Salary
$5,527.00 Monthly
Location
Oahu, HI
Job Type
Full-Time Permanent
Job Number
029267
Department
Department of Parks & Recreation
Division
Park Maintenance and Recreation Services
Opening Date
08/09/2026
Closing Date
8/15/2026 11:59 PM Hawaii
Position Information
Live life to the fullest! Make a lasting impact on the quality of life for all ages.
The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Park Maintenance and Recreation Services Division, is seeking to fill a vacant Recreation Director IV position located in District II (Honolulu - Central Oahu). General work schedule is Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:15pm (subject to change). This position supervises and directs the planning, organization, and execution of a comprehensive recreation program for a complex of community recreation facilities.
What You Will Do
Supervise, train, and evaluate subordinate staff including professionals, subprofessionals, volunteers, and fieldwork students; assist in hiring, recommend movements such as transfers, promotions, reallocations, or demotions; take disciplinary actions as necessary.
Plan and oversee recreation programs across multiple facilities. Monitor program effectiveness and recommend improvements.
Liaise with community groups, boards, and partner agencies. Promote programs through outreach and public relations.
Assist with budget development and enforce fiscal procedures.
Develop and implement departmental policies and goals.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Special Work Requirements
May be required to work weekends, nights, and holidays.
May be required to serve as a Disaster Response Worker during 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 https://www.honolulu.gov/dhr/benefits/.
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 e-mail account in a timely manner. To ensure proper delivery, please make sure you:
- use a valid e-mail account;
- verify your e-mail address is entered correctly on your GovernmentJobs account;
- are subscribed to e-mail notices;
- check your spam folders; and
- add [email protected] and [email protected] 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 major work 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.
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:
Four years of experience in planning, organizing and directing recreational activities, two of which shall be representative of the next lower level (Recreation Director III).**
**Experience representative of the next lower level (Recreation Director III) involves independently performing professional work in planning, organizing, and directing varied and comprehensive recreational activities (e.g., athletic, cultural, and social recreational activities which are designed to meet the needs and interests of the community and varied age groups). Such experience must demonstrate knowledge of: the principles, practices, tools and techniques of recreation; playground administration and operation; group behavior; and the ability to: demonstrate qualities of leadership; plan and direct the work of lower-level personnel and/or volunteer workers; plan, organize and instruct groups of children and adults in a variety of activities extending to the physical, cultural and aesthetic elements of the program; inspire confidence and enthusiasm of groups and individuals, and encourage them in group program participation; stimulate interest and obtain the support of the community in the recreation program; maintain cooperative relationships with other staff personnel and the public; evaluate the effectiveness of program elements; and prepare reports.
Substitution: A Master's degree in recreation, physical education, or education from an accredited college or university will substitute for one year of experience in planning, organizing, and directing recreational activities. There is NO substitution for the required two years of experience at the next lower level (Recreation Director III).
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.
NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE:
Having the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as qualifying for the position. Your overall experience must have been of sufficient scope, level, and responsibility to conclusively demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position. Experience which did not demonstrate the knowledge and application of professional recreation principles, practices, tools, and techniques will not be considered as qualifying experience.
LICENSE/CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT:
Prior to appointment, possession of a valid:
Driver license (type 3/automobile).
American Red Cross First Aid Certificate or equivalent.
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.
DPR van certificate, as required.
NOTE: The above licenses and certificates must be obtained by the time indicated and 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: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
To view additional information, please visit our Benefits of City Employment 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.
01
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.
Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week will be pro-rated to six months of experience.
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.
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.
02
SUBSTITUTION
A Master's degree in recreation, physical education, or education from an accredited college or university will substitute for one year of experience in planning, organizing, and directing recreational activities. There is NO substitution for the required two years of experience at the next lower level (Recreation Director III).
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.
If you are using a substitution, in the space below, please provide the following information:
The name of the college/university you attended,
The location of the college/university,
The specific degree and major area of study you completed.
03
DESCRIPTION OF EMPLOYER
For each position where you performed professional work in planning, organizing, and directing recreational activities, provide a description of the organizational structure of your employer/agency.
Indicate which position from the Work Experience section of your application where you had such experience and include the following in your explanation:
a) a brief description of the organization/agency, including the size of the organization;
b) the structure of the organization (e.g. number and kinds of departments, divisions, etc.);
c) the major functions of the department/division you work in;
d) the level/rank of your position within the company/government agency/department/division and the degree/level of responsibility you had;
e) the title and number of employees supervised;
f) the title of your immediate supervisor; and
g) whether your position required you to have a bachelor's degree.
04
GENERAL RECREATION EXPERIENCE
Describe your professional experience in planning, organizing, and directing recreational activities.
Indicate which position from the Work Experience section of your application where you had such experience and provide two examples of recreational activities you planned, organized, and directed.
05
SPECIALIZED RECREATION EXPERIENCE
Describe in full detail your experience performing professional recreation work representative of the next lower level (Recreation Director III) (i.e., planning, organizing, and directing VARIED and COMPREHENSIVE recreational activities such as athletic, cultural, and social activities which are designed to meet the needs and interests of the community and varied age groups).
Indicate which position from the Work Experience section of your application where you had such experience and include the following in your explanation:
a) a detailed description of the various recreation activities and/or program(s) you planned, organized, and directed;
b) the number and age range of the participants;
c) the specific duties you performed in planning, organizing, and directing these recreation programs and activities;
d) the methods you used to evaluate the success or effectiveness of the recreation activities/programs, and explain how you used the evaluation/findings/results to modify or improve the activities/programs; and
e) the type of reports you prepared.
Required Question
Employer
City and County of Honolulu
Address
650 South King Street, 10th Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813
Phone
(808) 768-8536
Website
https://www.honolulu.gov/dhr/
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