Recreation Assistant

The City reserves the right to limit the applications considered to the first 100 applicants.
This recruitment may close at any time; apply immediately.

THE CITY
Located in the gateway to the Los Angeles metropolis, the City of Paramount offers secure quality of life to its residents and a business-friendly attitude that has created a growing retail and services sector, with a thriving Downtown.  

Paramount's government is a stable, innovative, and financially conservative organization, and the City has continually invested in its infrastructure and emphasized code enforcement and assistance programs to help residents and businesses upgrade and maintain their properties. For these reasons, the City has a distinctive appearance that appeals to current and potential residents.  

For its employees, Paramount offers a family-friendly organization that places emphasis on lifework balance and flexibility. City leadership highly values the input and impact of each employee. Rather than work from the top-down, Paramount chooses collaboration, fostering a professional, respectful, and fulfilling work environment.  

CITY GOVERNMENT
The City of Paramount is operated by 7 departments: City Manager, Administrative Services; Planning; Public Safety; Public Works; Community Services, and Finance.

With an operating budget of $96.2M, City population of 54,000, and covering 4.7 square miles, the City of Paramount is dedicated to providing fiscally responsible services that maintain a vibrant community that is Safe, Healthy, and Attractive! We value respect and ethical behaviors, adaptability, service excellence, and accountability. The City promotes innovation through teamwork, and providing effective, inclusive, and transparent public information and engagement.

THE POSITION

Under direction, the Recreation Assistant will assist in planning , organizing , marketing, and coordinating  of one or more large scale City wide special events; occasionally may direct the work of part-time employees and volunteers on an as needed basis. They will perform advanced professional content creation for social media platforms, as well as design, create, and produce  graphic materials for printing and reproduction. They will ensure the safe and appropriate use of recreation equipment. Additionally, the Recreation Assistant will serve as a lead, coordinating special events needs as related to social media, marketing, and stage/entertainment coordination and day of event emcee duties; and perform other related duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Assist in the planning, organizing, marketing, and coordination of one or more recreational programs or special events; assist supervisory staff in ensuring that assigned program activities comply with established program policies and requirements.
• May assist in the training, scheduling, and direction  of subordinate staff and volunteers  on an as needed basis.
• Assist with the development of program goals and objectives; assist in identifying community needs through surveys and questionnaires; may recommend and develop program policies, procedures and activities; assist in conducting periodic evaluations of program effectiveness.
• Plan, create, and attend City events, programs, and meetings to develop promotional marketing videos.
• Will  serve as an on-camera content creator for City events and programs; acquire and maintain photos and video of events.
• Will assist in brainstorming and creating timely and effective content for video advertising, posters, banners, flyers, website, social media, and other promotional materials.
• Engage with program participants and community partners through content creation and ideas, while ensuring that communication messages and brand is consistent across all media platforms.
• May conduct interviews and take photographs of administrators, staff and the public; attend, photograph and report on organization-related events and activities; photograph and/or film interview participants; live-stream City events.
• Prepare, design, create and produce graphic materials, advertisements, flyers, brochures, and digital media.
• May assist with participant registrations; answering phone calls, and front office operations on an as needed basis. may direct subordinate staff in the implementation of programs and events as needed.
• May assist in the coordination the order, pickup, and/or delivery of a variety of items needed for particular activities or events, , sound equipment, and decorative items.
• May assist with the receipt and processing of fees, proper handling of cash and/or credit transactions, and appropriate accounting of all money received.
• Serve as a resource to parents, program participants and/or facility users; respond to questions and concerns; resolve problems within scope of authority, referring other issues to appropriate staff.
• Will be responsible for the marketing of assigned programs within the Community Services Department, activities and  events ; identify and recommend potential marketing targets; draft and prepare brochures, flyers and other informational materials; may attend meetings with educational institutions, community groups, social services providers, private businesses, patrons, City residents, etc.; may make presentations, distribute information and answer questions.
• Gather programming and event information and update programming calendars; maintain various logs, documents and records related to program attendance, participant information, complaints, injuries and other matters; prepare reports for management review; prepare internal and external correspondence; analyze program information to identify trends and recommend potential responses.
• Confer with Department Management staff to plan, design, proof, and revise graphics.
• Assist other Department staff in designing and preparing graphic artwork, provide guideline information concerning formatting requirements 
• Will be responsible for creating and updating content for City’s website and social media accounts.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Experience:
Two (2) years of experience providing instruction-related support for adults, children or youth, or related environment. One (1) year of professional graphic art design experience is highly desirable.

Training:

• High school graduation or equivalent is required.
• Completion of 48 units of college course work in a recreation-related field is required (must provide a copy of college transcripts to verify units).

License or Certificate:

Valid Class C California Driver License and acceptable driving record.

Knowledge of:

• Advanced principles and methods of coordinating, implementing and administering municipal recreational programs and activities.
• Page layout and graphic arts design techniques and procedures.
• Practices and equipment used for photography, and videography.
• Principles of personnel leadership and training.
• Laws, codes, rules and regulations applicable to area of assignment.
• Safety practices applicable to youth recreational activities.
• Advanced principles and methods of coordinating, implementing and administering municipal recreational programs and activities.
• Modern office practices, procedures and equipment including computers and applicable software applications.
• Methods of researching, gathering, organizing and reporting data.
• Correct English usage, including grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary.
• Social media platforms and managing social media accounts.
• Terminology and procedures involved with the management of social media accounts.
• Methods of collecting and organizing data and information.
• First aid and CPR procedures.

Skill to:

• Effectively utilize modern office equipment, including personal computers and standard business software such as the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Operate a variety of office equipment, including a calculator, copier, scanner, computer and assigned software.
• Operate graphics, photo, and video software.
• Adjust to rapidly shifting priorities and timelines. 
• Gather accurate information through interviews and inquiries.
• Safely operate one or more types of vehicles if required by assignments.
• Exercise analytical and critical thinking.

Ability to: 

• Plan, organize, coordinate and administer a variety of activities associated with implementing recreational activities for various age groups.
• Administer and update social media platforms and website pages for the Department 
• Provide skilled graphic art services utilizing a variety of graphic design methods and materials 
• Assist Department staff by designing and preparing graphic artwork to meet the Department needs.
• Assist in the coordination of   a variety of recreational programs, special events and other activities.
• Effectively represent the department and/or City in meetings with governmental agencies, community groups, various businesses, professional and regulatory organizations, and individuals.
• Engage with residents, City staff, and City Council on and off the camera.
• Assist in the training, and  direction of of subordinate staff and volunteers.
• Understand and apply the policies, guidelines, procedures, rules and regulations of the assigned department to make decisions requiring skilled judgment.
• Direct the establishment and maintenance of a healthy, positive and safe recreational environment for program participants to learn and grow.
• Interact frequently with the public and provide customer service in a calm, courteous and helpful manner.
• Communicate difficult information to potentially angry or hostile customers.
• Plan and organize work efficiently.
• Work independently, often without the immediate presence of a supervisor.
• Identify potential hazards or safety issues that arise during work activities and know when to seek the assistance of a supervisor.
• Prepare reports and records.
• Maintain records and files using a variety of organizational tools and filing structures.
• Administer and direct financial bookkeeping activities as needed for programs and events.
• Administer first aid and CPR.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.

Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment:

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Duties typically are performed in both indoor and outdoor settings and require: frequent sitting, standing, reaching, walking, running; dexterity to manipulate art tools, play equipment, program equipment and standard office equipment; hearing and speech to communicate in person; mobility to occasionally lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Environmental Elements

Typical work environment includes moderate noise levels, varying temperatures/weather, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances; employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives and contractors in interpreting and enforcing departmental and City policies and procedures.

Emergency Disaster Worker
City employees are registered as Emergency Disaster Workers and must take an oath. In the event of a declared emergency, City employees shall initially remain at work, or if recalled, shall report to work after completing critical personal and family emergency responsibilities.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Completed application and resume must be submitted by the filing deadline listed above. Application packets will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in the job announcement. Possession of the minimum qualifications does not ensure an invitation to the recruitment process. The selection process will include an oral interview and may include other testing processes designed to predict successful job performance.

Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position. Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration. Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application.

Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process as you will not receive communications by any other method.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The City of Paramount is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

If you require reasonable accommodation during the examination components due to a qualified disability, you must inform the Human Resources Division at (562) 220-2155 at least 5 days in advance of testing date.