RECREATION SPECIALIST III (SPECIAL SERVICES) (SR-24) [1 vacancy]
Salary
$6,043.00 - $7,069.00 Monthly
Location
Oahu, HI
Job Type
Full-Time Permanent
Job Number
391256
Department
Department of Parks & Recreation
Division
Park Maintenance and Recreation Services
Opening Date
06/07/2026
Closing Date
6/13/2026 11:59 PM Hawaii
Position Information
Lead inclusive, community-driven programs that improve the quality of life across Oahu
The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Park Maintenance and Recreation Services Division, Special Services Section, is hiring a Recreation Specialist III (Special Services). This position is ideal for an experienced recreation professional who enjoys solving complex challenges, building connections within the community, and developing programs that serve diverse populations.
What You Will Do
Provide leadership and direction for city-wide Peoples Open Market and Therapeutic Recreation programs, ensuring they are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to community needs.
Peoples Open Market: Supporting farmers markets and community-based marketplaces that promote food access, local vendors, and community engagement.
Therapeutic Recreation: Providing adaptive and inclusive recreation opportunities for individuals with disabilities and special needs.
Plan, coordinate, and evaluate programs and special events, setting goals, outcomes, and quality standards across all districts and sites.
Supervise, train, coach, and evaluate lower-level Recreation Specialists and support staff, including part-time staff and volunteers.
Develop and interpret policies, procedures, and operational guidelines; address concerns and ensure consistent program delivery.
Build partnerships with community organizations, service providers, educational institutions, and government agencies to strengthen programs and expand resources.
Special Working Conditions
Salary rate commensurate with applicable experience, pending approval
Enjoy excellent employment benefits including generous time off (up to 21 vacation days, 21 sick leave days, and holidays), comprehensive health coverage, retirement plan, career development, and much more! View details about all our available benefits by clicking on the "Benefits" tab at the top of this posting or by visiting https://www.honolulu.gov/dhr/benefits/
Apply today and take the next step in a rewarding and reliable career path!
Additional Job Information
Some notifications will be sent via e-mail. You are responsible for monitoring instructions and correspondence from this office by checking your email account in a timely manner. To ensure proper delivery, please make sure you:
Notifications may also be sent via text message if opted into the service. Data and text messaging fees apply.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
At the time of application, you must be a citizen, national or permanent resident alien of the United States or a non-citizen eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
Equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with specialization in recreation, physical education, group work or a related field.
Substitution: Work experience may be substituted for a bachelors degree on a year-for-year basis. Such experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and analytical ability normally gained from attainment of a bachelors degree.
For example:
Four (4) years of professional work experience, in any occupation, may substitute for a general bachelors degree.
Four (4) years of general work experience (does not need to be professional level experience) in recreation may substitute for a general bachelors degree.
Education Verification: Education information must be listed clearly on your application. If available, please attach a legible electronic copy of your diploma, official transcripts, and/or applicable foreign credential evaluation to your application. As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to move forward for further consideration.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
Four (4) years of recreation experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing specialized community-service-oriented recreation programs (e.g., therapeutic recreation, Peoples Open Market, etc.).
COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS NEEDED
Knowledge of:
Ability to:
Substitution: A Masters degree in recreation, physical education, or education from an accredited four-year college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of general recreation experience. There is no substitution for the required two (2) years of experience in the specialty area of planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing specialized community-service-oriented recreation programs.
Education Verification: Education information must be listed clearly on your application. If available, please attach a legible electronic copy of your diploma, official transcripts, and/or applicable foreign credential evaluation to your application. As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to move forward for further consideration.
LICENSE REQUIREMENT
Valid appropriate drivers license (automobile/Type 3), prior to appointment.
Examination Process
If you qualify for the position, your name will be eligible for consideration for current vacancy and future job openings with this job title. Screening will be based on the education, experience, and other job-related information provided in your application. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being rejected or your receiving a lower rating. All information provided on an application is subject to verification. As applicable, false or misleading statements or omissions of material facts are grounds for disqualification and/or termination of employment with the City and County of Honolulu.
What are the benefits of being a City Employee?
To view additional information, please visit our Benefits of City Employment page.
01
APPLICATION GUIDELINES & INSTRUCTIONS
When applying for this position, please thoroughly complete the Education, Work Experience, and Supplemental Question sections of your application. The information provided in these sections, particularly the job-specific Supplemental Questions, will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements for the job and your final score. Failure to provide detailed and complete information or submit any required documentation may result in your application being rejected or you receiving a lower score.
Please do not submit resumes in place of completing any of these sections.
List each work experience separately, do not combine jobs. For example, if youve held more than one position or job level(s) for the same employer, they should be listed and described separately so that the resulting changes in your duties and responsibilities are accurately reflected. If any part of your experience is unclear, you may be asked to provide a copy of your official job/position description (PD).
In general (unless otherwise specified on the job posting), the following criteria is utilized for evaluation of the Minimum Qualification Requirements:
Substitute, temporary assignment, internship or volunteer experience requires an official letter of verification from your supervisor and/or Human Resources department. The letter should include the job title, employment dates, number of hours worked, a description of the duties performed, and a contact name and phone number.
Concurrent or overlapping experiences and/or education will NOT be double credited.
Professional experience refers to work that generally involves independent critical thinking, solving complex, non-routine problems, preparing reports, and interpreting and applying technical information.
Most work experience as an intern will NOT be creditable as equivalent to professional experience.
Calculation of experience will be based upon a full-time, 40-hour work week. Part-time experience will be pro-rated. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be extra credited.
Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week will be pro-rated to six months of experience.
Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week will be credited as one year of experience, NOT one and a half years.
All requirements for the position must be met at the time of application or by the closing date of the recruitment.
Possession of the required amount of experience will not in and of itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. The overall experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position.
Any information you submit is subject to verification. Supporting documents must be either electronically attached to your application or submitted to our office at: Department of Human Resources, 650 South King Street, 10th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813. Documents should be identified by job title and recruitment number.
If you previously submitted education documents (e.g., transcripts, diploma, etc.) to our office, for most cases you are not required to resubmit them. Supporting documents with an expiration period (e.g., drivers license, Department of Transportation medical certificate, etc.) will need to be submitted with each application to verify possession of a current license or certificate at the time specified on the job posting.
02
EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: The Recreation Specialist III (Special Services) position requires a combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with specialization in recreation, physical education, group work, or a related field.
Education Verification: Education information must be listed clearly on your application. If available, please attach a legible electronic copy of your diploma, official transcripts, and/or applicable foreign credential evaluation to your application. As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to move forward for further consideration.
Do you meet this education requirement?
03
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the education requirement, applicants must have four (4) years of professional (post-bachelors degree/non-clerical) recreation experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in planning, organizing, coordinating and directing specialized community-service oriented recreation programs (e.g., therapeutic recreation, Peoples Open Market, etc.).
Substitution: A Masters degree in recreation, physical education, or education from an accredited four-year college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the general recreation experience requirement. There is no substitution for the required two (2) years of experience in the specialty area of planning, organizing, coordinating and directing specialized community-service oriented recreation programs.
Education Verification: Education information must be listed clearly on your application. If available, please attach a legible electronic copy of your diploma, official transcripts, and/or applicable foreign credential evaluation to your application. As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to move forward for further consideration.
Select the statement that best describes your experience:
04
RECREATION EXPERIENCE If this experience is not fully listed in the Work Experience section of your application, it may not be credited. If you have more than one position, clearly separate each entry.
Describe your general recreation experience.
Include the following in your explanation:
The position(s) listed in your Work Experience section where you performed recreation-related duties;
The type(s) of recreation setting(s) in which you worked (e.g., community centers, parks, camps, after-school programs);
The specific recreation duties and responsibilities you performed; and
The approximate number of hours per week spent performing recreation duties versus other responsibilities.
If you do not have experience in this area, indicate "None."
05
SPECIALIZED COMMUNITY-SERVICE ORIENTED RECREATION EXPERIENCE
If this experience is not fully listed in the Work Experience section of your application, it may not be credited. If you have more than one position, clearly separate each entry.
Describe your experience in specialized community-service oriented recreation programs.
In your explanation:
If you do not have experience in this area, indicate "None."
06
IN-SERVICE TRAINING EXPERIENCE:
If this experience is not fully listed in the Work Experience section of your application, it may not be credited. If you have more than one position, clearly separate each entry.
Describe your responsibilities in developing and conducting in-service training for recreation staff and volunteers.
In your explanation:
Describe the specific topics you covered in your training sessions;
Describe the format of the training sessions (e.g., lectures, demonstrations, etc.);
Indicate how often you conducted these trainings (e.g., monthly);
Share who was the target audience for these trainings.
If you do not have experience in this area, indicate "None" in the space provided.
07
PROGRAM EVALUATION EXPERIENCE:
If this experience is not fully listed in the Work Experience section of your application, it may not be credited. If you have more than one position, clearly separate each entry.
Describe your responsibilities evaluating recreation programs.
Include the following in your explanation:
A detailed description of the methods you used to evaluate the success or effectiveness of the programs (e.g. tracking attendance, taking surveys, etc.); and
An explanation on how you used the program evaluation findings/results to modify or improve the programs.
If you do not have experience in this area, indicate "None" in the space provided.
Required Question
Employer City and County of Honolulu
Address 650 South King Street, 10th Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813
Phone (808) 768-8536
Website https://www.honolulu.gov/dhr/