Recreation Coordinator

The City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is seeking dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to join our team.  This recruitment is to fill a vacant Recreation Coordinator position, - as noted below.

WHAT WE DO:
The Department of Recreation and Parks' mission is to enrich the lives of the residents of Santa Maria through quality recreation programs and services; and to provide safe and well-maintained facilities and parks, while anticipating the changing needs of the community. The department operates 234 acres of developed parkland in 28 neighborhood and community parks, part of the 1,774-acre Los Flores Ranch Park property, the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, and other community centers. The department provides programs in aquatics, youth and adult sports. It also manages the City's Urban Forest Program.

THE POSITIONS:

The Recreation Coordinator is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a wide range of recreational programs and activities that serve all ages, interests, and abilities within the community. This position plays a key role in planning and organizing programs in areas such as aquatics, youth and family programming, sports leagues, teen engagement, senior activities, and special events. The Recreation Coordinator ensures that all programs foster inclusivity, safety, and community engagement while enhancing the quality of life for residents.

Duties include scheduling, marketing, staff training, and collaboration with community partners to maximize program impact. This position requires creativity, leadership, and adaptability to deliver engaging and innovative recreation experiences.

We are looking for an ideal candidate who possesses a genuine passion for working with teenagers, demonstrating the ability to inspire, mentor, and guide them towards positive life choices. The successful candidate will have a strong background in program development and event coordination, with an emphasis on creating innovative and appealing activities that resonate with this age group. Exceptional communication skills, both with teens and community partners, are essential, along with a deep commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment. Experience in youth development programs and a comprehensive understanding of the unique needs and challenges facing today's teenagers are highly desirable. If you are dedicated and flexible, ready to make a positive impact on the lives of Santa Maria’s youth, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, we invite you to apply for this position.

REQUIRED SUBMITTAL:
- Application plus Cover Letter highlighting interest in the position.

DESIRED CORE COMPETENCIES

Front-line Supervisor:

Incumbents should have a solid foundation of Individual Contributor core competencies identified by the organization, as well as the following core competencies identified as essential for Front-line Supervisor (click the hyper link to see the full definition Front Line Supervisor Competencies):

• Assertiveness - Effective performers are self-confident, readily offer options and take action,  and challenge others when appropriate. They trust their judgment.
• Conflict Management - Effective performers recognize that conflict can be a valuable part of the decision-making process. They support and manage differences of opinion and use consensus and collaboration to resolve issues.
• High Standards - Effective performers model professional standards, pay attention to detail, continually seek to improve processes, hold staff accountable, and find best practices.
• Informal Communication - Effective performers clearly and articulately convey information to others. They accurately interpret and understand nonverbal cues.
• Positive Impact - Effective performers make positive impressions on those around them. They are personable, self-confident, optimistic, enthusiastic, and generally likable. 
• Delegation - Effective performers willingly entrust work to others, provide clear guidelines, provide challenging assignments, and empower others.
• Active Listening - Effective performers offer their full attention when others speak, actively listen, and demonstrate verbal and nonverbal listening cues to ensure understanding.
• Team Management - Effective performers select and build effective work groups, understand the human dynamics of team foundation, and create and maintain functional teams. They formulate team roles, provide guidance, and reward team behavior.
• Influence - Effective performers are skilled at directing, persuading, and motivating others. They establish a personal power base built on mutual trust, fairness, and honesty, and flex their style to direct, collaborate, or empower others.

The Recreation Coordinator position is a Front-Line Supervisor role that provides leadership and direction for recreation programs. Their role enables the Santa Maria community to enjoy a variety of affordable recreational opportunities in safe, beautiful parks and facilities.

DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION
Recreation Coordinator

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Ideally, two years of experience in recreation, or program and/or recreation facility management; including one year of supervisory experience; and 
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in recreation or a related field, or two years (60 semester units) of college-level courses in recreation or a related field.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
• Current technical/professional knowledge of complex principles, methods, standards, and techniques associated with the scope of work of a recognized profession, such as:
  • Public recreation programs.
  • First aid, CPR, and safety precautions and procedures.
  • Effective supervision, budgeting.
  • Concepts and theories of marketing.
  • Funding source development and fundraising; grant writing.
  • Volunteer management techniques.
  • Therapeutic recreation.
  • Sports league management.
  • Effective verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent). 
  • Use computer and other office equipment effectively. 
• Required licenses and/or certifications associated with the assignment, such as:
  • American Red Cross First Aid and Cardiovascular Pulmonary Resuscitation certification within first year of employment.

The most qualified candidates will be selected to appear before a panel for an oral interview. Those applicants invited to interview will be notified electronically at the e-mail address provided by each candidate through the application process. Therefore, it is the applicant's responsibility to provide an accurate email address and to allow their inbox to receive emails in regard to this recruitment. The oral panel will recommend the most qualified candidates to Eligibility List from where the new Recreation Coordinator may be selected. The Eligibility List will be established for future vacancies.
 
If you have further job-related questions, please contact staff in the HR Division at 805-925-0951 x2203. If you are experiencing any technical (computer related) difficulties, please call the NEOGOV help line for technical assistance at 1-855-524-5627.

Salary : $68,011 - $82,668