Executive Level Operations

At this level, one is overseeing large-scale operations or organizational-wide functions; is accountable for driving strategic execution and operational excellence.  Decision-Making and Impact may include decisions which shape major outcomes and organizational direction; high financial and reputational impact; and executive level relationships.  This is the EXPERIENCE stage of one’s journey – independent application across varied contexts with consistent performance and high-stakes contexts. 

DOWNLOAD THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL OPERATIONS SECTION IN AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET

Audience – This is the usual group of people with which an individual at the specified responsibility level will interact. The interaction may take many forms; who you communicate with, who you influence, and who you serve.
Focus – What the interaction is about in the moment.  Think of it as what needs to occur if one is to achieve the goal.
Tools – These are resources that an individual at this responsibility level may access or deploy to interact with the specified audience.  
Goal – This is an indicator of what the intended outcome of the audience interaction is.
Development Guide - This section lists examples of where an individual can gain education, knowledge and experience in the skill areas that will aid in mastering a skill and preparing one to move to the next level of skill and/or responsibility level.

Quick Jump
Communications, Public Relations & Marketing  
Critical Thinking & Decision Making
 Data Analysis & Research  
Financial Management 
Interpersonal
Leadership
Natural & Cultural Resource Management
Organizational Design
 Planning (Operational)
Planning (Strategic, Master, Comprehensive & Asset Management)
Policy Compliance
Program/Event Management
Project Coordination/Management
Relationship Building
Resource Management  
Risk Management & Safety
 Supervision & Oversight 
Technology 

• Frame business narratives for impact (growth, transformation, risk)
• Navigate commission-level communications
• Lead during uncertainty or crisis
• Direct crisis and issue management at the organizational level

• Ensuring consistency of messaging across channels
• Set public relations policies and organizational messaging standards
• Lead executive communications and media relations
• Guide brand management and community engagement strategy

• Set marketing policies and standards
• Oversee high-level media relations and public communications
• Manage organizational reputation and brand positioning
• Direct crisis and issue management communications

• Executive level media training and public speaking coaching
• Executive writing and speech training
• Crisis communication simulations

• Stakeholder/Board communication templates
• Set public relations policies and messaging standards organization-wide
• Lead high-level media relations and executive communications

• Guide brand management and public engagement strategies, and organizational messaging 
• Set organization-wide marketing policies and strategies
• Oversee public relations and media relations

• Executive decision-making
• Governance and policy interpretation

• Executive risk management
• Long-term strategic alignment
• Organizational design

• Communicate with executive-level stakeholders
• Negotiation and influence

• Commission/Board governance training
• Participant in executive coaching

• Develop an understanding of advanced analytics tools

• Scenario and crisis planning sessions

• Align organizational goals with key results 
• Oversee resource allocation for programs/projects/events across the organization

• Scale and standardize program/project/event policies and procedures

• Analyze program/project/event  reporting for future planning

• Attend training on strategic level reviews

• Understand defining thresholds

• Attend training on goal frameworks

• Apply visionary leadership and organizational influence
• Deploy executive decision-making

• Understand governance and compliance
• Stakeholder/Partner engagement 

• Crisis and risk management

• Lead team meetings and strategic sessions
• Participate in executive leadership retreats

• Engage in media and public relations training

• Facilitate cross-functional leadership forums

• Executive networking
• Build trust with jurisdictional leadership and key partners

• Crisis communication and reputation management
• Lead governance relationships

• Influence policy and decision-makers

• Engage in executive-level networking events
• Participate in crisis communication training

• Lead commission presentations and stakeholder meetings

• Develop long-term management strategies

• Establish organization-wide financial performance metrics and audit frameworks.
• Lead risk mitigation, policy development, and cross-department compliance strategies

• Lead procurement strategy, vendor compliance, and agency-wide sourcing efficiency efforts

• Lead organization-wide cost recovery strategies and pricing policy
• Oversee agency-wide financial risk management and contingency strategies

• Complete executive training in financial governance and risk management
• Lead organization-wide budgeting initiatives and capital allocation decisions

• Present budget strategies and results to department leadership
• Facilitate cross-departmental financial collaboration

• Develop and oversee organization-wide financial policies
• Manage organizational financial risks and crisis response

• Develop IT policies and data governance frameworks
• Balance technology investments with budgetary constraints

• Lead cybersecurity and data privacy initiatives

• Evaluate emerging technologies for organizational benefit

• Develop IT governance and cybersecurity framework
• Oversee data privacy and compliance

• Evaluate emerging technologies for organizational use

• Balance tech investments with financial constraints

• Lead development of capital and operational resource strategies
• Approve budgets and major resource investments

• Integrate sustainability and equity into resource decisions

• Oversee fleet, facility and staffing planning

• Strategic planning and resource equity workshops
• Participate in city/county-side resource allocation meetings

• Identify shifts in community-wide perceptions relative to resource allocations

• Lead organization-wide sustainability initiatives

• Develop and oversee Cross-Jurisdictional-wide conservation frameworks
• Advocate for sustainable capital investments
• Represent the organization in high-level partnerships with tribal governments and/or preservation boards

• Strategically align environmental land acquisition and protection goals with organization-wide goals
• Oversee legal compliance (NHPA, NAGPRA, CEQA, etc.)
• Lead risk mitigation strategies for sensitive sites

• Integrate equity and access in land stewardship
• Advocate for cultural resource management funding and staffing in strategic plans

• Serve on regional climate-sustainability committees
• Partner with non-governmental organizations and universities for research and training
• Establish measurable environmental key performance indicators

• Ensure natural resource management goals are integrated into the organization's strategic and master plans
• Develop negotiation skills for high-level partnership agreements around cultural resources

• Stay current on cultural resource management law, ethics, and emerging issues
• Mentor mid-level cultural leaders on succession and long-term strategy
• Serve on state or national heritage advisory boards

• Establish risk appetite and governance policies by building compliance systems for safety
• Align risk strategy with organizational goals, and integrate safety into budget, capital planning and contracts

• Oversee risk reporting to jurisdictional leaders and stakeholders, legal exposure and risk strategies
• Lead crisis management and business continuity

• Allocate resources for training and prevention
• Manage reputational and legal risks by building compliance systems

• Participate in executive risk governance training
• Lead organizational crisis management drills

• Develop risk communication strategies
• Legal and ethical compliance training relative to safety and risk

• Ensure equity in safety access
• Media training for safety-related crises

• Design and oversee compliance systems and governance frameworks
• Lead policy communication

• Integrate compliance into budgeting, staffing, and strategic planning

• Champion equity, legal compliance, and sustainability

• Attend executive level seminars (equity in policy, accessibility, etc.)
• Understand and apply legal briefings on new legislation and regulations

• Lead legal and ethics advisory teams
• Crisis simulation exercises relative to policy implementation

• Implement public accountability dashboards

• Integrate policy and planning across divisions
• Approve large-scale project and investment plans

• Guide staff in scenario-based and adaptive planning

• Establish measurable objectives

• Lead performance measurement and reporting
• Align budgeting with strategic priorities

• Analyze scenario data and adjust plans accordingly
• Facilitate cross-divisional planning

• Integrate departmental policies/goals/strategies into system-wide planning

• Guide organizational strategic planning and goal setting
• Oversee long-term asset management policies and capital programs
• Identify funding needs for park system development

• Manage risk and sustainability considerations at scale
• Ensure organization-wide coordination and performance measurement

• Make decisions about park land acquisition efforts
• Integrate operational priorities into capital programs in support of Operations functions

• Oversee system-wide strategic planning and asset management policies
• Manage organizational risk and resilience planning when plans are not followed
• Ensure the implementation of open space and recreation element of comprehensive plan

• Create alternative scenarios when plan amendments are necessary
• Align cross-departmental efforts and measure performance
• Apply national benchmarking and accreditation  standards
• Oversee developments of plans and equity frameworks

• Lead long-term strategic sessions and understand legal requirements for comprehensive plans
• Drive strategic adjustments to plans

• Set data strategy and policies
• Communicate complex analytics to boards and stakeholders

• Guide cross-functional analytics integration
• Oversee data privacy and compliance

• Use data to inform risk and opportunity management

• Attend civic data and smart city conferences
• Host interdepartmental and cross-jurisdictional data roundtables

• Champion performance dashboards and public reporting tools
• Establish data strategy and transparency standards

• Ensure compliance with open data, equity, and privacy laws

• Set policies for project/grant/contract management
• Ensure organizational compliance with legal and regulatory standards

• Lead risk management and audit response efforts
• Guide crisis management related to project/grant/contract issues

• Foster culture of accountability and transparency
• Recommend project/grant/contract renewals and amendments

• Lead development of organizational policies for grants and contracts
• Implement organizational risk management related to  projects/grants/contracts
• Lead organizational risk management related to contracts

• Develop crisis management plans for project-related issues
• Promote culture of accountability and transparency
• Develop and enforce contract management policies

• Develop and implement  project/grant/contract management policies
• Lead compliance monitoring and risk mitigation
• Oversee audit and regulatory responses

• Evaluate long-term implications and systemic risks
• Lead crisis and ethical decision-making

• Delegate authority while ensuring accountability
• Balance diverse stakeholder interests

• Decisions shape major outcomes and organizational direction
• High financial and reputational impact

• Evaluate long-term organizational risks and opportunities
• Review ethical decision making policies

• Attend trainings relative to ethics and crises
• Delegate decision authority while maintaining accountability

• Facilitate gathering stakeholder input 
• Develop prioritization framework 

• Develop executive presence and public speaking
• Conflict negotiation at senior and high-stake levels

• Lead jurisdictional and stakeholder communications
• Cultivate trust and credibility organization-wide

• Navigate political and cultural dynamics

• Participate in executive coaching
• Participate in media training

• Lead meetings and strategic discussions

• Facility cross-departmental leadership forums

• Lead organizational design and workforce planning
• Align organizational design with strategic objectives

• Manage complex change initiatives
• Oversee talent management strategies

• Assess workforce capacity to align with identified trends and changing expectations

• Lead organizational workforce planning and design initiatives

• Oversee complex organizational change projects

• Implement talent management and succession planning strategies