Recreation Programmer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $76,906.00 - $90,000.00 Annually
Location : 1209 Admiral Street, VA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 30M00000444
Department: Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities
Opening Date: 06/12/2026
Closing Date: 6/26/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity...YOU!!!
This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description
The City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities (PRCF) seeks a highly skilled Recreation Program Manager to oversee a diverse and complex portfolio of recreation services including Out of School Time, and Supplemental Nutrition Programs. This position requires an understanding of the distinct programmatic, staffing, safety, and accessibility needs of each service area, while ensuring consistency with departmental goals, community priorities, and industry best practices. The Recreation Program Manager will provide leadership, operational oversight, and strategic direction to ensure high-quality, inclusive, and safe programs that serve residents across the lifespan and across varying abilities.
Duties include but are not limited to
Out of School Time
• Develop, implement, and oversee comprehensive Out of School Time programs across multiple sites that promote positive youth development, safety, and engagement.
• Create and manage programs that provide safe, supervised spaces during out-of-school hours, evenings, weekends, and summer months
• Train staff to effectively address the behavioral, social, and emotional needs of youth participants, utilizing restorative practices, trauma-informed care, and youth-centered approaches.
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate full-time, part-time, and seasonal staff across multiple recreation disciplines.
• Foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement
• Managing division budget, approving expenditures, assisting with budget preparations, identifying revenue sources, managing revenues, funds and grants
• Managing personnel, directing workflow, and developing performance measures and work plans
• Overseeing correspondence
• Working with Richmond Public Schools, the Office of Children and Families, and partnering organization for access to schools, transportation, school meals, and auxiliary youth development programs
• Collaborating with fellow Recreation Program Managers to create/manage community center-based programs.
• Working with Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor to ensure inclusion and ADA compliance.
• Overseeing multiple programs and locations
• Assessing and evaluating program effectiveness and efficiencies
• Community Engagement Outreach
Supplemental Nutrition
• Preparing and submitting documents for bid solicitations with Procurement Services
• Preparing and submitting SFSP and CACFP application
• Attending Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Supplemental Nutrition Programmatic Trainings
• Managing personnel, directing workflow, and developing performance measures and work plans
• Selecting/recruiting/hiring temporary staff to work as Site Monitors
• Recruiting meal sites
• Training all site staff, and Federal Food staff on program operation
• Coordinating with meal service providers and program participants to ensure compliance with USDA, VDH, and VDOE policies and regulations.
• Managing contracts and service delivery
• Reviewing, preparing, and submitting reports
• Completing claims for USDA/VDOE reimbursement of City funds and expenditures
• Maintaining records
Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in parks and recreation, business/public administration, or a related area
• 5 years of professional recreational programming and/or parks or facilities management experience.
• 2 years of supervisory experience.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Assignments may require a background check.
• Assignment may require a valid Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record with a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Driver's License within 30 days of hire.
• Assignment may require a current First Aid/CPR certification.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.
Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Parks and recreational programs and practices
• Management principles involved in planning, resource allocation, and leadership techniques
• Sports programming and aquatic programming for youth as well as senior citizens
• Grant applications and the bidding/procurement process
• Training tools and opportunities to recommend for staff members' development
• Finance and budgeting principles
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations
• Safety regulations and procedures
• USDA Food Nutrition Programs (e.g. SFSP, CACFP, and NSLP)
• Modern trends, principles, and practices of recreation programming including age-appropriate and physically-challenging activities
• Software and web-based applications such as Microsoft Office Suite, RAPIDS, recreation software programs such as RecTrac, graphic design programs (e.g. Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Photoshop Lightroom), CHAAMPS Online System, Southeastern Security Consultants Inc. Database, and NEOGOV
• Standard office equipment such as computers, printers, copiers, and presentation equipment
• Festival and event standards, procedures, and trends
• Marketing standards, procedures, and trends
• Greater Richmond Area layout and needs

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Working with groups and individuals to coordinate and accomplish goals
• Active listening
• Negotiating with and persuading others
• Managing, motivating, and directing staff
• Training and supervising personnel
• Monitoring and assessing performance of self, staff, and others
• Customer service to internal and external customers
• Recruiting, interviewing, and selecting personnel
• Translating recreational interests and community needs into effective programs and services
• Researching best practices for required job functions
• Oral and written communication
• Preparing budgets and controlling expenditure of funds

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Present information to large groups
• Work effectively with citizens from diverse areas and backgrounds
• Organize

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly talk, hear, and see; frequently work with one's fingers, walk, and use repetitive motions; and occasionally stoop, crouch, reach, stand, kneel, lift, grasp, push, pull, and lift. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be light work (exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects), but may differ based on area of focus.
* Internal use: HR Generalist to review.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.
The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.
With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".
The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.
01
10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veteran's widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02
5-point veteran's must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03
Which best describes your level of education?

• High school diploma
• Some college
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree or higher

04
Please indicate your years of experience managing/implementing Out-of-School Time Programming.

• No experience
• 1-2 years of experience
• 2-4 years of experience
• 5 or more years of experience

05
Please describe in 250 words your specific responsibilities and accomplishments managing/implementing Out-of School Time Programming.
06
Please indicate your years of experience working with Federal Supplemental Nutrition Programs (e.g. Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, National Breakfast and Lunch Program).

• No experience
• 1-2 years of experience
• 2-4 years of experience
• 5 or more years of experience

07
Please describe in 250 words your specific responsibilities and accomplishments working with Federal Supplemental Nutrition Programs (e.g. Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, National Breakfast and Lunch Program).
08
Please indicate your years of experience overseeing and managing multiple program sites.

• No experience
• 1-2 years of experience
• 2-4 years of experience
• 5 or more years of experience

Required Question