Recreation Specialist I

Requisition ID: 48798 Work Location: Parks & Recreation - Various Virginia Beach Locations Pay Range: G.20, $21.48 Starting Salary: Stated Hourly Rate Work Schedule: varied hours-early mornings, nights, weekends and holidays Part Time Hours/Wk: Under 27 average per week Job Open Date: 4/7/26 Application Deadline: 4/20/26

Job Duties:

Our Commitment

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and protecting our environment. We ensure all residents – regardless of their physical, social, and economic circumstances – can access our programs. As a department, we strive to enhance the quality of life for our community by improving the physical and mental well-being of our residents.

Are you…

• Relentless in exceeding the needs of our residents and developing your staff?
• Motivated and driven?
• Going to take ownership of the time you spend with us and truly make a difference?
• A problem solver who does not get easily frustrated? Always up for a challenge, no matter how difficult, you find a creative solution?
• A team player with the ability to work with a diverse group of children and adults?
• A good communicator?
• Creative and quick on your feet?
• Able to flourish in a fast-paced, high energy environment?

THEN WE WANT YOU TO JOIN OUR TEAM!

Your Role

The Recreation Specialist I duties will include, but not be limited to:

Aquatic Facility Management and Maintenance

• Provide routine maintenance duties of an aquatic facility per OSHA, state and local health codes
• Assist with the investigation of accidents and incidents
• Enforce safety standards for programs and participants to maintain a safe environment
• Lifeguard and teach swim lessons during times of staff shortage that include the following duties: provide a safe swimming environment; enforce rules; rescue anyone in danger of drowning; and administer first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, oxygen, and use of AED as needed

Supervision

• Supervise part-time staff and volunteers inclusive of the areas of orientation, scheduling, discipline, training, and evaluation in order to provide quality programs and customer satisfaction
• Train staff and volunteers in program adaptations
• Understand basic accounting, budgetary, assessment, and evaluation procedures
• Understand and apply safety principles
• Understand appropriate city, state and federal safety practices, procedures, and regulations
• Create lifeguard and instructional work schedules to provide a safe swimming environment
• Handle difficult interpersonal working relationships with employees and the public
• Provide occasional lifeguard and instructional responsibilities

Reports

• Collect, complete, and assimilate reports, revenue forms, program documentation, incident and accident reports
• Experience using computer programs (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Aquatic Programming

• Assist in teaching, planning, coordinating, implementing and evaluating aquatic facility based recreation programs for youth and adults

Customer Service

• Provide excellent customer service to internal and external customers in both written and oral forms
• Supervise and provide feedback to parttime aquatic staff in the delivery of excellent customer service
• Respond to public inquiries regarding programs/procedures

Perform other job duties requiring skills, knowledge and physical requirements as demanded by those duties described or less. Individual assignments will be determined by the supervisor based on the current workloads and department needs.

The Perks

• Competitive wages
• Training/Mentoring for career advancement
• Varied Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Beach Municipal Federal Credit Union exclusively for City employees and their dependents
• Deferred Compensation Plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Maternity/Paternity/Parental Care Leave

Official City Job Description:

https://virginia-beach-departments-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/city/job-descriptions-pay-plans/Recreation-Specialist-I-02265.pdf

Working Conditions:

There is no working conditions statement for this position.

Minimum Requirements:

MINIMUMS:
Requires a Bachelors degree in recreation management, therapeutic recreation, exercise science, or a related field; OR any combination of education (above the high school level) and/or experience equivalent to four (4) years in fields utilizing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities and associated with such positions as recreation leader or recreation program supervisor.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Please see job link in the posting description.

Must possess valid certifications in American Red Cross Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor. • Occasionally to frequently required to lifeguard during times of staff shortage.
Lifeguarding duties include providing a safe swimming environment, enforcing rules, rescuing anyone in danger of drowning, administering first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, oxygen and use of AED.

Additional Requirements:

DMV Transcript: Required
CDL: Not Required
DOT History: Not Required
CPS Check: Not Required
Physical: Not Required
Respirator: Not Required
Polygraph Review: Not Required
Psychological Screening: Not Required

Attachments Required:

Preferences:

In addition to the minimum requirements, the ideal candidate for this position will have experience listed in the preferences below. Candidates with the preferred experience should ensure the information is provided in the application. The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas:

* Leadership, staff development, supervision of work team providing programs and services for diverse populations including youth, adults and seniors
* Experience hiring, training and supervising aquatic personnel
* Operations and maintenance experience in an aquatic facility
* Experience developing aquatic programs

Certifications

Water Safety Instructor Trainer
- Lifeguarding Instructor Trainer
- Lifeguarding Instructor
- CPO or AFO
-02 (Oxygen) Administration

Special Instructions:

This position is being advertised as a pool, and applications could be used to fill current vacancies and any other similar Recreation Specialist I positions that become available within six months from the closing date of this posting.

Requires a current and valid Virginia or North Carolina Driver's license in accordance with Virginia or North Carolina DMV driver's license eligibility requirements.

Requires proof of current Aquatic certification listed in the Special Requirement section in the Job Descriptions.

Must be available to work varied hours (early mornings, nights, weekends and holidays) to facilitate facility operations, programming for youth and adults, and meet operational needs. Typical weekday shifts include morning shifts of 5:30 am 2:00 pm, mid-shifts of 8:30 am 5:00 pm or 11:00 am 7:30pm, evening shifts of 1:00 pm 9:30 pm, and working weekend shifts of Saturday 8:00 am 5:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am 5:00 pm.
Schedules will be adjusted seasonally and will vary weekly based on events, facility coverage, and weather.

Some assignments may require overtime or split shifts to cover operational needs. Maximum scheduled hours up to 27 hours per week.
The individual selected for this position will be housed at a primary site but will be scheduled between other park sites/facilities.

All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours or maybe be relocated to another location or job assignment in response to short- term department needs and/or Citywide emergencies including weekends, evenings and holidays.

As a condition of employment, all Parks and Recreation employees must attend P&R Connection (Department Orientation). If selected for the position, you will be provided your training date at the time of hire. Training is held from 8:30am-5:00pm, every other Friday, at the Parks & Recreation Administration Building. When an exemption is permittable, a hybrid version of the training is available, but will require
training attendance on a weekend.

• Please complete the application in its entirety and include your resume if required by the posting.
• Your responses to any "Supplemental Questions", if attached to this requisition, must be supported by the information you provide on your application and/or resume; or otherwise demonstrated during the hiring process.
• You will not be able to access the details of this job ad once the closing date has passed. If you would like to retain this information, please take a screen shot or print using your browser's printing capability.

VRS Contribution: All full-time employees are required to contribute 5% of annual salary toward their retirement account; in accordance with VRS retirement provisions. This will be handled through a pre-tax payroll deduction.

Drug Free Workplace: The City of Virginia Beach maintains a drug free workplace.