Outdoor Adventure Coordinator #2311-5535-01
Natural History, Environmental Education, Outdoor Recreation!
- Date Opened
- Saturday, May 25, 2024 12:01 AM
- Close Date
- Sunday, June 09, 2024 11:59 PM
- Section
- Parks Department
- Salary
- Within Local 3144 Range 8: $70,320 - $91,450 annualized
- Employment Type
- Full-Time
Introduction
The staff of the City of New Haven’s Outdoor Adventure Program, and the New Haven Park Rangers, strive to create a unique, new, challenging, safe and fun learning experience for children, youth and adults. Our park rangers utilize environmental activities designed to enhance nature appreciation through exposure to the New Haven Parks system. The goal is to foster an appreciation of local resources by providing truly amazing exposure to bio-diversity and outdoor adventure activities. These activities, specially tailored to the needs and abilities of the participants, will help raise eco-consciousness as well as the self-confidence levels of the participants.
Our staff-to-participant ratio allows for plenty of personal instruction, as well as careful supervision of all activities with individual attention. By taking on progressively more challenging experiences, participants will learn team building, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Success in many of the Outdoor Adventure activities calls for an understanding of how to operate effectively in teams. Staff will help the teams establish goals that call for planning, group decision-making, task designation, and group action. Furthermore, meetings before and after the activities help to create clear communication channels and cooperation. As the keepers of New Haven Parks, we exemplify a low-impact lifestyle in our city parks. This provides residents with a first-hand understanding of the effects that human activities impose on nature, while we provide instruction in natural history and environmentally responsible choices, in an effort to engender a sense of care for our natural resources.
Applicants of Dec 2023 posting need not re-apply and those meeting minimum qualifications will be considered for this opportunity.
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS
This is a supervisory position responsible for the coordinating and directing of the Outdoor Recreation Program staff.
The work involves the planning and implementing of recreation programs focusing on outdoor recreation and the natural world, including but not limited to hiking, canoeing, snorkeling, operating a ropes course, camping, orienteering, cross-country skiing, nature walks and lectures, junior ranger programs and junior adventure programs. The coordinator will coordinate the outdoor recreation staff and the maintenance staff in the care of the nature center facilities, trails, and program equipment.
Work will include evening & weekend hours in order to support a variety of department programming.
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develops, plans and coordinates individual nature center and outdoor adventure programming with outdoor recreation staff to provide service for all age groups and varied community interests city-wide.
- Coordinates staff participation in special events. Develops volunteer activities of the outdoor recreation division with the Volunteer Coordinator.
- Conducts programs at centers, schools and special events.
- Confers with neighborhood, community and school groups in the planning process.
- Supervises and plans nature recreation programs to coincide with other recreation and education activities on a city-wide basis.
- Evaluates the implementation and operation of outdoor/adventure recreation programs.
- Coordinates and schedules activities with other City departments.
- Supervises a nature education and recreation program designed to include varied community interests and participants of all ages.
- Develops a program schedule for division, keeps records of attendance at programs and events, keeps personnel records for full-time and part-time staff, submits monthly reports on division activities.
- Performs administrative work required for the outdoor recreation division such as budget preparation and grant writing.
- Provides projections of program needs as well as estimated costs.
- Performs related work as required.
EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in natural history, environmental education, and/or outdoor recreation; and three to six years’ experience in the outdoor/nature recreation field; or any combination of training and experience which provides the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Knowledge of natural and life sciences and ecology.
- Knowledge of outdoor adventure programming.
- Knowledge of and course work in group psychology and leadership techniques, especially as they relate to outdoor and recreation activities for children.
- Knowledge of, and skilled in effective writing techniques.
- Some knowledge of budget preparation and grant writing.
- Ability to plan, program, implement and supervise year-round activities of an outdoor adventure/nature recreation program.
- Ability to provide projections of program needs as well as estimated costs.
- Ability and experience in supervising volunteers and working with community interest groups.
- Ability to supervise a nature education and recreation program designed to include varied community interests and participants of all ages.
- Possession of technical certificates in such fields as CPR, First Aid, canoe instruction and rope course instruction are desirable but not required.
- Possession of advanced degrees or technical expertise in the fields of astronomy, botany, geology, ornithology, and/or zoology desirable but not required.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Possession of valid CT Driver’s license and maintain throughout employment in position.
SALARY, BARGAINING UNIT & TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
This is a General Fund, "Tested" position.
*Salary will receive a contractual increase of 3% effective July 1: Within Range 8, $72,430 - $94,194
This position is included in a collective bargaining agreement with Local 3144, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Bargaining agreements available to review HERE.
General Funded hires into this class are not covered by Social Security and will not pay Social Security taxes. They instead participate in the City Pension; the employee contribution rate is 10% of pay. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of: (1) a pre-employment background check, (2) a pre-employment physical examination, including pre-employment drug screening accordance with the City’s Drug Free Workplace Policy*, and (3) a 90-day probationary period. Instructions and information on this pre-employment process are included in Conditional Offer of Employment.
Selection Plan
Applicants meeting minimum requirements will be invited to participate in a Civil Service exam process at a later date.
Applicants of Dec 2023 posting need not re-apply and those meeting minimum qualifications will be considered for this opportunity.
It is critical that you complete the application thoroughly, as the information you provide will be used to ascertain if you are eligible to move forward in the selection process, and this information may be used to determine the eligibility list.
Information regarding the employment and selection process can be found HERE.
Please note that the only method of communication with applicants for this position will be by email. You must provide a valid, working email address and you will need to monitor your email, including spam/junk folders, for correspondence from the New Haven Human Resources Department.Conclusion
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