Recreation Specialist (Outdoor Recreation)

City of Durham; University Estates (NC); On-site; USD 53,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Durham’s Parks and Recreation department is seeking a paraprofessional program and operations coordinator to support outdoor recreation programming, facility use, registrations, and customer service. The role emphasizes community impact and hands-on program delivery.

Responsibilities include scheduling, opening/closing facilities, preparing reports, training staff, and assisting with marketing and promotions. A strong focus on safety and customer service is essential.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in recreation, leisure services, or a related field.
• Two years of recreation services experience in area of assignment.
• Valid, unrestricted NC driver’s license or willing to obtain within 60 days of hire.
• Must obtain Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED with Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Auto Injector Certification within six months.
• Bachelor’s degree in recreation or a related field.
• Experience using recreation software systems.
• Ability to successfully pass state-required background checks.

Responsibilities

• Develops programs; schedules facility use; opens and closes facilities; collects fees; provides customer service; registers participants; prepares records and reports; conducts program instruction.
• Trains, leads, and assists with hiring and evaluating part-time staff; provides facility oversight including maintenance and safety; assists with marketing and promotions.
• Assists with planning outdoor recreation; conducts surveys; instructs participants; monitors program expenses.
• Assists with facility supervision and inventory coordination; coordinates with maintenance staff to resolve issues; ensures safety and proper working conditions.
• Performs office, program, and customer support operations; responds to inquiries, processes payments, deposits, and transports patrons as assigned.
• Plans and facilitates Outdoor Recreation programs; coordinates with program assistants; conducts program evaluations.
• Checks shared inbox daily; responds to inquiries and field trip requests; schedules field trips and sends reminders.

Skills

Customer service

Program coordination

Education

Associate’s degree in recreation, leisure services, or a related field

Bachelor’s degree in recreation or a related field

Job description

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham Advance in your career while making a realdifferencein the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $53,272.00-$58,740.00 Annual

Work Day/Hours: 8:00 am-5:00 pm Monday-Friday, with some nights and weekends

A nationally accredited team of passionate professionals devoted to building better lives and a better community through the power of parks and recreation. Our talented team at Durham Parks and Recreation is devoted to community service and provides a diverse range of programs, services, opportunities, and experiences while being united through our core pillars of creating equitable economic impacts; advancing conservation; rejuvenating health and wellness; enhancing quality of life and sustaining social equity.

Devoted to providing recreation programming and activities and management of recreational facilities. Incumbents perform paraprofessional program and operational coordination work ranging from routine to specialized support, typically for a single program or subject matter area requiring journey-level knowledge and experience about program logistics and operations. Incumbents may assist in training staff and serve as a second level of check for accuracy or lead lower-level staff. Decision-making includes how and when tasks are carried out within an operational process, limited by the selection of the process and establishment of deadlines and outcomes.

An incumbent is responsible for developing programs; scheduling facility use; opening and closing facilities; collecting fees; providing customer service; registering participants; preparing records and reports; performing program instruction; training, leading, and assisting with hiring and evaluating part-time staff; providing facility oversight, including maintenance and safety; and assisting with marketing and promotions.

• Assists with planning and developing outdoor recreation; plans program content and related activities; conducts community surveys; instructs program participants; trains, leads, and assists with hiring lower-level staff; assists with marketing and promoting programs; and monitors program expenses.
• Assists with facility supervision and inventory coordination, including scheduling facility use, opening and closing facilities, inspecting equipment and facilities to ensure safety and proper working condition of equipment and materials; monitors supplies; and coordinates with maintenance staff to resolve maintenance issues.
• Performs office, program, and customer support operations; responds to inquiries, concerns, and complaints from patrons, in person, via phone or email; processes payments and deposits; registers participants; transports patrons, as assigned; performs outreach activities, as assigned, including providing information to internal and external groups.
• Prepares, maintains, reviews, processes, and/or disseminates reports, records, requisitions, invoices, notifications, and other documentation; compiles, tracks and reports information; proofs transactions and ensures accuracy of information.
• Plans and facilitates Outdoor Recreation programs as well as coordinates with Program Assistants and completes program evaluations.
• Checks DPR Outdoor Recreation shared inbox daily and respond to inquiries.
• Checks Field Trip interest form daily and responds to requests, sending requests to senior staff for approval.
• Schedules field trips and reminders of deadlines.
• Organizes registration forms and payments, sends invoices, prepares staff duties/schedules, checks inventory, plans to get supplies to appropriate parks.
• Inputs field trip forms and/or delegates to part-time staff.
• Organizes field trip bins and materials; communicating with senior staff on field trip material needs.
• Promotes field trip programs by expanding outreach with schools and local education groups.

• Associate’s degree in recreation, leisure services, or a related field
• Two years of recreation services experience in area of assignment.
• Valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license "or" if you currently have another states driver's license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire
• Must obtain Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED certification with Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Auto Injector Certification within the first six months of employment.

• Bachelor’s degree in recreation or a related field.
• Experience using recreation software systems.
• Ability to successfully pass state-required background checks.