Recreation and Community Services Program Coordinator – Special Events

About the City

We offer a wide range of meaningful career opportunities with potential for growth, training and development, competitive salaries, flexible work schedules, paid time off, and robust benefits. The Redwood City team is guided by core values of excellence, integrity, service inclusion, and innovation. Inherent in these values is a great organizational culture based on trust, strong and supportive leadership, respect, risk-taking, empowerment, and effective communication.

The community is known for its inclusivity, strong engaged neighborhoods, and civic pride. The City works diligently to maintain positive and productive relationships with community partners, together providing outstanding services, programs and opportunities for residents and businesses. This mix of tradition and progress, community and diversity, makes Redwood City an extraordinary place to work and call home.

About the Role

The Recreation and Community Services Program Coordinator – Special Events, under the direction of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Manager – Special Events and Cultural Arts, directs, oversees and coordinates staff, vendors, operations and services within an assigned City recreation and community services program. The incumbent may be assigned by the Department Head to any of the designated programs within this classification.

• Support the planning, coordination and day-to-day implementation of assigned programs to meet community needs, working within program goals and priorities.
• Recruit, interview, select, hire, train and supervise the work of assigned staff; perform staff evaluations to ensure the program maintains a high quality of services.
• Meet regularly with program partners which may include various City departments, outside agencies and community organizations to coordinate activities, respond to any questions and concerns, discuss program adjustments as needed; ensure program continuity, participate in meetings and maintain strong and collaborative relationships with these partners.
• Schedule personnel, facilities and equipment in accordance with program requirements; develop program content and activities; and perform related work as assigned.
• Monitor daily operation to ensure services are properly provided by staff; ensure staff have the tools and materials to perform their work and that all operations are conducted in a safe and healthy environment.
• Monitor program participation goals; identify program participation level; report significant variances to supervisor; determine methods of increasing participation rates as needed.
• Purchase supplies and equipment for program services, ensuring compliance with budget requirements and city policies.
• Design, print and distribute marketing materials. Coordinate marketing campaigns with other City staff and 3rd party marketing opportunities.

Special Events Coordinator will:

• Develop, organize, facilitate, collaborate, market and supervise special event programs.
• Support partnerships with local non-profits and agencies to help facilitate and market special event opportunities.
• Support with implementation of established sponsorship, equipment rental, and vendor recruitment processes to support the sustainability of events programming.
• Coordinate, construct, maintain and inventory various special events equipment.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate has a passion and strong desire to support the City's diverse range of community cultural and social events serving multiple generational residents. This candidate is innovative, welcomes challenge, is resourceful, and works well independently and with others to create positive outcomes; and has excellent leadership and customer service skills.

The ideal candidate will have the ability to multitask; coordinate, organize and implement a variety of systems, activities and programs; identify methods to maximize service effectiveness and efficiency. The successful candidate will be a creative thinker, problem solver and have a desire to be on the cutting edge; will be social media savvy with strong emphasis on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Requirements

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities are qualifying.

Experience:

• Two years of experience in the delivery of recreation and community service programs, preferably in special events programming.

Education:

• Equivalent to graduation from high school and two years of post-secondary education including coursework in recreation programming or a related field.

Licenses & Certificates:

• Possession of, or the ability to obtain, an appropriate valid driver’s license with a satisfactory driving record.

Knowledge of:

• Understanding of staging, lighting, and sound requirements to effectively coordinate with production teams.
• Principles and practices of developing and implementing a variety of special events programming for a diverse community.
• Sources of bands and artists to select for community events.
• Department philosophy and program expectations.
• Partnership expectations for special event program planning and implementation.
• Principles and practices of leadership.
• Community demographics.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, training and performance evaluation.
• Acceptable safety standards and precautions for assigned programs.
• Methods of marketing communications to the public including social media related approaches.
• Principles and practices of customer service.
• Basic principles of budget monitoring.
• Method and techniques of evaluating program operations and recommending adjustments.

Skills

• Coordinate, organize and implement a variety of recreation and community service activities.
• Plan, organize, and direct the work of assigned staff.
• Work with program partners for successful and effective program implementation.
• Read, interpret and apply City and Department policies and procedures.
• Coordinate activities with external organizations, program partners and other City departments.
• Prepare clear and concise reports and correspondence.
• Demonstrate strong customer service skills.
• Conduct presentations on program offerings.
• Communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing.
• Ensure a safe work and play environment for program participants, staff and the general public.
• Operate modern equipment, including computers and specialized software relevant to work performed.
• Establish effective working relations with others including using discretion and good judgment in difficult and sensitive situations.

Special Requirements

Essential and important duties require the following physical abilities and work environment:

• Ability to work in both parks and recreational facilities, as well as in a typical office environment, with ability to work in various locations within the city; operate a motor vehicle; travel between various sites; maintain a satisfactory driving record.
• Sit, stand and/or walk on uneven ground or pavement, kneel, squat/crouch, bend/stoop, balance, reach horizontal to shoulder height and vertical to above the head, crawl, twist/turn, climb stairs and steps, grasp and lift 50 lbs. to waist height, lift and carry up to 50 lbs. for 15-20 feet.
• Complete assigned tasks with exposure to all types of inclement weather conditions, general outdoor conditions, environmental noise and dust, and be in sufficient good health to perform job duties.
• Work a shift and perform all job duties during the daytime and/or nighttime hours. Work shifts may require some flexible adjustments depending on events or activities in the City.