Recreation Program Specialist - Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS)

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

About the Department

Are you ready to join a team that is “Building Community Through Fun?” Are you ready to make a difference?

The City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) is looking for people who want to make San José a better place to live. Our mission is to connect people through parks, recreation and neighborhood services for an active San José. ActivateSJ, PRNS’ latest strategic work plan, is committed to establishing healthy communities that inspire belonging by following the guiding principles of stewardship, nature, equity & access, identity and public life.

The Department creates and activates thriving places where people live, work, play, and learn, which include 48 community centers, 10 regional parks, 200 plus neighborhood parks, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, 290 playgrounds and over 60 miles of trails, programs and services that touch the lives of individuals and families in our community. We take a fun approach to public service, and value the public’s trust. Our team is collaborative, supportive, and innovative. We are a fast-paced organization that takes decisive action after thoughtful planning.

For more information, please visit activatesj.org.

Position Duties

The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Service Department is currently seeking to fill five (5) full-time CLASSIFICATION vacancies in the Recreation Services Division.

The current vacancies include Community Centers, Citywide Out of School Time, and Citywide Aquatics.

The Recreation Program Specialist position is responsible for developing a variety of recreation activities and community service programs. The position requires recreation programming experience and supervision of a team of recreation staff responsible for delivering programs and services that meet the needs of a population located within a given community center area or citywide.

Some positions may require working early mornings, late evenings, and/or weekends.

PRNS provides a variety of recreation programs for children, youth, and adults, including recreation classes in diverse areas such as dance, music health and fitness, gymnastics, theater arts, swim lessons and more.

• Typical duties for the Recreation Program Specialist classification include, and are not limited to the following:
• Develops and implements recreational programming for their assigned community center.
• Research market trends for recreational activities increasing in popularity in order to implement them at their given centers.
• Establishes recreation programs, including negotiating, and contracting with instructors and other service providers, setting class fees and charges, acquiring adequate facilities, and evaluating programs and classes.
• Plans, coordinates, and conducts special recreation events, trips, visits, programs, and social clubs for children and youth, seniors, and/or special needs populations.
• Provides information and referrals to the community regarding programs available, including developing and disseminating publicity through all forms of media.
• Interacts with citizens, community groups, private organizations and/or agencies, and other public and/or government agencies to identify and determine the leisure and human service needs of the population being served.
• Participates in the preparation and implementation of the budget for their assigned area. Secures supplies and equipment for programs.
• Recruits, supervises, trains, and evaluates part-time staff and volunteers.
• Maintains financial records of fees collected; prepares reports, proposals, and various letters and memos. Conducts registrations as needed.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience
A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Recreation and Leisure Services or closely related field AND one (1) year (equivalent to 2,080 hours) of full-time recreation leadership or programming experience.

Acceptable Substitution
Additional years of increasingly responsible recreation leadership or programming experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis for up to two (2) years. There will be no substitute for required one (1) year (equivalent to 2,080 hours) of full-time recreation leadership or programming experience.

Required Licensing

• A valid First Aid certificate is required and must be maintained. Must provide proof of a valid certificate or will need to obtain a certificate within one (1) year of hire.
• A valid CPR certificate is required and must be maintained. Must provide proof of a valid certificate or will need to obtain a certificate within six (6) months of hire.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Fiscal Management - Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan; complies with administrative controls over funds, contracts, and procurements.

Planning - Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.

Reliability - Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Supervision - Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Selection Process:
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

E-mail will be the default method of correspondence with applicants. To ensure that you receive timely notifications regarding your application status for this recruitment, please enter a valid e-mail address when submitting your application.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Jaine Davies at jaine.davies@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 11/12/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

Show more