About the Department
Are you ready to join a team that is “Building Community Through Fun?” Are you ready to make a difference??
The City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) is looking for people who want to make San José a better place to live and work. Our mission is to connect people through parks, recreation and neighborhood services for an active San José. ActivateSJ, PRNS’s 20-year strategic plan identifies the approach and projects to support healthy communities that inspire belonging by following the guiding principles of Stewardship, Nature, Equity & Access, Identity and Public Life.
The Department creates and activates thriving places near where people live and work. These places are destinations for play and learning with 48 community centers, 10 regional parks, 209 neighborhood parks, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, and over 60 miles of trails. Our programs and services touch the lives of individuals and families in our community. We take public service seriously by working hard to earn the public’s trust by delivering fun and high-value spaces and programs. Our team is collaborative, supportive, and innovative. We are a fast-paced organization that takes decisive action after thoughtful planning.
For more information, please visit activatesj.org.
Position Duties
The Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Community Activity Worker vacancy in the Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department.
The selected Community Activity Worker’s will assist with one of a variety of blight reduction and encampment management programs and services in neighborhoods and/or homeless encampments. The BeautifySJ Program headquarters are located at Kirk Community Center.
The duties of this position may consist of:
- Working with neighborhood leaders to support beautification efforts in their communities;
- Working with the unhoused community and homeless encampments;
- Performing public contact and liaison work in explaining and interpreting program;
- Processing reports and data tracking through the Survey123 system;
- Preparing monthly reports, correspondence, and assists community groups in grant writing;
- Coordinating with governmental agencies, local businesses, and City Departments;
- Conducting and facilitating workshops and trainings for the neighborhood;
- Surveying targeted neighborhood needs via methods including telephone surveys or door-to-door canvassing;
- Providing information to residents, housed and unhoused, on accessing City services or other service providers;
- Assisting in planning and implementing special activities or programs, such as community service projects, community meetings, community/graffiti clean-ups, tree-planting, community resource fairs, tutoring, or sports activities;
- Designing and producing flyers and announcements; and
- May be required to provide bilingual translation, both orally and in writing.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent (General Education Development (GED) Test or California Proficiency Certificate)
Experience: Two years of full-time equivalent experience (4160 hours) in organizing groups for community action.
Acceptable Substitutions: One year of college (30 semester units) may be substituted for one year of the required experience.
Other Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.
Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.
Customer Service: Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.
- Ability to coordinate with different teams to address and prevent issues efficiently.
Initiative: Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promote job performance.
Reliability: Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.
Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills: Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
Communication Skills: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.
Social Awareness: Demonstrates the ability to read or sense other people’s emotions and how they influence the situation of interest or concern; demonstrates empathy and organizational awareness.
Selection Process:
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.
If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Taylor Pawlik at [email protected].