Special Events Coordinator (Recreation Coordinator)

City of Santa Barbara • Santa Barbara, CA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

At the City of Santa Barbara, the best part of our organization is our people. As a City of Santa Barbara employee, you will work in an environment with other motivated individuals who are passionate about their work. We strive to provide employees with the support they need to thrive. Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture here. The City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department is seeking an enthusiastic, highly organized, and customer-focused Special Events Coordinator to support community events and commercial filming across our parks, beaches, and other public spaces. This position plays an important role in helping residents, businesses, nonprofits, and other community partners bring safe and successful events and photo/film shoots to life in Santa Barbara’s public spaces. The Special Events Coordinator serves as a key point of contact for event organizers, helping them navigate the City’s event permitting and approval process from initial inquiry through completion of the event. This requires coordinating with multiple City departments and outside partners, tracking numerous requirements and deadlines, and ensuring that permits, plans, inspections, fees, and other details are completed accurately and on time. The position focuses primarily on coordinating public events as well as routine photo and film permit processing, and assists senior staff with large-scale citywide events such as parades, festivals, and community celebrations. This position facilitates special event inquiries, outdoor venue inspections, pre-event permitting, and outdoor onsite event support before, during, and after events.

Requirements

• Three years of increasingly responsible administrative, recreation programming and clerical experience, including experience working with the public.
• Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade is required.
• Possession or ability to obtain a valid Community First Aid and CPR certificate.
• Possession or ability to obtain a valid California Driver's License.

Nice To Haves

• Equivalent to a Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in recreation services, physical education or a related field is preferred.
• Oral Spanish language fluency is a plus but not required.
• Event management or hospitality experience.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to independently track multiple projects, requirements, deadlines, approvals, and follow-up items.
• Strong communication and customer service skills, including the ability to work effectively with residents, nonprofits, promoters, businesses, City staff, and other partners.
• Ability to explain processes and requirements clearly and help event organizers navigate complex City procedures.
• Ability to build effective working relationships across departments and follow up professionally and persistently to obtain needed information, reviews, and approvals.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, problem-solve in dynamic situations, exercise sound judgment, and maintain professionalism under pressure.
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) as well as the ability to learn specialty programs such as Accela and PerfectMind.
• Familiarity with event planning, public facility operations, crowd management, and basic health, fire, and safety standards.
• Ability to learn and apply City requirements, permitting procedures, safety standards, and other regulations related to special events and public spaces.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for event organizers, providing prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable assistance throughout the City’s event permitting and approval process.
• Respond to inquiries regarding special event applications and photo/film permits and explain applicable City requirements, processes, and timelines.
• Review event and photo/film permit applications, contracts, and plans; coordinate or approve permits in accordance with City requirements.
• Coordinate with Police, Fire, Public Works, Waterfront, and other City departments or agencies to facilitate required reviews, permits, inspections, and approvals.
• Track numerous event requirements, deadlines, documents, and approvals and develop effective systems to ensure that assigned events remain on schedule and all required steps are completed.
• Prepare and review event layouts, staffing plans, timelines, cost estimates, and other event materials.
• Assists in coordinating event logistics, including safety requirements, equipment needs, contractor support, security, and crowd management.
• Conduct outdoor venue inspections and serve as the City’s onsite representative for assigned events, responding to organizer questions and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
• Participate in coordination meetings with City departments, event organizers, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare post-event evaluations and billing statements, including determining applicable labor and equipment charges.
• Assist senior staff on large-scale community events.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED