Parks Recreation Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $4,725.00 Monthly
Location : Oahu, HI
Job Type: Full-Time Permanent
Job Number: 315256
Department: Department of Parks & Recreation
Division: Park Maintenance and Recreation Services
Opening Date: 03/24/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
Position Information
"Make a splash in your community-lead safe, fun, and engaging aquatic programs"
The Department of Parks and Recreation, Park Maintenance and Recreation Services Division, is hiring two (2) Recreation Director II (Swim) positions, one located at the Waialua Complex, and one at the Makiki Complex. These positions independently perform professional work in planning, organizing, and directing a comprehensive aquatic program at one or more municipal aquatic facilities.
What You Will Do:

• Develop and coordinate aquatic programs for all ages (tiny tots, seniors, exercise, and water sports) while organizing special events and competitive swim activities.
• Assess community needs and plan programs by researching interest, setting program goals, and adjusting offerings based on feasibility and demand.
• Recruit, train, and supervise staff, including instructors and lifeguards, to ensure safe and effective program delivery.
• Evaluate program performance using participant feedback and statistics to improve services and outcomes.
• Support facility operations and compliance by preparing budget recommendations, enforcing departmental rules, developing policies/procedures.
• Transport supplies or participants using department vehicles.

Special Working Conditions:

• May be required to work evenings, holidays, and weekends.
• Will serve as a Disaster Response Worker during declared emergencies.

Enjoy excellent employment benefits including generous time off (up to 21 vacation days, 21 sick leave days, and holidays), comprehensive health coverage, retirement plan, career development, and much more! View details about all our available benefits by clicking on the "Benefits" tab at the top of this posting or visiting
Apply today and take the first step toward a lasting career!
Additional Job Information
Some notifications will be sent via e-mail. You are responsible for monitoring instructions and correspondence from this office by checking your email account in a timely manner. To ensure proper delivery, please make sure you:
- are subscribed to email notices;
- use a valid e-mail account;
- verify your e-mail address is entered correctly on your GovernmentJobs account;
- check your spam folders; and
- add and to your contact list.
Notifications may also be sent via text message if opted into the service. Data and text messaging fees apply.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
At time of application, you must be a citizen, national or permanent resident alien of the United States or a non-citizen eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
Equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in recreation, physical education, education or a related field.
Substitution: Work experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis. Such experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and analytical ability normally gained from attainment of a bachelor's degree.
For example:
1. Four (4) years of professional work experience, in any occupation, may substitute for a general bachelor's degree.
2. Four (4) years of general work experience (does not need to be professional level) in recreation may substitute for a general bachelor's degree.
The education requirement must be met at the time of application. Education obtained outside of the United States must be comparable to a degree earned at an accredited college/university in the United States. In order to receive credit for the education, proper documentation, e.g., a foreign credential evaluation (FCE), must be provided. We also reserve the right to request further information about your academic program, evidence of comparability, or an original transcript.
Education Verification: Education information must be listed clearly on your application. If available, please attach a legible electronic copy of your diploma, official transcripts, and/or applicable foreign credential evaluation to your application. As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to move forward for further consideration.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:
One (1) year of professionalexperience in planning, organizing, and directing recreational activities.
Substitution: A Master's degree in recreation, physical education, or education from an accredited university will substitute for the one (1) year of required experience.
The Master's degree in recreation, physical education, or education must be met at the time of application. Please refer to the above Education Requirement section for education verification requirements.
LICENSE REQUIREMENT:
Prior to appointment, possession of a valid:

1. Driver's license (automobile/Type 3).
2. American Red Cross First Aid Certificate or equivalent; and
3. Either an American Red Cross or American Heart Association Adult, Child, and Infant CPR and AED Certificate, to include care for choking and obstructed airway, or equivalent.

Prior to completion of probation, possession of a valid:

1. American Red Cross CPR for the Professional Rescuer Certificate or equivalent;
2. American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Certificate or equivalent;
3. American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Certificate or equivalent;
4. American Red Cross Lifeguarding Instructor Certificate or equivalent;
5. American Red Cross Adult, Child, and Infant CPR and AED Instructor Certificate, to include care for choking and obstructed airway, or equivalent; and
6. Department of Parks and Recreation van certificate.

The above certificates and licenses must be maintained on a current basis thereafter as a condition of employment.
Examination Process
If you qualify for the position, your name will be eligible for consideration for the current vacancy/vacancies and future job openings with this job title. Screening will be based on the education, experience, and other job-related information provided in your application. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being rejected or your receiving a lower rating. All information provided on an application is subject to verification. As applicable, false or misleading statements or omissions of material facts are grounds for disqualification and/or termination of employment with the City and County of Honolulu.
What are the benefits of being a City Employee?
-- Vacation: Employees may earn up to 21 days per year.
-- Sick Leave: Employees may earn up to 21 days per year.
-- Holidays: 13 days a year; 14 days during election years.
-- Training and Development: Computer, career, and personal enhancement courses are offered; curriculum designed for employee, supervisory, and management development.
-- Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and Vision Care: Various health insurance plans are available. Premiums are subsidized by the City and deductible from pre-tax income for participants of the Premium Conversion Plan (PCP).
-- Group Life Insurance: No cost for eligible employees.
-- Deferred Compensation Plan: Invest in your future...choose to defer part of your pre-tax income for retirement.
-- Retirement Plan: The Employees' Retirement System (ERS) of the State of Hawaii administers retirement benefits for State and County employees. Employee contribution required.
-- Commuter Choice Pre-Tax Benefits: Employees may designate certain transportation expenses (TheBus, LOTMA, Vanpool Hawaii, etc.) as a pre-tax item
-- Parking: Some job locations offer parking on-site; others may have access to parking at low monthly rates.
-- Direct Deposit: Direct deposit of paychecks to a designated financial institution is available.
-- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential, professional counseling and resource referral.
-- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: A federal program forgiving the balance of federal student loans for individuals working in public service. For program requirements and additional information, please visit:
To view additional information, please visit our page.
* All benefits as stated above, are subject to eligibility requirements and to legislative and/or negotiated changes. Individuals are responsible for any related fees or charges that may apply.
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APPLICATION GUIDELINES & INSTRUCTIONS: When applying for this position, please thoroughly complete the Education, Work Experience, and Supplemental Question sections of your application. The information provided in these sections, particularly the job-specific Supplemental Questions, will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements for the job and your final score. Failure to provide detailed and complete information or submit any required documentation may result in your application being rejected or you receiving a lower score.
Please do not submit resumes in place of completing any of these sections.
List each work experience separately, do not combine jobs. For example, if you've held more than one position or job level(s) for the same employer, they should be listed and described separately so that the resulting changes in your duties and responsibilities are accurately reflected. If any part of your experience is unclear, you may be asked to provide a copy of your official job/position description (PD).
In general (unless otherwise specified on the job posting), the following criteria is utilized for evaluation of the Minimum Qualification Requirements:

• Substitute, temporary assignment, internship or volunteer experience requires an official letter of verification from your supervisor and/or Human Resources department. The letter should include the job title, employment dates, number of hours worked, a description of the duties performed, and a contact name and phone number.
• Concurrent or overlapping experiences and/or education will NOT be double credited.
• Professional experience refers to work that generally involves independent critical thinking, solving complex, non-routine problems, preparing reports, and interpreting and applying technical information.
• Most work experience as an intern will NOT be creditable as equivalent to professional experience.
• Calculation of experience will be based upon a full-time, 40-hour work week. Part-time experience will be pro-rated. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be extra credited.
  
  1. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week will be pro-rated to six months of experience.
     
  2. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week will be credited as one year of experience, NOT one and a half years.
• All requirements for the position must be met at the time of application or by the closing date of the recruitment, unless otherwise noted.

Possession of the required amount of experience will not in and of itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. The overall experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position.
Any information you submit is subject to verification. Supporting documents must be either electronically attached to your application or submitted to our office at: Department of Human Resources, 650 South King Street, 10th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813. Documents should be identified by job title and recruitment number.
If you previously submitted education documents (e.g., transcripts, diploma, etc.) to our office, for most cases you are not required to resubmit them. Supporting documents with an expiration period (e.g., driver's license, Department of Transportation medical certificate, etc.) will need to be submitted with each application to verify possession of a current license or certificate at the time specified on the job posting.

• I certify that I have read and understand the above statements.

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RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY EXPERIENCE:
Describe in full detail where you performed professional work in planning, organizing, and directing recreational activities.
For each position listed in the Work Experience section of your application, include:

1. A description of the organization you worked for.
2. The position title of your immediate supervisor.
3. Indicate whether your position required you to have a bachelor's degree.
4. A detailed description of the different recreation activities you planned, organized, and directed.
5. The number and age range of the program participants.
6. The specific duties you performed in planning, organizing, and directing these recreation programs.

If you do not have this type of experience, answer with "none".
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RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY EVALUATION EXPERIENCE:
Describe in full detail your experience in evaluating recreation activities.
For each position listed in the Work Experience section of your application, describe the methods you used to evaluate the success or effectiveness of the recreation activities, and explain how you used the evaluation findings/results to modify or improve the activities.I