Recreation Leader/Recreation Specialist (20725969)

San Francisco/Peninsula

Job Type

Seasonal

Close Date

6/30/2026 at 11:59pm

Salary

$17.70-$23.02 Hourly

Additional Questionnaires

Supplemental

About Menlo Park

Menlo Park is a city of beautiful, tree-lined neighborhoods and active commercial districts. Located conveniently between the major metropolitan areas of San Francisco and San Jose, Menlo Park is home to just approximately 32,000 residents in its 19 square miles. The stunning natural surroundings of the city afford views of the San Francisco Bay to the east and the Pacific Coastal Range to the west. Menlo Park's climate is moderate to warm, with an average of 265 sunny days a year.

Menlo Park's residents reflect a range of backgrounds and interests who tend to be well educated and actively engaged in community life. Excellent public and private schools serve its many young families, while residents of all ages enjoy the City's numerous parks and recreational facilities. The City's close proximity to Stanford University and Menlo College provide a multitude of academic, cultural and athletic event opportunities. The arts and leisure activities of the major urban areas of San Francisco and San Jose are close by. These and many other amenities contribute to Menlo Park's outstanding quality of life.

Located in the heart of Menlo Park is a downtown featuring unique and upscale shops, restaurants and entertainment, including the Guild Theatre. Set in a pleasant, pedestrian-oriented atmosphere, Menlo Park's downtown area attracts locals and visitors alike. Known worldwide as the "Capital of Venture Capital," Menlo Park hosts many venture capital firms and is well situated to benefit from and help shape new technologies and markets originating from the Silicon Valley. Additionally, the city is host to numerous technology and healthcare related companies, including such major employers as Meta (formerly Facebook), SRI International, Pacific Biosciences, Exponent, Grail and Personalis.

Menlo Park is a General Law city operating under the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, as well as members of a variety of advisory commissions and committees. The municipal government is organized into six operating departments, including Administrative Services, City Manager's Office, Community Development, Library and Community Services, Police, and Public Works. The City is comprised of approximately 300 employees.

In addition to its many attributes, Menlo Park has one of the most beautiful civic center campuses in the Bay Area. Heritage trees, a running fountain, and a duck pond surround City Hall. The campus also includes a nine-acre park, recreation facilities, and the Menlo Park Library. These civic amenities make the campus a noted destination for residents, local employees, and visitors. Conveniently located, the campus is a short walk to our downtown area with food and shopping destinations, as well as the Menlo Park Caltrain Station.

Learn more about joining our team on the City's Human Resources webpage.

View all openings

Share

Please review the special instructions before applying for this job opportunity.

Apply for Job Interested

Location

701 Laurel St. Menlo Park, 94025

Description

Join our team! Make a Difference in Your Community!

Are you enthusiastic, responsible, and ready to make a positive impact? The City of Menlo Park is hiring part-time Recreation Leaders and Recreation Specialists to support a wide range of programs in our Library and Community Services Department!

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference in your community, build meaningful relationships, and work in a fun, supportive team environment. We are looking for team members who are energetic, driven, and passionate about creating a fun, safe, and positive experience for participants of all ages. You will support after-school programs, youth activities, sports, gymnastics, community events, and senior center programs.

Shifts vary between 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM (most positions in sports and events have a later end time, while youth/senior programs typically are daytime hours).

If you are excited to bring your energy, creativity, and commitment to our community, we would love to have you on our team!

About the Position

Depending on the assigned program, the duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

After School Programs

• Opening and closing facilities
• Monitoring, coordinating and running classes
• Setting up and breaking down of events
• Planning and preparing program materials to support program operations

Arrillaga Recreation Center (Events)

• Opening and closing the building
• Answering phones
• Ability to learn, use, and perform tasks in recreation software systems
• Setting up and cleaning up events and facility rentals
• Overseeing and monitoring the Recreation facilities during facility rentals Gymnasium/Sports
• Performing outstanding customer service
• Basketball, Volleyball and Softball scorekeeping
• May be responsible for handling money and organizing class sign-in sheets

Gymnastics

• Working directly with children in gymnastics classes, supporting skill development, confidence, and independence
• Demonstrating skills and modeling positive behavior as a role model for students
• Communicating with parents as needed about progress, development, and questions
• Maintaining class discipline using positive reinforcement and progressive behavior management techniques

Senior Center

• Helping serve meals
• Helping coordinate activities
• Serving as Kitchen Cook

These positions are part-time, hourly, non-benefited classifications limited to a maximum of 1,000 hours per fiscal year (or approximately 20 hours a week).

Physical Requirements

This position requires a moderate to high level of physical activity depending on program assignment. Duties may include standing, walking, bending, squatting, kneeling, reaching, and sitting for extended periods of time while facilitating programs, interacting with participants, or performing administrative tasks. Employees must be able to actively supervise and engage participants in a variety of recreation programs and activities, both indoors and outdoors, and move quickly to respond to participant needs and ensure safety. The position may also require lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling equipment, supplies, tables, chairs, or other materials weighing up to approximately 30 - 50 pounds as part of program setup and breakdown. Some assignments may involve computer and desk work for program planning, communication, and administrative duties.

Ideal Candidate

Minimum Requirements

Appointment to this position is contingent upon:

• Department of Justice fingerprinting criminal history records check (18 and over) or work permit (if under age 18)

Recreation Leader

• Applicants under the age of 18 years are required to obtain a work permit from their school.

Recreation Specialist

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two years of paid experience working in a recreation program-type setting.
• Must have experience supervising children, teens, adults, and/or seniors.

Benefits

These are non-benefited temporary positions. A temporary employee may not work more than 1000 hours per year and will receive sick leave in accordance with State Law.

Special Instructions

Salary

Recreation Leader: $17.70 - $18.30 per hour

Recreation Specialist: $19.29 - $23.02 per hour

This recruitment will be continuously screened and candidates may be contacted for interviews until the position is filled.

The City of Menlo Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the City of Menlo Park not to discriminate against all qualified applicants or employees. We will make reasonable efforts in the selection process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please contact Human Resources at ... for accommodation requests.

Before receiving an offer of employment, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a reference criminal conviction history questionnaire and DOJ fingerprinting.

In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all potential employees are required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or authorization to work in the United States.