Recreation Coordinator (Athletics)

Position Description

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $64,507.00 – $74,668.00/year
Work Day/Hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Monday – Friday, with some evenings and weekends

A nationally accredited team of passionate professionals devoted to building better lives and a better community through the power of parks and recreation. Our talented team at Durham Parks and Recreation is devoted to community service and provides a diverse range of programs, services, opportunities, and experiences while being united through our core pillars of creating equitable economic impacts; advancing conservation; rejuvenating health and wellness; enhancing quality of life and sustaining social equity.

Durham Parks and Recreation’s Athletics Unit plays a vital role in fostering DPR’s core values of Fun, Inclusivity, Safety, Stewardship, and Leadership Through Service by offering high-quality sports programs for youth and adults. Our team oversees a wide range of leagues, clinics, and events that encourage sport sampling and life-long play.

Recreation Coordinators are the driving force behind the planning and implementation of our athletic programs. In this role, the individual will take ownership of specific programs while contributing to the success of the unit through consistent improvement and team collaboration. Under the guidance of the Recreation Services Manager and Recreation Operations Supervisor, the individual will ensure that programs run effectively by taking a hands-on approach to mitigate risks and solve problems in adaptable and creative ways. In addition to administrative work during office hours (both indoors and outdoors), evening and weekend work is occasionally required to support programs and monitor activities at various athletic facilities.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal schedules, league structures, and program formats for youth and adult sports leagues, clinics, and events.
• Manage online registration setup, track enrollments, create rosters and schedules, and coordinate team communications.
• Promote programs through webpage updates and marketing methods (program guides, mass communications, networking).
• Serve as the primary point of contact for participants and volunteers within assigned program areas. Respond to inquiries, resolve conflicts, and ensure clear, timely communication with all stakeholders. Reaches out to community members via expedited communication methods when necessary.
• Oversee day-to-day program operations to ensure logistics are executed efficiently, including facility/staff scheduling, equipment management, weather-related considerations, and supervision of activities.
• Monitor programs and maintain a visible presence through site visits during program hours on nights and weekends to support staff, ensure safety, and uphold standards.
• Develop and conduct seasonal training and meetings for part-time staff and volunteers.
• Evaluate programs and make modifications to existing policies and procedures.
• Determine equipment needs for programs, conduct research to identify affordable options, and make purchasing recommendations. Keep an inventory of equipment for assigned programs. Work with vendors to complete uniform or shirt orders for programs.
• Supervise facility usage and scheduling operations; ensure facility safety and cleanliness; assess program and event needs and facility capacity; monitor supply inventories and ensure adequacy.
• Conduct facility inspections seasonally to identify needs for service requests. Enter relevant service requests into online systems for facility maintenance.
• Assist in the hiring of part-time staff, including updating job descriptions, submitting requisitions, reviewing applications, scheduling interviews, participating on interview panels, conducting job offers, conducting onboarding, leading orientations, and ensuring compliance and completion of documents.
• Supervise staff and volunteers, including planning, assigning, and evaluation of work. Schedule staff shifts for specific programs and ensure compliance with timekeeping/payroll expectations.
• Work with contractors or vendors to ensure instructors and officials are scheduled and trained properly in accordance with program schedules and objectives.

• Prepare, review, process, and/or maintain reports, records, work orders, and other documentation; processes rental contracts; maintain databases; prepares information reports; proof work for accuracy and completeness.

• Assess community needs through surveys and other tools.
• Work with fellow coordinators and other department staff to ensure alignment on program goals, shared resources, and unit-wide initiatives.
• Provide planning, implementation, and staffing support for community events or department projects as assigned. Serves on committees and performs community outreach and engagement.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• Associate’s degree in recreation, leisure services, or related field
• Four years of recreation program and/or facility management experience
• Supervisory or lead experience
• A valid Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED certification with Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Auto Injector Certification within the first six months of employment.
• Valid, unrestricted, North Carolina – Class C driver’s license "or" if you currently have another states driver’s license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver’s license within 60 days of hire.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in recreation, leisure services, sports management, or a related field.
• At least one (1) year of experience in planning and implementing athletic leagues and/or clinics for youth and/or adults.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or evaluating full-time staff, part-time staff, or volunteers.
• Knowledge of the rules, scheduling structures, standards, and best practices for youth and adult sport programs.
• Ability to effectively navigate participant and parent expectations with professionalism and consistency.
• Strong time management and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple programs and responsibilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Drive, and recreation software (ActiveNet, RecTrac, CivicRec, etc.).

Benefits – General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program – personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman’s Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Benefits – Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan

Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service