Recreation Specialist I – Aquatics

City of Virginia Beach•Great Neck, NC

4d•$44,907 - $69,971

About The Position

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is hiring a Recreation Specialist I for aquatics. The role supports aquatic facility operations and maintenance, recreation programming, supervision of part-time staff and volunteers, reporting, and customer service. The specialist helps provide safe and accessible programs for youth and adults and may perform lifeguarding and swim instruction when staffing needs require it. The position is designated Alpha I, so the employee must report to work regardless of the City’s operational status, including during inclement weather and emergencies. The employee is based at a primary site but may work at other parks and facilities. Schedules vary by season, week, events, facility coverage, and weather, and may include early mornings, mid-day, evenings, weekends, holidays, split shifts, overtime, or reassignment to address operational needs. The selected employee must attend department orientation; training is generally held every other Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Parks & Recreation Administration Building, with a hybrid option when permitted that requires weekend attendance. Minimum qualifications are a bachelor’s degree in recreation management, therapeutic recreation, exercise science, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education above high school and/or experience totaling four years in relevant fields. Aquatics employees must possess valid American Red Cross Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED and Water Safety Instructor certifications. The posting also accepts equivalent nationally recognized credentials as an ideal qualification, subject to completing required crossover certifications within 90 days of hire. A current, valid driver’s license is required by the posting. The listed pay range is $44,907.20–$69,971.20, with a starting salary at the minimum of the range.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in recreation management, therapeutic recreation, exercise science, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education above high school and/or experience totaling four years in relevant fields.
Valid American Red Cross Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED certification and American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor certification are required for aquatics positions.
Current and valid driver’s license.
Must be available for varied hours, including evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime as operationally required.
Must work during inclement weather and regardless of the City’s operational status under Alpha I designation.
Must attend Parks & Recreation department orientation.
Must be able to perform occasional to frequent lifeguarding duties, including rescue, first aid, CPR, oxygen administration, and AED use.
Must be able to use computer programs including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Must understand basic accounting, budgetary, assessment, and evaluation procedures.
Must understand and apply safety principles and applicable city, state, and federal safety practices, procedures, and regulations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a related field, in addition to the minimum qualifications.
Experience hiring, training, and supervising aquatic personnel.
Aquatic facility operations and maintenance experience.
Lifeguard Instructor Certification.
CPO or AFO Certification.
Swim teaching or coaching experience.
Equivalent nationally recognized lifeguarding and swim instructor certifications; required crossover certifications must be completed within 90 days of hire.

Responsibilities

Perform routine aquatic facility maintenance in accordance with OSHA requirements and state and local health codes.
Assist with investigations of accidents and incidents.
Enforce safety standards for programs and participants.
Provide lifeguarding and swim instruction during staffing shortages, including maintaining a safe swimming environment, enforcing rules, rescuing people in danger of drowning, and administering first aid, CPR, oxygen, and AED use as needed.
Supervise part-time staff and volunteers, including orientation, scheduling, discipline, training, and evaluation.
Train staff and volunteers in program adaptations.
Apply safety principles and relevant city, state, and federal safety practices, procedures, and regulations.
Create lifeguard and instructional work schedules.
Handle difficult interpersonal relationships with employees and the public.
Perform occasional lifeguarding and instructional duties.
Collect, complete, and compile reports, revenue forms, program documentation, and incident and accident reports.
Assist with teaching, planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating aquatic facility-based recreation programs for youth and adults.
Provide excellent written and oral customer service to internal and external customers.
Supervise and provide feedback to part-time aquatic staff on customer service.
Respond to public inquiries about programs and procedures.
Perform other related duties as assigned based on workload and department needs.