Activities Coordinator, Corrections Recreation Specialist 2 (Salem)

Department of Corrections; Salem (VA); On-site; USD 61,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Flexible spending accounts

Disability insurance

Job summary

The Oregon Department of Corrections in Salem, Oregon, seeks an Activities Coordinator to oversee and expand adult in custody (AIC) activities at Santiam Correctional Institution. You will coordinate large events, classes, and clubs with a focus on safety and policy compliance.

Ideal candidates have 3 years in recreational programming or a related bachelor’s degree, plus strong planning, budgeting, and communication skills for a secure environment. This is a full-time, on-site role with benefits.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience in recreational programs or a Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Experience coordinating large-scale events and activities in a correctional or secure environment.
• Ability to manage budgets and ensure policy compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and expand AIC activities at Santiam Correctional Institution.
• Coordinate events, clubs, and educational programs with budget oversight.
• Liaise with Central Trust and SCI management to ensure expenditures meet policies.
• Ensure safety, hazard mitigation, and activity guidelines.

Skills

Event Planning & Coordination

Program Development

Budget & Expenditure Oversight

Communication Skills

Leadership & Supervision

Policy Compliance

Independent Judgment

Risk Management

Attention to Detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Recreational Management or related field

Job description

Job Details

Position Title: Activities Coordinator, Corrections Recreation Specialist 2

Location: Santiam Correctional Institution (SCI), Salem, Oregon

Agency: Department of Corrections

Initial Posting Date: 11/06/2026

Application Deadline: 11/18/2026

Salary Range: $5,483 - $6,578

Position Type: Employee Position

The job posting closes at 11:59 PM (PDT/PST) on the close date.

About the Job – Your Role

The Activities Coordinator is responsible for the oversight, coordination, development, expansion, and maintenance of adult in custody (AIC) activities at Santiam Correctional Institution. These activities include enhanced visitation opportunities, large-scale events, tournaments and competitions, educational classes, small-group learning opportunities, and individual skill-building programs. The position serves as the institution's liaison to AIC activity clubs and special interest groups, fostering constructive engagement and program participation. The Activities Coordinator promotes safe and secure recreational and leisure activities through education, hazard mitigation, and the establishment of appropriate activity guidelines and parameters. This position also coordinates with Central Trust and the SCI management team to ensure event expenditures and club purchases comply with Department of Corrections policies, procedures, and financial requirements. Operating with a high degree of independence, the incumbent plans, prioritizes, and carries out assignments with limited supervision while supporting the institution's mission and operational goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three(3) years of experience assessing, developing, coordinating, and implementing recreational programs and leisure time activities;
• OR A Bachelor's degree in Recreational Management, Physical Education or a related field.

Requested Skills

• Event Planning & Coordination: Experience planning, organizing, and coordinating large-scale events, recreational programs, tournaments, family activities, and special events involving diverse participants.
• Program Development & Administration: Experience developing, implementing, evaluating, and maintaining recreational, educational, or enrichment programs that meet participant needs and organizational objectives.
• Project & Committee Coordination: Experience coordinating committees, workgroups, stakeholders, or multidisciplinary teams to successfully plan and execute programs, activities, or special events.
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations, build positive working relationships, facilitate meetings, and provide clear direction and instruction.
• Leadership & Participant Supervision: Experience providing oversight, guidance, training, and support to staff, volunteers, clerks, work crews, or program participants.
• Fiscal & Budget Management: Experience monitoring budgets, processing expenditures, maintaining financial records, and ensuring fiscal accountability and compliance with established guidelines.
• Policy Compliance & Administrative Oversight: Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, bylaws, operational guidelines, and security requirements while ensuring activities remain compliant.
• Problem Solving & Independent Judgment: Demonstrated ability to prioritize work, resolve conflicts, make sound decisions, and independently manage multiple assignments with limited supervision.
• Security Awareness & Risk Management: Experience maintaining safe and secure operations, identifying potential risks, enforcing established procedures, and working effectively within regulated or secure environments.
• Organization & Attention to Detail: Ability to manage complex schedules, calendars, records, approvals, documentation, and event logistics while ensuring accuracy and timely completion of assignments.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working in a correctional or institutional environment.
• Experience supervising adults in custody (AIC).

Benefits

• The salary range listed above is for non-PERS qualifying applicants.
• PERS qualifying applicants may be eligible for an adjusted range to reflect an additional 6.95%.
• Family health, vision, and dental insurance
• Vacation, sick leave, and 11 paid holidays
• 21 days paid military leave for national guard and reserve components
• Optional short and long-term disability
• Term life insurance
• Fully paid retirement program Oregon Saving Growth Plan
• Flexible spending accounts for health and childcare
• And more

Working Conditions

• This position is located inside the Santiam Correctional Institution.
• This position works within a secure correctional institution environment and may be exposed to situations involving verbal abuse, threats, or physical assault.
• The incumbent may be required to work overtime during emergencies and has a responsibility to respond to institutional emergencies through recall and/or reassignment during adult in custody (AIC) unrest or other critical incidents.
• All employees are expected to support the Department's mission, vision, and core values by serving as role models of pro-social behavior, treating others with dignity and respect, and recognizing the potential for positive change in every individual.
• The institution is located in Salem, Oregon, and duties may occasionally require working in inclement weather conditions.
• The facility encompasses approximately 80 acres and includes multiple buildings and activity areas, requiring frequent walking and travel across institutional grounds to perform work assignments.
• This position requires regular use of computers and electronic systems, including email and DOC business applications.
• Duties also include monitoring recreational and physical activities, conducting site inspections of activity areas, and evaluating the condition and safety of recreational, sporting, and weight-training equipment.
• The incumbent must be able to move throughout the institution, stand and walk for extended periods, and perform inspections to ensure the safety, security, and effectiveness of activity programs.

About the Department

The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for over 12,000 adults in custody in 12 state prisons throughout Oregon. It advises and evaluates counties regarding administration of probation and parole programs supervising more than 24,000 offenders in Oregon communities. The mission is to protect communities, promote accountability, and transform lives. The Oregon Department of Corrections serves a diverse and changing population of people who are incarcerated and on supervision. We commit to creating an organization both reflecting the diversity of the population we serve and ensuring all employees thrive in a culture of safety, trust, and belonging. We strive to be an anti-racist corrections system. Welcoming, inclusive, and respectful of all people. Free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The Department offers a variety of programs and opportunity to create a safe and healthy environment to for our staff, volunteers, and adults in custody. Joining the Oregon Department of Corrections is joining a team working for the benefit of our communities through innovative and proven correctional practices.

Requirements for Employment

The successful candidate for this position must pass a Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) fingerprint-based background check and maintain CJIS eligibility. Due to CJIS requirements related to system access, there may be some felony convictions that could disqualify you for this position. However, having a felony record does not exclusively restrict you from being considered as an applicant. CJIS clearance is done at the conditional job offer. If you have questions about whether or not your criminal record could disqualify for you, please contact the recruiter for more information. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDI&B) is embedded in the Department of Corrections core values. The department strives to be a model employer committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Ensuring legal compliance, efficiency, and exceeding expectations to deliver the best public services. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. Additional information can be found from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Know Your Rights. The Oregon Department of Corrections is responsible for complying with the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA 42 U.S.C. 1997). PREA prohibits the Oregon Department of Corrections from hiring, promoting, or contracting with anyone (that will have direct contact with residents), who has engaged in, been convicted of, or been civilly or administratively adjudicated for engaging in sexual abuse in confinement settings. Learn more about PREA. Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans’ preference. Review our veterans’ preference page for details about eligibility. The State of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution during the application process. The applicant list may be used to fill future vacancies. Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice. This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract. The pay and benefits on all announcements may change without notice. Oregon state government is a large organization by nearly any standard. With over 40,000 employees working all over the state, in small communities and large, we are proving that government can be innovative. We work as a team, challenging ourselves to be better, faster and more efficient with taxpayer dollars. After all, when every day we are responsible for caring for the needs of a diverse population and thriving business community, we simply must have the best and brightest workforce. If you take responsibility for your actions, are passionate about helping others succeed, and have a reputation for excellence and honesty, why not make Oregon state government your next career move? Joining our team means you open the door to many possibilities. From entry level to executive, outdoor work to policy setting, we have a role for nearly every calling, expertise and background. If you’re looking at us from across the country (or beyond!), know that Oregon is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Made up of seven diverse regions, Oregon has the ocean, mountains, valleys, high desert, cities, small towns, and almost everything in between. Oregon “flies with her own wings.”