Parks & Recreation Community Engagement Ambassador en City of Seattle, WA

About the Department

About Seattle Parks and Recreation: 

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is a national leader and innovator in the services and programs we provide to our residents who enjoy our public spaces such as parks, community centers, specialty gardens and swimming pools. Our mission is to equip employees and the public for well-being as we support healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community. We provide safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life and wellness for children, teenagers, adults and seniors. Delivering excellent customer service to all is a core value.  

Equity & Inclusion: 

Seattle Parks and Recreation commits to advancing equity and social justice in our department and in every neighborhood by growing a dynamic and diverse workforce, developing strong investments, growth opportunities and beneficial partner strategies as we acknowledge and pledge to close disparities created by historical practices which often hindered workforce development, environmental justice, access to quality open spaces, programs and facilities. #OneSeattle

The Recreation Division eliminates barriers through responsive, exceptional recreation services. We operate over 50 recreation facilities: community centers, teen centers, pools, school-based learning centers, environmental learning centers, and boating and sailing centers, and provide opportunities for people to play, learn, and lead healthy, active lives. Our programs and events include fitness and athletics, licensed childcare and preschool, swimming and boating, youth development and job preparation, academic enrichment, and more -- including programs designed for older adults and people with disabilities, as well as grant and partnership programs designed and implemented with immigrant and refugee communities. With nearly 300 regular employees and a budget of nearly $40 million annually, Recreation is a major operation with a significant impact on the communities we serve.

The Community Engagement Ambassadors will perform outreach and engage underrepresented residents of the City of Seattle utilizing cultural and linguistic modalities to ensure access of City programs and resources through the lens of The Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI). Build awareness among hard-to-reach audiences about opportunities, services, and City resources. Increase and strengthen community participation in City of Seattle services and assist community in planning and implementing programs, special events, and activities in their respective communities.  This position will report to the Community Engagement & Special Event Program Coordinator.    

Position Duties

Goals:

• To change the underlying system that creates race-based disparities in our community and to achieve racial equity by promoting City activities, events, and programs to all City residents.
• To engage community participation in projects to underserved populations including People of Color, Immigrant and Refugee, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
• To provide support for individuals who may need help navigating City and processes.
• To reduce barriers to access of City programs and services.

The work requires knowledge of diverse community nuances specific to various neighborhoods to communicate and engage diverse groups in current program offerings, and the development of new programs. Work will be performed in field situations; this may include translations of documents and interpreting at workshops and/or presentations for community members’ consumption.

• Works with culturally specific communities which include immigrants and first-generation refugee populations and solicits information on recreation needs/desires. Prepares recommendations for new program development or program revisions to meet community needs
• Prepare culturally relevant and linguistic promotional materials of SPR and Activation and Mobile Recreation activations, programs, and resources through a variety of forums including social media outlets
• Program Support/Assistance to Coordinator
• Maintain records and documentation of intermittent CEA Staff hours, attendance, activations etc.
• Maintain CEA Event Calendar
• Assist with Monthly Meeting Coordination
• Primary Correspondence with CEAs
• Plans and conducts special events in collaboration with underserved communities. CEA Special Event Planning Support
• Secures and maintains all materials and equipment for assigned programs
• Solicits volunteer participation in supervising recreational activities and special events
• Set-up and breakdown for events, tabling, and resource information dissemination
• Support coordinator on creating proposals

• Work collaboratively and strategically with the community, community leaders and influencers to develop activation efforts that are effective in creating welcoming, safe, and successful public programming
• Liaisons for focus groups, community meetings, and workshops
• Respond to comments, questions, and/or complaints from participants and the public
• Provide information to the public concerning program practices, policies, and procedures
• Develops partnerships and serves as cultural and linguistic ambassadors for Parks & Recreation with community groups and/or agencies
• Assist with CEA Training Support
• Provide support for individuals who may need help navigating City and program processes

• Program outreach, promotion and disseminate culturally relevant and linguistic promotional materials of SPR and Activation and Mobile Recreation activations, programs, and resources through a variety of forums including social media outlets
• Maintaining social media platforms for programs
• Attend monthly community meetings
• Assist program coordinator with creating engagement and marketing strategy for culturally and linguistically specific communities

• Provide regular reports on participation and activities offered at sites
• Administer surveys to program participants
• Attend scheduled trainings and meetings
• Maintains such records as attendance, program activities, volunteer participation and special events activities
• Assist in preparation of weekly reports of all outreach activities
• Maintain and Organize Electronic Data (Photos, Videos, Community Feedback, etc. collected by CEAs)

Minimum Qualifications

Requires one year experience in a community-based recreation program and an associate degree in Recreation, Therapeutic Recreation, or related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).

To be successful in this role, you will have experience, skills, and abilities in:

• Experience in community engagement and outreach, program planning and reporting.  
• Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills with a variety of audiences in multiple settings. 
• Bilingual or multilingual (high need languages: Amharic, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Oromo, Somali, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese). 
• Experience working in team-based environments.
• Demonstrated personal commitment to undoing racism and building cross-cultural community.
• Working collaboratively with staff, community-based organizations, and elected officials.
• Working in fast-paced work environments.
• Developing and leading events and workshops for adults and youth.
• Being organized, proactive, working independently and being a self-starter.
• Applying equity lens to direct service programs.  

Other Qualifications

Please note that this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. In addition, duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

Working Conditions:

• Performs demanding and physically challenging work, including lifting more than 50 pounds.
• Works outdoors in all weather conditions and heavy traffic areas.
• Responds to emergency conditions resulting in overtime with little or no notice.
• May work nights and/or weekends at various locations within Seattle city limits.

• Accountability & Action: Holding yourself accountable for achieving goals, completing tasks, delivering quality work, demonstrating thoughtful initiative in actions and decision-making, and promoting high-quality standards.
• Equity and Inclusion: Supporting the goals of the Race and Social Justice Initiative and the City's commitment to workforce equity.
• Communication: Sharing and exchanging information and ideas with people in a variety of ways to help them understand and remember the information.
• Service: An ongoing commitment to base decisions and actions on the needs and priorities of the City.
• Teamwork: Participating as an engaged team member to achieve group goals and effectively working with internal and external people to complete tasks and achieve work group goals.