Therapeutic Recreation Program Manager (Park/Rec Specialist III)

Therapeutic Recreation Program Manager (Park/Rec Specialist III)

Salary

$70,149.87 - $122,762.22 Annually

Location

PENNINO BUILDING, 12011 GOVERNMENT CENTER PKWY, FAIRFAX (EJ27), VA

Job Type

FT Salary W BN

Job Number

26-01233

Department

Neighborhood & Community Svcs

Opening Date

09/12/2026

Closing Date

9/25/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

S24

Posting Type

Open to General Public

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Announcement

This position performs highly skilled work with individuals with varying disabilities (ages 2-100+) and historically underserved youth in various settings.

• Manages multiple therapeutic recreation programs and guides the work of professional and paraprofessional staff in the provisions of therapeutic recreation activities, inclusive programming and services and programs for individuals with disabilities.
• Directs and monitors the planning, coordination, administration and evaluation of several county-wide programs.
• Works across the agency to ensure and promote inclusive, welcoming, and belonging best practices among programs, networks and place-based initiatives.
• Provides training and support to agency staff around inclusive programming and adaptation strategies.
• Researches and identifies needs and gaps in service for the disability community and recommends new therapeutic recreation programs, practices and protocols based on findings.
• Plans therapeutic activity interventions and services.
• Identifies, analyzes, and resolves program, or participant problems to include behavior interventions and proper program placement.
• Assumes supervisor on-call responsibilities for managing weekend and evening program.
• Serves as the department liaison to a variety of project committees, inter-agency or departmental teams and community groups.
• Manages general oversight of therapeutic recreation programs to include staffing, marketing, training, participant registration, and securing resources required for program implementation.
• Develops community and agency partnerships to enhance or expand service delivery.
• Conducts ongoing evaluation and quality assessments of programs and analyzes findings.
• Recruits, interviews, hires, trains, coaches and evaluates the work of up to 60 program staff.
• Recommends policy and operational procedure changes or improvements.
• Tracks program expenditure information and completes administrative reports.

Schedule: Must be able to work evenings and weekends to meet program requirements.

Note: Salary will not exceed the midpoint of the advertised salary range.

This position works under the direction of the Therapeutic Recreation Operations Manager.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelors degree in recreation and park, therapeutic recreation, horticulture, agriculture, cultural and historic resources or other closely related field as appropriate to the duties of the position; plus three years of experience in park or recreation-related work, as applicable to the position, including one year of supervisory experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement.

• CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications (required within 3 months of hire)
• Certification by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (required within 17 months of hire)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and a Child Protective Services Registry check to the satisfaction of the employer. A Tuberculosis (TB) screening upon hire.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with community therapeutic recreation and/or prevention-oriented recreation programs;
• Experience working with multiple disability groups;
• Experience working with at-risk youth;
• Experience supervising and coaching professional staff;
• Experience managing multiple, complex tasks and projects;
• Knowledge of general medical and psychiatric terminology and associated diagnoses, and the principles and practices of therapeutic recreation.
• Current Certification by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Position is active in nature. Must be able to monitor and observe the activities of program participants. Regularly moves about or positions self to supervise and interact with participants at their level. Occasionally lifts, transports, positions, push/pulls or moves up to 50 pounds. Must be sufficiently mobile and possess a range of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping, bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting, kneeling, and twisting. Ability to react quickly to the physical actions of program participant. Administrative and supervisory activities will require ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Sufficiently mobile to attend meetings at various locations and make presentations to county staff and community. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-LD1

Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

Please click here for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

For additional details please visit the Countys benefits webpage.

Non-Merit Positions

• Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Program

• Deferred Compensation

• Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.

• No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associates degree
• Bachelors degree
• Masters degree
• Doctorate degree

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

03

Please indicate the major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.

• Recreation and park
• Therapeutic recreation
• Horticulture
• Agriculture
• Cultural and historic resources
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable

04

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your completed majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".

05

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have in park or recreation-related work, as applicable to the position?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven or more years

06

Based on the experience you listed in the previous question, how many years of full-time equivalent supervisory experience do you have?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

07

How many years of full-time professional experience do you have working within the therapeutic recreation field specifically with community therapeutic recreation and/or prevention-oriented recreation programs?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

08

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have working with multiple disability groups?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

09

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have working with at-risk youth?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

10

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have managing multiple, complex tasks and projects?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

11

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have working directly with general medical, psychiatric terminology and associated diagnoses, and the principles and practices of therapeutic recreation?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

12

Do you hold a current certification by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Fairfax County

Address 12000 Government Center Pkwy. Suite 270

Fairfax, Virginia, 22035

Phone 703-324-3311

Website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/fairfaxcounty/default.cfm