Montgomery County Department of Recreation is a nationally recognized and award-winning agency who is seeking highly motivated career employees as Recreation Specialists to support the department's mission to provide high quality, diverse, and accessible community-based programs, activities and services that serve the recreation and leisure needs of the Montgomery County community. The department manages 39 facilities including recreation centers, senior centers, and indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities and provides thousands of programs such as out-of-school activities, aquatics, classes, youth and adult sports programs and leagues, senior programs, and therapeutic recreation.

The Department is seeking dynamic and experienced full-time Recreation Specialists , whose creativity and knowledge can be demonstrated in a wide range of services. Recreation Specialists serve as program, activities and/or facilities leaders, providing direct services in the areas listed below. Candidates will be asked to select which program area(s) they would like to be considered for when submitting their application.

• developing, promoting, publicizing, scheduling, coordinating, evaluating and implementing programs with a focus on positive youth development;
• identifying trends in recreation and youth development and initiate or modify programs based on data and other analyses to meet community needs;
• establishing and maintaining effective working relationships, including the flexibility and adaptability to work in a variety of situations that are changing and/or have competing priorities;
• preparing detailed reports and data to justify and support program design and decision-making;
• preparing and tracking complex program budgets accurately and assure programs operate within the approved budget.

Selections will be made based on the breadth of candidates’ skills and experience in:

• preparing program plans based on priorities established for serving the needs of a demographically diverse community;
• recruiting, developing, supervising, and retaining a diverse seasonal workforce;
• demonstrating professional courtesy to community members, recreation staff and others who may be encountered through work;
• providing program and organizational support needed to adapt to changing needs of participants in the youth development services.

As a leader/organizer of unionized employees, these positions have responsibility for:

• fostering a positive labor relations environment based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation;
• maintaining stability of seasonal employees by modeling desired behaviors through consistent and positive work ethic, and by advocating on behalf of the management team; and
• motivating and providing direction and guidance to employees through clear articulation of work projects, goals and related services.

Important Things to Know:

Multiple current and future full-time positions will be filled from this recruitment.

• The selected candidates will be required to complete a background investigation and a medical exam with drug/alcohol screen prior to appointment.
• These positions WILL require work during non- traditional hours to include early mornings, evenings/nights, weekends, and holidays; MAY require work that involves physical demands, occasionally working outdoors in varying weather and extreme temperatures; and the ability to attend meetings or perform work at locations outside of an assigned facility.
• To ensure a positive workplace and to comply with federal, state and County laws, incumbents are responsible for completing mandatory trainings within the first three to six months or within the specified timeframe.

Effective August 30, 2021 all new hires will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus prior to their first date of employment. Individuals who are unable to be vaccinated should contact OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov to discuss possible accommodations.

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Experience: Two (2) years of progressively responsible recreational specialist work involving planning, organizing, supervising, and implementing an area-wide, countywide, or special interest recreation program.

Education: A Bachelor's Degree in Recreation from an accredited college or university, or in any other field providing a strong foundation for success in the duties and responsibilities of this class.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education, experience and training may be substituted.

For positions within Aquatic Programs, candidates will require certifications including Valid Montgomery County Pool Operator’s License, Lifeguard Training, Lifeguard Training Instructor, CPR, First Aid, and Automated External Defibrillation (AED).

All applicants will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be rated as Qualified, placed on the Eligible List, and may be considered for interview. Applicants will be asked to select which program area(s) they would like to be considered for when submitting their application.