including obtaining the necessary signatures for approval and reviews bids to assure qualified bidders. In addition to the above, the Project Manager also goes to job sites to monitor progress and ensures that all work is performed in a timely, cost effective and professional manner; works with selected outside contractors and monitors their performance; follows all purchasing requirements set forth by the City.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Develops the initial scope of work for Parks, Recreation and Facilities design, engineering and construction projects.
Prepares cost estimates for potential and actual projects; monitors assigned project budget from initial appropriation to final payment.
Attends all pre-bid meetings with the ability to clearly define the scope of work.
Prepares the necessary bid and contract documents, including obtaining the necessary signatures for approval.
Review bids to assure qualified bidders.
Provides construction administration for Parks, Recreation and Facilities construction projects, including internal and external scheduling, regular site visits during construction for general quality assurance / quality control and updates to stakeholders, including the public, via department media or in direct communications to specific groups.
Meets regularly with the Director of Parks Division and Department leadership to evaluate and develop a 10-year capital plan for Parks, Recreation and Facilities improvements.
Works with selected outside contractors and monitors their performance.
Follows all purchasing requirements set forth by the City.
Attends meetings with contractors, city staff, public stakeholders, and other project participants to move projects forward, and ensure that all work is performed in a timely, cost effective, and professional manner.
Use a department provided computer and various field equipment to perform job duties, including field marking tools and methodologies at different stages of design and construction process.
Required Skills & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in management or a related field and 3 years of supervisory / project management experience or a combination of experience and training that provides the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position;
Broad working knowledge of Parks, Recreation and Facilities management, including playgrounds, trails, athletic facilities, plumbing and electrical systems, fencing, parks roads and sidewalks;
Working knowledge of applicable building, fire, electrical and plumbing codes, as well as, knowledge of HVAC systems and designs;
Extensive knowledge of local, state and federal safety rules and regulations; ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with staff, contractors, City employees, Friends Groups, Boards and Commissions;
Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes working long hours, nights and weekends;
Excellent organizational and communication skills;
Ability to read design and construction plans; experience in developing accurate project costs;
Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) or Landscape Architect in the State of Maine.
Necessary Special Requirements:
Must possess a valid Class C driver's license in good standing.
TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) Card, or ability to acquire.
Applications accepted until December 19, 2025.
Apply Here.
Associate and Entry Level Designers
Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC, a nationally recognized landscape architecture firm specializing in residential design seeks passionate, energetic, and talented candidates for open Associate and entry-level positions in our Portland, Maine studio!
MCLD is transforming the visual and built narratives of residential garden design, proving that the value of home has never been more important in the face of global pandemic, climate change, and shifting cultural values. We believe the positive cumulative impacts of residential work are only just beginning to be understood.
Our unique grasp of what it means to live in seasonal New England drives our environmentally distinctive approach towards creating lush, ecologically balanced, contextual landscapes. We embrace an iterative and collaborative design process with our clients and work closely with the Region's most celebrated architects, interior designers, builders, suppliers and landscape construction professionals. Our gardens strengthen the connections between interior and exterior spaces, bridge our clients’ indoor and outdoor lifestyles, and grasp the dynamic rhythms of everyday life.
Applicants must share our passion for creating authentic and ecologically sincere domestic landscapes for clientele throughout the Northeast. A BSLA or MLA degree in landscape architecture is required, and relevant professional experiences for this position should include:
Associates should have 5+ years minimum work experience in a landscape architecture firm (3+ years residential work in the Northeast strongly preferred)
Excellent project management and budget monitoring skillsets
Comfort with workday travel to sites throughout the Northeast
Ability to produce accurate, highly detailed construction documentation sets
Strong knowledge of New England’s authentic plant and material palettes
Ability to independently and collaboratively work through all phases of a project
Experience managing staff, multiple clients, contractors, and collaborators simultaneously
Capacity to perform due-diligence study and permitting coordination
Have a strong work ethic and be able to tackle all assignments autonomously
Demonstrate design talents that contribute to all aspects of placemaking
Be able to adapt to the dynamic needs of the firm and its clients
Strong design sensibility, creative energy, and a sense of humor are essential! We value loyal, proactive, and pragmatic people who are thoughtful, organized, and focused. We are a hybrid work environment. Candidates must be eager to learn, possess excellent time management and communication skills, and be capable of thriving in a fast-paced atmosphere. We are a Mac office and use Vectorworks, Lumion, Adobe CC, Affinity, BQE Core, and MS Office.
Please email letters of interest, resumes, and a pdf (15mb max) of your best work or portfolio to: employment@matthew-cunningham.com with the subject: “Employment Inquiry”
Project Landscape Architect
Come join our award-winning design studio!
Richardson & Associates is a small landscape architecture firm making a big impact on landscapes throughout New England and beyond. The firm is located just minutes from the ocean, mountains, and the beautiful city of Portland, Maine. We have an outstanding roster of high quality projects currently in the office and on the horizon, and are seeking a talented individual to become an integral part of our growing team.
Richardson & Associates fosters a collaborative work environment that encourages design excellence, quality, and innovation. Our projects are diverse in scale, dynamic in range, and typically include working on integrated teams with a variety of like-minded allied professionals in many fields.
The office’s portfolio includes a diverse range of high quality, design focused projects in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Project types include recreational, institutional, streetscapes, historic, civic, community/downtown, brownfields, and residential projects. The majority the firm’s distinctive residential work occurs on the state’s rugged coast and islands as well as within the mountains and alongside the lakes of the state’s interior.
Project Manager applicants should have a minimum of four years proven project management experience, with excellent communication and time management skills. They are expected to contribute to all phases of projects, from their inception through to their completion. This includes proposal writing, budgeting, project coordination, planning, analysis, conceptual design, schematic design, permitting, design development, bidding administration, public speaking, report writing, and permitting, as well as construction documentation and administration. Applicant should have interest in a very hands-on design process including playing an active role with clients, other team members, and contractors.
A proven track record of managing, coordinating, and collaborating with clients, consultants, contractors, and internal team members is a high priority for this position. As well, applicants should have experience with, and enjoy, a fast-paced work environment involving day-to-day management of multiple projects across a wide spectrum of types, sizes, and tasks. Experience with complex residential projects is strongly preferred.
Candidates should demonstrate a high degree of competency in areas of design and have excellent written, graphic and technical skills. Proficiencies in AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, and SketchUp (and/or other 3-D modeling software) is required.
This individual must be a team player, have strong organizational, time-management, and communication skills, and be comfortable managing a diversity of tasks.
We offer a competitive compensation package which includes medical benefits, retirement plan (employer match at 3%), and a relocation allowance. If you believe you may be the right fit for our team, we’d love to hear from you.
Please send questions about the position to mail@richardsonassociates.com
Please send a letter of interest, résumé, and work samples to mail@richardsonassociates.com.