Outdoor Recreation Supervisor na East Bay Regional Park District, CA

About the Department

The Park District is currently recruiting for an Outdoor Recreation Supervisor in the Outdoor Recreation Department of the Operations Division. This on-site position will be headquartered in Oakland, CA. The Outdoor Recreation Supervisor will lead a dedicated team of permanent and seasonal professionals to serve a diverse public a wide variety of outdoor recreation programs. This is an impactful role that will lead collaboration with external partners and other District teams to provide outreach, instruction, and programming throughout Alameda and Contra Costa County with progressive concentration in Alameda and southern Contra Costa County. The hiring pools established from this recruitment will be used to fill the current vacancies and additional vacancies that may occur during the one-year life of the hiring pools.

•  Respect – We honor the land we steward, each other, and the park visitors we serve.
•  Resilience – We creatively adapt to change. We address challenges with empathy, perspective, and determination.
•  Relationships – Our greatest strength lies in the trust, accountability, and teamwork we cultivate with our colleagues, partners, and the public we serve.
•  Responsiveness – We communicate openly, honestly, and reliably.
•  Transparency – We hold the public's trust through meaningful stakeholder engagement and access to timely and reliable information on decisions and performance.

• Work with a purpose for a better world today and for future generations through the preservation of open space, public access to the outdoors, and a commitment to the conservation of the natural world found east of the San Francisco Bay across 33 cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties
• A community of colleagues who are passionate about public service and the East Bay Regional Park District, the communities it serves, and its mission
• Excellent benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending, and pension benefits through California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). Click here for details regarding additional benefits
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development
• Free on-site parking
• Free parking permit for EBRPD parks (for up to 2 privately owned vehicles)
• Employee discounts for certain EBRPD park amenities (reservations, daily fishing permit, public boat launch.

• Has experience planning, supervising, and evaluating outdoor recreation programs for a diverse public
• Uses risk management tools (risk matrices, incident reports, safety audits) to guide decision-making
• Proactively identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks associated with outdoor activities
• Is skilled in creating and enforcing safety protocols, including weather monitoring, equipment checks, and participant readiness
• Collaborates with internal and external partners
• Demonstrates calm, sound judgment in emergencies and ensures compliance with legal and organizational safety standards
• Has administrative experience in leadership role, including providing quality control for programming
• Creates and maintains a positive and constructive work environment
• Maintains the following certifications:
  • American Canoe Association Canoe/Kayak Instructor
  • Wilderness First Aid/Responder

Position Duties

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Supervises, hires, trains and evaluates support staff; conducts performance appraisals;
• Provides direction to subordinate staff in the supervision of seasonal employees;
• Establishes and communicates goals and operational standards for public service;
• Monitors the annual budget and maintains unit expenses;
• Monitors, controls, and orders supplies and equipment;
• Serves as the unit’s liaison to other District departments and to outside agencies and the public;
• Establishes and maintains good working relationships with District staff, the general public, and collaborative partners such as cities, non-profit organizations, volunteers, vendors, and contract recreation program providers;
• Recommends and implements appropriate marketing, advertising, revenue generation and program strategies;
• May be responsible for interior facility maintenance:
• Tracks and monitors fee and non-fee recreation program and special event attendance and registration;
• Oversees and implement industry leading safety standards for high-risk outdoor recreation programs;
• Oversees the implementation and evaluation of all outdoor recreation programming;
• Oversees the creation of programming manuals for all outdoor activities offered;
• Coordinates and advises other departments in building best practices for programs containing risk potential and outdoor recreation activities;
• Plans outdoor recreation priorities and facilities throughout the District.  

OTHER FUNCTIONS & DUTIES:

• Plans and responds to special event requests; 
• Performs collaborative programming with other departments; 
• Prepares and conducts training, as needed; 
• Oversees the spending, tracking and report writing of grant awarded program funds; 
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in recreation, park management, business administration, public administration, or a related field, 

AND

Experience: Three years of recent, full-time professional level administrative experience including two years of supervisory or lead experience in this field.

Substitutions: A Bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field may be corrected by completion of twelve semester units of recreation specific college level course work. 

OR

A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in recreation, park management, business administration, public administration or a related field may be substituted for one and a half years of the required experience.

License or Certificate: 

Possession of a valid California Driver’s License is a condition of initial and continued employment in this classification.  

Other Qualifications

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:
Principles and practices of supervision, customer service, administration, budget, and organization; the parks and recreation field, with an emphasis on outdoor recreation and contracted classes recreation program design and development, with an emphasis on youth; principles, practices, and methods of administering and coordinating recreation programs; risk management concepts; effective verbal and written communication skills; principles and practices of goal setting, development, implementation, and evaluation; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Ability to:
Exercise good organizational skills; exercise sound judgment; supervise, train, develop, and motivate subordinate staff; represent and promote the unit at various education, civic, community, and District events; research and write analytical and administrative documents; read, interpret, apply and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures of recreation programs; develop and oversee a risk management plan for recreation programs; manage a multi-building facility and contracted maintenance of facilities; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work at all levels, including a culturally diverse general public, with a focus on quality customer service to internal staff and external customers and park users.

• May be required to work unusual hours, weekends, and holidays.
• Positions are required to wear a Park District uniform.