Recreation Specialist-Youth Programs

Salary: $21.33 Hourly

Location : Durango, CO

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 2023-00021

Department: Parks & Recreation

Division: Gametime Full Time – 4523FT

Opening Date: 07/14/2023

Closing Date: Continuous

Schedule Details:: Monday – Friday 10:00am – 6:30pm

Description

This position is responsible for assisting in the designing, implementing, organizing, and managing recreation and leisure programs with an emphasis on childcare, Recreation Center programs for youth and preschool. Position oversees aspects of the licensed and unlicensed childcare and Gametime program. Responsibilities include direct supervision of children in a childcare setting, hiring, and scheduling staff, creating, planning, marketing, advertising, and evaluating programs that meet the needs and interests of the targeted demographics.

Essential Job Duties

The following duties are normal for this position. However, they are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. Other duties may also be required or assigned.

• Plans, organizes, manages, and enhances licensed childcare program, unlicensed childcare, preschool, youth and teen programs for the Durango Community Recreation Center.
• Manage and enforce required local, state, and federal guidelines pertaining to licensed daycare activities and hiring procedures. This includes maintaining and preparing staff and child files, safety, employee, and parent informational manuals. Sets and maintains appropriate child-to staff ratios. Monitors, documents, and reports symptoms and/or health concerns to the appropriate department and/or authority.
• Plans, organizes, and manages in collaboration with Recreation Division staff the maintenance and repair of recreation facilities, to ensure the facility is fully functional and clean.
• Assist with pertinent budgets, monitor expenditures of the budgets and develop strategies for creating value-added service for the customer.
• Assist with the establishment and enforcement of policies for established programs. Participates in the development of department policies and procedures. Assist in developing, organizing, and conducting orientation and safety programs for recreation facility and program employees.
• Prepares staff and program areas for annual health, fire, and licensing inspections.
• Assists with the development of new programs.. Continue to enhance and expand existing program areas.
• Schedules and monitors facilities used for purposes of general programming. Ensure collaboration with appropriate staff with scheduling facilities and rooms.
• Promotes interest and provides information regarding Recreation Center programs to schools, other recreation staff, community service groups, other departments, and the public as appropriate.
• Maintains a positive, safe, and nurturing physical and emotional environment in the program with program participants, parents, students, and staff.
• Provides program management strategies and organization in compliance with the Department of Human Services rules and regulations.
• Maintains cleanliness of facility and organization of materials and equipment in accordance with the Department of Human Services.
• Ability to communicate effectively, establish and maintain working relationships with employees and the public.
• Effectively handles a variety of customer situations and is responsible for maintaining excellent customer and employee relations. Responds promptly to customer inquiries, handles, and resolves customer complaints in an appropriate manner. Maintains a positive relationship with user groups.
• Strong emphasis on safety, quality customer service and business development.
• Promote program offerings by the City of Durango through an extensive news release and public service announcement program. Produce promotional flyers and brochures for the public.
• Recruit, lead and train volunteers, part-time, and seasonal staff for programs; coordinate training programs and ensure staff maintains proper certifications.
• Coordinate ordering of supplies and equipment for recreation programs; maintain inventory of supplies; collaborate with appropriate staff regarding expenditures.
• Perform “Manager on Duty” responsibilities on a rotational basis.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

Incumbent is responsible for minor purchases, monitoring expenses and assisting with the portion of the Department’s budget affecting Gametime and childcare/preschool youth and teen programs.

City Organization Duties and Responsibilities:

• Represent the Department and City to other staff and members of the public.
• Provide quality customer service to individuals needing assistance.

Supervisory Relationships:

Develops guidelines and policies for area of work with overall evaluation against departmental goals by supervisor. Incumbent is responsible for supervision of staff and volunteers including developing policies and guidelines, training, scheduling, supervising, coaching, and discipline, and evaluation of their work.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS – KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Best practices, methods, and materials used in recreation and childcare.
• Best practices for leading, coaching and training employees assigned to work team.
• Occupational hazards and standard safety practices.
• Equipment and tools used in work assigned.
• Procedures, policies, and operations within area of assignment.
• City employee handbook policies and procedures.

Skill in:

• Selecting, supervising, training, and evaluating staff.
• Designing, developing, and implementing preschool and childcare programs.
• Operating computer and relevant software programs.
• Safely operating and maintaining all assigned tools.
• Communicating clearly and concisely in written and verbal form.
• Collecting, organizing, summarizing, and reporting data for use in making recommendations and decisions regarding departmental programs.

Ability to:

• Read, understand, and interpret documents such as safety rules, operation and maintenance instructions, maps, blueprints sketches, technical and procedure manuals, etc.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Perform a variety of active work with periods of light and heavy physical activity.
• Work independently and provide feedback and updates to supervisors as needed or required.
• Work the allocated hours of the position including on-call manager rotational shifts.
• Operate and maintain normal office machines (copiers, scanner, computer, printer, fax, etc.)

Work Environment:

Work environment includes an office setting as well as frequently working in indoor and outdoor environments and recreational facilities. Duties require standing, walking and active assistance of participants and spectators. May work in inclement weather and/or around water and slippery surfaces. Duties require working directly and supervising children in a childcare setting.

Physical and Mental Requirements/Activities:

• This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 50 pounds of lifting/moving or force and occasional lift, move or drag 75 pounds or more while performing essential functions of the job.
• Work regularly requires the ability to stand, walk, sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; balance, climb, stoop, kneel crouch or crawl; and speak and hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance and peripheral vision; depth perception; and the ability to adjust focus. May spend a moderate amount of time viewing a computer screen.
• Acceptable verbal and conversation skills to effectively communicate with others in English.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to read and write English and interpret documents such as safety rules, material safety data sheets, operation and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, and so forth.
• Ability to recognize occupational hazards in work activities and take safety precautions.
• Maintain mental capacity which allows the capability of making sound decisions and following directions.

Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Education and Certification: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in recreation, physical education, education, early childhood development, leisure studies, sociology, communications, or a related field. Valid State Driver’s License. Obtain and maintain valid CPR/AED/First Aid Certification, School-age Director Qualification, Specialized Duties- Driver Certification.Minimum Experience: Two (2) years of progressively responsiblerelated experience in recreation services including one (1) year of supervisory experience. Preferred Qualification: Park and Recreation Professional Certification preferred.
Supplemental Information

Nothing in this job description limits management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including medical, dental & vision insurance, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, and paid time off.

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01

Do you have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in recreation, physical education, education, early childhood development, leisure studies, sociology, communications, or a related field?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have any relatives who currently work for the City of Durango?

• Yes
• No

03

If you answered yes, provide your relative’s name, the department they work in, and their relationship to you.

04

Have you been previously employed by the City of Durango?

• Yes
• No

05

If you answered yes, provide previous City positions and approximate dates for those positions.

06

Do you have a valid State Driver’s License?

• Yes
• No

07

Are you eligible to obtain and maintain valid CPR/AED/First Aid Certification, School-age Director Qualification, Specialized Duties- Driver Certification?

• Yes
• No

08

Have you ever been convicted of a crime, including misdemeanors, deferred sentences/judgments?

• Yes
• No

09

If you answered yes to having been convicted, you are REQUIRED to provide DATE(S) and DESCRIPTION(S) of offense(s) below.

10

Do you have a minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible related experience in recreation services including one (1) year of supervisory experience?

• Yes
• No

11

Do you have a preferred Park and Recreation Professional Certification?

• Yes
• No

Required Question