Recreation Services Specialist

Recreation Services Specialist

Salary

$35.82 - $50.39 Hourly

Location

City of Alameda (Alameda Recreation & Parks), CA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

2026-5115-01

Department

Recreation & Parks Department

Opening Date

09/28/2026

Closing Date

10/25/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

ACEA

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Nature of Position

The City of Alameda is seeking a community focused, organized, and proactive individual to fil one (1) current full-time Recreation Services Specialist in the Recreation and Parks Department focusing on sports and recreational operations.

The Position

Under direction, the Recreation Services Specialist coordinates, creates, implements, and promotes a variety of community recreation services and programs; and performs other related work as required.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in youth and/or adult sports, recreation programming, or sports operations, with demonstrated experience developing, coordinating, and managing leagues, tournaments, and other sports programs. The successful candidate will be an organized, proactive, and community-focused professional who can provide leadership in the development and growth of youth and adult sports opportunities.

The ideal candidate will also have the ability to mentor and develop staff members who have familiarity with creating and coordinating leagues and tournaments, helping them build their knowledge and skills in sports programming, operations, and program development. They will be expected to evaluate existing programs, identify opportunities for growth and increased participation, develop new sports offerings, and establish effective systems and processes for the successful operation of leagues, tournaments, and recreational activities. Experience working with community organizations, schools, sports organizations, volunteers, contractors, and other partners is highly desirable.

About ARPD

The Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) serves a community of nearly 80,000 and are proud to be California's third oldest recreation program with deep community roots and significant project development opportunities They strive to be resourceful, responsive and collaborative as an integral part of the city. The department manages:

• 26 parks spanning 200 acres
• 17 additional recreational facilities
• Diverse array of programming and events for all ages with 120,000 enrolled participants annually.

Benefits of Employment

For a comprehensive listing of benefits, see the Benefit Matrix here.

• CalPERS Retirement: Classic Members: 2% at 55 formula, 8.868% contribution; New Members 2% @ 62 formula, 8.75% contribution.

• Medical: The City contracts with CalPERS to provide comprehensive health coverage to employees. Multiple HMO and PPO plans available

• Dental: Comprehensive dental coverage provided to employees and their eligible dependents.

• Vacation: Starting with 80 hours annually and increasing with years of service.

• Holidays: 11 City Holidays

• Floating Holidays: 6 floating days

• Sick Leave: 96 hours annually; unused sick leave is converted to service credit at retirement

• Deferred Compensation: Up to 1% 457(b) matching City contribution after 1 year of continuous service.

Examples of Duties

• Coordinates, creates, implements, and promotes a variety of assigned recreation services and programs, including sports and athletics, aquatics, youth and teens, senior citizens, parks and playgrounds, cultural arts (dance, drama, music, and art), leisure activities, facilities utilization, and special events.
• Oversees daily operations of assigned services and programs; organizes and supervises trips, tournaments, socials, dances, exhibits and other special events; provides program participant transportation, i.e. athletic teams, special field trips and multi-site/program shuttle.
• Participates in assessing community recreation, leisure and arts related needs; evaluates services and programs; recommends improvements and modifications; develops new or revises existing services, programs, events and activities utilizing cost covering models.
• Prepares and develops marketing plans to increase participation and revenue production levels; makes presentations and prepares and distributes promotional materials and information utilizing current communication technology and trends.
• Works with community groups, non-profit organizations, business groups and associations, and private providers and contractors to provide recreations services and programs in an efficient and cost effective manner.
• Solicits and secures sponsorship or donations for a variety of activities or seasonal special events.
• Negotiates and executes agreements for the provision of recreation services.
• Coordinates activities and confers with other departments and divisions, agencies, school officials and community representatives.
• Answers questions and provides information; investigates and resolves complaints.
• Prepares various reports and summaries; establishes and maintains accurate records and recordkeeping systems.
• Prepares and monitors assigned program budgets.
• Recruits, trains, and evaluates assigned staff.

Employment Standards

Education/Experience

Any combination equivalent to education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in recreation, physical education or related field.

Experience

Two years of professional recreation experience including supervision of part-time staff and services and program oversight responsibility.

Knowledge

Knowledge of modern practices for recreation and park service provision; modern recreation and park facilities and equipment operation and maintenance; federal, state and local laws, regulations related to recreation services.

Ability

Ability to effectively coordinate, create, implement, and promote assigned recreation services and programs; promote assigned services and programs and meet cost covering goals; interpret and apply applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations; interpret, apply and explain established policies and procedures; prepare reports and summaries; establish and maintain accurate records; plan, administer and evaluate work programs and schedules; interpret and analyze information; clearly define problems and develop solutions; draw valid conclusions and project consequences of decisions and recommendations; set priorities, meet deadlines and make sound decisions; maintain level of knowledge required for satisfactory job performance; communicate effectively; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, volunteers, school officials, community groups, and the general public; participate in assigned program budget preparation and administration; coordinate and oversee the work of contractors; hire, supervise, train, schedule and evaluate assigned staff.

Special Requirements

Willingness and/or ability to work irregular shifts, including nights and weekends.

Other Requirements

Membership in the California Park and Recreation Society is desirable.

First Aid, Red Cross, Water Safety or other specialized certifications may be required, depending on assignment.

Possession of a valid California Drivers License and satisfactory driving record at the time of appointment is required as a condition of initial and continued employment only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than the employee's ability to get to/from various work locations in a timely manner, is necessary to perform the essential functions of the position.

Selection Process

The examination process may include an application and supplemental questionnaire evaluation, a written exam, a performance exam, and/or an oral interview. The examination process may test for, but is not limited to, the essential knowledge and abilities listed in the job specification and announcement and will be designed to provide a comprehensive review of each candidates technical knowledge and overall suitability for the position. Qualified applicants will be notified of the exact date, time, and location of examinations approximately two weeks in advance. Candidates passing all components of the examination process will be placed on an Eligible List. A list of names is certified to the department(s) having vacancies based on the type of examination conducted pursuant to the provision of the Citys Civil Service Rules. Final selection will be made from the Eligible List by the Department Head subject to approval by the City Manager. The Department Head may utilize additional selection procedures to make a final hiring decision. Placement on an Eligible List does not guarantee employment. Prior to appointment, a thorough reference check will be conducted which may include a credit check and background. The selection process may be evaluated and revised based on the number of qualified applicants. Federal law requires that prior to employment, you must furnish proof of your identity and eligibility for employment in the United States, as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

E-Verify

The City of Alameda utilizes the Federal governments E-Verify program and new employees must provide documentation to establish both identity and work authorization, which includes showing a valid United States Social Security card at the time of hire (photocopies not accepted).Veterans Preference Credit: A job applicant qualifies as a veteran if honorably discharged from active military, reservist, or National Guard duty of at least 18 consecutive months within the past five (5) years of the date of application. In case of discharge attributable to service-connected injuries or illnesses, the 18 months active-duty requirement need not be fulfilled. An applicant claiming veterans preference credit must attach to their application, a legible copy of their DD-214 verifying the type of discharge and date(s) of active service. NO OTHER DOCUMENTATION WILL BE ACCEPTED.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Alameda encourages minorities, women and the disabled to apply. It is the Citys policy that all aspects of employment and promotion shall be without regard to sex, marital status or disability (except where dictated by requirements of the position), race, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious creed, color, national origin or age. Qualified disabled persons must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations. No individual may pose a direct threat to the health or safety of himself/herself or other individuals in the workplace. Barring undue hardship, reasonable accommodations can be made in the application and examination process for disabled individuals or for religious reasons. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be made in advance to the Human Resources Department. Hearing Impaired TDD (510) 522-7538.

For Benefits information, please visit our website at: http://alamedaca.gov/human-resources/benefits. A detailed summary for this position can be found under ACEA.

01

Be sure to answer the supplemental questions thoroughly and accurately. Answers to the supplemental questions must be supported by the experience section of the application. "See Resume" or "N/A" as a response will not be considered sufficient information to determine your eligibility to move forward in the selection process. Incomplete responses, false statements, omissions, or partial information may result in disqualification from the selection process. Additionally, by submitting this written work, you affirm that it is your own original creation and that no part of this work has been written or edited by external sources, including but limited to AI tools, professional writing services, or any other individuals. I have read and understand the statement above concerning submission of supplemental questionnaire responses. I affirm that the submitted work is my original creation and confirm that no part of this work has been edited or written by external sources, including but limited to AI tools, professional writing services, or any other individuals.

• Yes
• No

02

Do you possess any of the of the following specialized certifications (please check all that apply)?

• Red Cross
• First Aid
• Water Safety
• California Park & Recreation
• Other

03

If you indicated "other" above, please list applicable certifications you currently possess:

04

How many years of experience do you have supervising assigned staff?

• Less than 1 year of experience
• 1 -2 years of experience
• 2-3 years of experience
• 3-5 years of experience
• 5+ years of experience

05

Please describe your experience developing and managing youth and/or adult sports programs, including leagues, tournaments, or similar activities.

Required Question

Employer City of Alameda

Address 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, Rm. 290

Alameda, California, 94501

Phone (510) 747-4900

Website https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Administration/Human-Resources