What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Administrative Officer position at Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission?
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (the M-NCPPC) a 100-year-old bi-county agency is looking for a dynamic, strategic and energetic leader to be our new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO, aka the Executive Director). The new CAO will help lead the M-NCPPC's Central Administrative Services into our next century of service to the people of Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. As an organization founded on planning, parks stewardship, and provision of recreation services, we need a leader who understands public service and organizational operations.
The CAO is an officer of the M-NCPPC under Section 15-109 of the Land Use Article of the Maryland Code and is one of three statutory officers of the M-NCPPC, serving as its senior administrative officer responsible for delivering efficient, coordinated, and policy-compliant services across finance, human resources, information technology, and enterprise systems. Reporting to the M-NCPPC Co-Chairs, the CAO provides direction to the leaders of these functions and works to align centralized administrative services with the needs of the M-NCPPC's four operating departments, its legal mandates, and its long-term goals. The position carries direct oversight of four functional leaders, each responsible for a distinct portfolio:
- the Deputy Director, who serves as the second-in-command to the CAO and provides high level oversight;
- the Corporate Budget Director, who leads budget and financial planning;
- the Director of Human Resources Management, who leads classification and compensation, benefits administration, labor and employee relations, talent acquisition and workforce planning, and HR operations and policy;
- the Director of Information Technology, who leads enterprise information technology, commission-wide IT projects, and CAS staff IT support; and
- the Director of Corporate Policy and Management Operations, who leads risk management, and provides strategic coordination of facilities management, fleet management, and supplier diversity.
The M-NCPPC expects its next CAO to approach this work deliberately and with excitement to assure us our success for the next 100 years. Enthusiasm for finding innovative solutions and modernizing organizational procedures is critical. The CAO will work closely and effectively with the Secretary-Treasurer on fiduciary alignment, with the General Counsel on compliance and legal policy, and with the Inspector General on internal controls and accountability.
Day to day, the CAO sets service standards for administrative functions that reach every corner of the M-NCPPC, from hiring and classification to purchasing, financial reporting, and enterprise technology. Success in the role may show up in various measurable ways including shorter and more transparent hiring timelines, consistent policy application across the organization, and faster financial transactions. The CAO also guides continuous improvement, modernization, and change management, working with department leaders to balance central policy with the operational autonomy each department needs to do its work.
The next CAO steps into an organization staffed by capable and dedicated professionals. The full position description is available at Chief Administrative Officer Position Description.