Community Gardens Program Manager (Coordinator IV)
City of PortlandThe Position
Job Appointment: Regular, Full-time
Work Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Work Location: This position reports to Portland Parks & Recreation Mt Tabor Maintenance Facility, 6437 SE Division St, Portland, Oregon. This is an office and field-based position.
Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefits for this position.
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.
Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.
Position Summary
Portland Parks & Recreation's Community Gardens Program operates a growing program with 61 community gardens across the city. Program staff manage over 2900 individual garden plots rented by a diverse group of people who speak more than 26 languages. In addition, program staff collaborate with members of the local Indigenous community to care for the Native Gathering Garden at Thomas Cully Park. Community Gardens is committed to anti-racism work that seeks to create a world free of oppression. We actively work towards our vision of a world that embodies connectedness, dignity, compassion, and deep care for one another.
The Community Gardens Program Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Community Gardens Program and the Native Gathering Gardens Program.
As a Community Gardens Program Manager, you will:
Leadership and Staff Management:
Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and manage employees reflective of Portland’s diverse communities.
Directly supervise, evaluate, and support a skilled team of nine represented regular staff and two casual employees.
Collaborate with the team to develop program goals, staff work plans, and measurable outcomes.
Program Management:
Create, implement, and revise program-specific policies and procedures for staff and program participants with staff and community input.
Operationalize City and bureau goals, policies, and plans.
Develop and manage a yearly budget.
Plan and develop new gardens and program services.
Partnerships and Collaboration:
Develop and cultivate major organizational partnerships to provide services and respond to community needs.
Guide staff who develop and coordinate community-level partnerships.
Develop contracts and other types of agreements within City policies.
The Community Gardens workgroup is working to implement horizontal power structures and collaborative decision-making. Community Gardens staff identified the following qualities as crucial for a supervisor in this role:
Leads with trust to provide space for staff to work independently and retain autonomous decision-making within their purview.
Willingly participates in and values collaborative decision-making and respectfully navigates group dynamics.
Uses their leadership role to uplift team decisions and challenge systemic barriers in alignment with the City of Portland’s Core Values of anti-racism and equity.
Approaches this work with a growth mindset and willingness to lean into discomfort within the collaborative culture of Community Gardens.
Centers inclusivity, dignity, respect, and compassion in all interactions with staff, program participants, and partners.
Developed skill working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, language groups, abilities, and walks of life, while centering their experiences and priorities when leading projects and managing resources.
Demonstrates self-awareness and ability to recognize, regulate, and communicate one's emotions in a way that minimizes harm.
Demonstrates humility by asking questions, is willing to say, “I don’t know”, trusts in the institutional knowledge of staff, and requests feedback from the team.
About the Bureau:
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is committed to the overall Citywide vision that race will have no detrimental effect on people of color, refugee, and immigrant communities in accessing our parks and natural areas, or from the benefit of our services. We recognize, understand, and encourage celebration of the differences that surround us. Diversity and equity are vital to PP&R’s ideals and values. The City of Portland, Oregon, is a growing and diverse city of 650,000 residents, nearly 20% of whom speak languages other than English at home. PP&R values a diverse workforce and seeks ways to promote equity and inclusion within the organization and with the public. PP&R encourages applications from candidates with knowledge, ability, and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities with diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Although not required, PP&R encourages candidates who can fluently speak another language to include that information in their application materials. Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity
Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position's duties and responsibilities, day-to-day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.
Topic: Meet & Greet: Community Gardens Program Manager
Time: Aug 19, 2025 11:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
View Recording: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/8IDKZw-lj1kX0Vrt_8YEpO5WDs1eLTSjcNYuGY8hEmHy2-swrXyB3QVF2voGTO1l.kyrnIxWA93xDWhbQ ;
Passcode: Bdx8!%8F*Please note: AI Note-taking apps will not be allowed into virtual sessions hosted by the Bureau of Human Resources Recruitment Team. If you need accommodations as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, then please contact the Recruiter for assistance.
Questions?
Amanda Hillebrecht, Senior Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
Amanda.Hillebrecht@portlandoregon.gov
To Qualify
The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:
Knowledge and experience surrounding principles and practices of community gardening.
Experience hiring, supervising, and evaluating a diverse workforce and promoting an equitable workplace environment.
Experience collaborating with Indigenous Peoples, communities of color, and people traditionally underrepresented in local decision-making; facilitating inclusive participation in programs and activities; and communicating cross-culturally.
Ability to analyze, interpret, explain, and apply relevant laws and regulations; develop policies and procedures; and apply equitable program practices to diverse and complex services.
Experience in program administration and ability to research, plan, and implement public programs.
Although not , you may have:
Knowledge of principles and practices of organic gardening, land stewardship, and Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge.
Experience advancing racial equity within a government agency or large institution.
Experience developing and managing budgets and applying principles of racial equity in resource (budgeting and staffing) management.
Strong communication skills, knowledge of trauma-informed care practices, cultural humility, and the ability to apply these skills effectively with diverse groups.
The Recruitment Process
STEP 1: Apply online between August 11, 2025, and August 25, 2025
Required Application Materials:
- Resume
- Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)
Optional Application Materials:
- Veteran documents to request Veteran Preference (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.)
Application Tips:- The City of Portland has How to Apply Videos and offers How to Apply Classes once per month. If you have questions after watching the videos, you are invited to contact the recruiter listed on the announcement.
- Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training, and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflect your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
- Your resume should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.
- How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act. Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid, regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
- Do not attach materials not requested.
- All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than the closing date and time of this recruitment.
- All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process. E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
- You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.
Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of August 25, 2025
- An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and supplemental questions, is weighted 100%.
- Your resume and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
- You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation results. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
- Additional evaluation may be required before the establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.
Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of September 1, 2025
- Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.
Step 4: Selection (Interview): September 2025
- The hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.
Step 5: Offer of Employment: Late September 2025
Step 6: Start Date: October 2025
- A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.
*Timeline is approximate and subject to change*
Additional Information
Click here for additional information regarding the following:
- Veteran Preference
- ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
- Work Status
- Equal Employment Opportunity