Recreation Program Specialist

Recreation Program Specialist

Salary

$54,808.00 - $82,700.80 Annually

Location

1209 Admiral Street, VA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

30M00000230

Department

Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities

Opening Date

10/02/2026

Closing Date

10/16/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity…YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The anticipated hiring range is $54,789 - $58,000.

The Department of Parks Recreation and Community Facilities is seeking a highly qualified and energetic candidate to fill the position of Recreation Program Specialist in the Recreation Division.

The Recreation Program Specialist will work under the direction of a fulltime Facility and Program Supervisor (Center Supervisor) and will assist with the day-to-day operations and programming of one or more Community Centers, serve as a community and external partner point of contact, and may help to facilitate programming for specific specialty areas. These tasks may include, but are not limited to, coordinating programming and community and special events, serving as a liaison between community centers and community partners, supervising, hiring, and disciplining staff, email correspondence with staff, customers, and community members, file management, research, training/development, facilitating staff training, inventory of support materials, etc.

Duties include but are not limited to

• Provide professional recreation programming and services by planning, implementing, supervising, and evaluating recreational programming and events.
• Potential oversight of intra-agency programs such as athletics, senior programming, teen programming, general community recreation, etc.
• Enforcing safety rules, standards, and procedures.
• Work with community groups, neighborhood associations, various commissions and foundation, and other partners to enhance offerings at community centers and in neighborhoods.
• Recruit citizen volunteers; solicit vendors for reduced or free supplies; market programs to and act as liaisons for community and neighborhood groups.
• Represent the department in community meetings.
• Provide fiscal management of assigned programs and prepare reports and various other documents. General office and administrative duties.
• Assist in recruitment, training, and scheduling of temporary staff and volunteers.
• Assisting in buildings and for facility rentals as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors degree in a field related to parks and recreation, fitness, physical education, business or another directly related field
• Two years of recreational programs experience
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3-5 years of experience as program or facility supervisor
• Experience working directly with community groups and partners
• Experience supervising staff and/or volunteers
• Evidence of successful community events or programs

Licensing, Certifications, and/or Other Special Requirements

• Some assignments may require a in-depth background check.
• Some assignments may require First Aid/CPR certifications.
• Some assignments may require a valid Drivers License with a satisfactory driving record and a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Drivers License within 30 days of hire.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Basic office equipment such as computers, printers, and fax machines;
• Principles and practices of parks, recreation, and leisure programming;
• Understanding of youth-related risk factors and early identification as well as general city demographics and population needs;
• General knowledge of business principles, basic mathematics, and basic computer programs such as Microsoft Office, Adobe, and RecTrac (or other recreation management software).

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Demonstrate good customer service skills both internally and externally with individuals from various demographics, backgrounds, and ages;
• Building relationships with coworkers, staff, community members, participants, customers, and volunteers;
• Supervising staff and volunteers;
• Manage projects;
• Planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating recreational activities and special events;
• Adequate conflict resolution skills;
• Utilizing resources efficiently;
• Analytical skills;
• Working both independently and as a team;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Professional, flexible, and mature attitude
• Proficient in computer skills

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing;
• Ability to prepare accurate documents;
• Multi-tasking;
• Working in a fast-paced environment and effectively managing time;

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly work with ones fingers, talk, see, hear, use repetitive motions, stand, and reach; frequently walk, lift, grasp, balance; and occasionally climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, push, pull, and feel. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be light work (exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects), but may differ based on area of focus. The working conditions may contain environmental hazards, depending on area of focus.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.

01

10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veterans widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02

5-point Veterans must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03

Do you have a Bachelor's degree in parks and recreation management, sport administration, education, business administration, or a similar field?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have at least 2-3 years of recreation programming experience or an equivalent combination of training and experience that meet the minimum qualifications of the job classification?

• Yes
• No

05

How many years of experience do you have in recreational programming and/or coordinating community events?

• Less than 3 years
• 3 to 6 years
• 6 to 9 years
• 10 or more years
• No experience

06

How many years of experience do you have collaborating with community partners for programs and/or events?

• Less than 2 years
• 2 to 5 years
• More than 5 years
• No experience

07

Are you able to work a flexible schedule to include nights, weekends, and holidays as well as potentially work at various locations across the city?

• Yes
• No

08

Are you a current City of Richmond Employee?

• Yes
• No

09

Do you have a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Drivers License, or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Richmond

Address 900 East Broad Street

Suite

Richmond, Virginia, 23219

Phone (804) 646-5660

804-646-5660

Website https://www.rva.gov/