Make a difference in your community while having fun at work! Will you complete a bachelor’s degree with major course work in recreation, education, social work, park management, sport and leisure management, the visual and performing arts or a closely related field by February 1, 2024? Apply today!

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is hiring recreation leader trainees. The City offers an inclusive, diverse workforce—one that represents the diversity of our city and the communities we serve. The trainee position is the entry level opportunity for a career in recreation with room for advancement. We offer a variety of total rewards including public service student loan forgiveness, health & retirement benefits, and work/life balance.

This is entry-level recreation work. Employees in this class learn to administer a limited program of activities for the public and provide recreational services and facilities for organized groups. Work includes responsibility for the organization and implementation of assigned programs and for participating with other recreation personnel in providing recreation services. Employees in this class may perform recreation program assignments for a large residential institution or correctional system. Determining community recreation needs and interests, promoting programs, learning how to manage funds to support program needs, and motivating participation are of major significance to the work. As the training period progresses, the employee is assigned work of greater complexity and responsibility. Duties require scheduled evening and weekend work and moderate physical effort. Work is performed under the supervision of a recreation center supervisor.

Anticipated Eligibility
Candidates who meet all eligibility requirements within nine months (2/1/2024) of the application deadline will be admitted to this examination. Candidates may not be hired until all requirements have been satisfied. Candidates must indicate their anticipated graduation date.

EDUCATION :
Completion of a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in recreation, education, ethnic studies, social work, park management, public administration, childhood development, exercise science, kinesiology, sport and leisure management, and visual and performing arts or a closely related field.

NOTE : Completion of any bachelor’s degree program and the completion of the equivalent of two years of experience or 3 seasons (of at least 6 months each) leading participants in recreation sports leagues, day camps, aquatics, or other organized recreational, environmental, or cultural activities for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Parks and Recreation meets the requirements.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE BILINGUAL SPECIALTY
Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to understand and speak fluently and clearly in a designated non-English language.

Thank you for your interest in employment with the City of Philadelphia. Please note that the Human Resources Representative listed below may sometimes be working remotely. Please forward all questions and documentation via email to avoid delays.

1. You must complete the entire application process, provide accurate and up to date contact information, and submit all certifications, required licenses, and relevant documentation with each application or email the documents as an attachment to the Human Resources Representative listed below prior to the date of the exam.

2. The analyst responsible for reviewing applications and additional documentation for this job opportunity is:
Eric Myers

City of Philadelphia Office of Human Resources

1401 JFK Boulevard, Room 1530

Philadelphia, PA 19102

[Email] eric.myers@phila.gov

[Phone] 215-686-2347
[Fax] 215-686-0861

3. For all other inquiries please contact Customer Service at 215-686-0880 or email hrhelpdesk@phila.gov

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

The City of Philadelphia is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer.

Learn more here: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov. For more information, go to: www.phila.gov/humanrelations

The City of Philadelphia is committed to ensuring access to Civil Service examinations by providing appropriate accommodations for candidates with documented medical or religious reasons. Candidates may request an accommodation for a Civil Service examination by contacting the Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Unit of the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations at 215-683-5085. The accommodation process is interactive and requires cooperation and communication between the applicant requesting a test accommodation and the EEO Unit. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis using the required documentation that is submitted. Requests are to be made in a timely manner prior to the scheduled date of the Civil Service examination.

New employees hired after September 1, 2021 must be vaccinated. New employees must either be fully vaccinated or have received one dose (if receiving a two-dose vaccine) by their start date with the City and will have a 30-day grace period to become fully vaccinated. During this grace period, these employees will be required to double-mask in City offices. To find a vaccination clinic near you, please visit phila.gov/vaccine.

As a condition of employment with the City, any person offered employment shall be required to certify that such person either is fully current on any and all debts, taxes, fees, judgments, claims, and other accounts and obligations due and owing to the City; or has voluntarily entered into a payment agreement with the City. For so long as the person is employed by the City, the amount of the payment as set forth in the payment agreement (not to exceed, for any pay period, twenty percent (20%) of the person’s gross pay for such period, without the person’s consent) shall be withheld from each paycheck until such payment agreement is fully satisfied. Such person shall also be required to certify as a condition of employment that he or she is fully current on any and all debts, taxes, fees, judgments, claims, and other accounts and obligations due and owing to the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) or has voluntarily entered into a payment agreement with PGW.

Failure to enter into a payment agreement shall result in the cancellation of the appointment and removal from the certification. The name of the eligible candidate will be returned to the eligible list.

Only an on-line application will be accepted for this exam. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Computers are available in the 3-1-1 Walk-In Center located in Room 167 of City Hall (Weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM) and at your local Philadelphia Free Library branch.

For inquiries regarding City employment, contact the Office of Human Resources Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 4 PM by telephone at 215-686-0880 or by email at hrhelpdesk@phila.gov

ALL Applications must be received by the end of business on May 19, 2023.

Your application will be rejected, and you will be disqualified from competing in this examination if you:
1) Do not provide your complete and accurate social security number.
2) Attempt to practice fraud or deception in the preparation of this application.

All correspondence and notifications will be sent to your e-mail address or postal address listed in the contact information (address, phone #, e-mail) of your account profile. Your contact information will be automatically updated each time you submit an application for employment. It is your responsibility to change your contact information and to ensure that it is correct.

If you provide an e-mail address, all correspondence regarding this examination will be sent to you by e-mail. You should add Phila.OHR@phila.gov to your address book or list of trusted contacts to prevent notices from being marked as spam by your e-mail provider.

Please call the Office of Human Resources at 215-686-0880 or email hrhelpdesk@phila.gov if you have any questions.

Information concerning employment with the City of Philadelphia may be found at:
http://www.phila.gov/personnel
http://www.phila.gov/personnel/ExamsFAQ.html
http://www.facebook.com/CityofPhiladelphiaJOBS
http://twitter.com/PHLCityJobs

ELIGIBLE LIST
OPEN - COMPETITIVE Only an open competitive eligible list will be established as a result of this examination. Permanent City employees will receive no promotional preference in this examination.

PERIODIC ELIGIBLE LIST – The examination for this class is announced on a periodic basis. The eligible list established as a result will be merged as candidates are tested.

Candidates who pass the exam and are placed on the civil service list will be retained on the list for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years after the establishment of the Eligible List.

Candidates who passed a periodic or continuous examination may not apply for the same examination as long as the candidate’s name remains on the eligible list. Candidates who fail or those who pass and whose names are subsequently removed from the eligible list for a continuous or periodic examination may apply for the examination again 180 days following the last date on which the candidate took the examination. If a candidate takes an examination sooner, the candidate will be considered examined in error. The candidate’s test papers will not be scored.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT – Applicants must have established bona fide residency in the city of Philadelphia for one year prior to appointment for this civil service opportunity.

PREFERENCE FOR PHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS – Candidates who have maintained a bona fide residence in Philadelphia for at least one year prior to the date of the civil service examination shall have priority over all other persons receiving an identical test score. If you have maintained a bona fide residence in Philadelphia for at least one year immediately preceding June 27, 2023, you are eligible to claim residency preference.

Your response to the residency question will be used to determine eligibility for residency preference. Documentation of residence may be required if there is any question as to whether you meet the residency preference requirements.

U.S. VETERAN’S PREFERENCE Ten (10) points for veteran’s preference will be added to the scores of eligible veterans who apply for open competitive tests and pass the examination. To be eligible, the veteran must be honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces by the first date of the examination. Candidates must submit a DD214 Member-4 to the staff member listed on the announcement if they wish for their eligibility to be reviewed. Spouses of disabled or deceased veterans may also be considered and will be required to submit additional documentation.

LEGACY PREFERENCE – The children and grandchildren of Philadelphia Firefighters or Police Officers who were killed or died in the line of duty shall be accorded a preference in open competitive civil service entrance examinations. Candidates must provide documented proof of relationship to the deceased parent or grandparent AND the death certificate of the deceased parent or grandparent. Candidates who qualify for this preference and pass open competitive civil service examinations shall have ten (10) points added to their final score.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE PREFERENCE –
Up to five (5) points will be added to the scores of eligible national volunteers who apply for open competitive tests and pass the examination. Candidates must submit a copy of their service letter to the staff member listed on the announcement if they wish for their eligibility to be reviewed. To be eligible, candidates must have:
A. Successfully completed a term of volunteer service with Peace Corps, AmeriCorps NCCC (including FEMA Corps), or AmeriCorps VISTA Such candidates will be awarded five (5) points for the completion of a two-year term of service or three (3) points for the completion of a one-year term of service.
B. Successfully completed at least 450 hours of service with AmeriCorps State and National (including Teach for America). Such candidates will have:

• 1 point added to their final score if they have completed 450 Hours of the above service.

• 2 points added to their final score if they have completed 675 Hours of the above service.

• 3 points added to their final score if they have completed 900 Hours of the above service.

• 5 points added to their final score if they have completed 1700 Hours of the above service.

Candidates must successfully pass all parts of the examination before veteran’s preference, legacy preference or national volunteer service preference points are awarded.

NEW ! Philadelphia School District Career and Technical Education Preference Points

For eligible lists established after May 1, 2023, candidates who successfully pass the open-competitive examination shall have up to 5 points added to their final score.

Only those competitors who have a passing grade in an all parts of the examination shall receive additional credits to which they may be entitled. The following requirements must be satisfied for a candidate to receive additional credits for examinations.

1. Candidates must have completed and graduated from a career technical education (CTE) program of the School District of Philadelphia during the three year period immediately preceding the examination announcement date.

2. Candidates may claim the additional credit at any time after the date that the examination is announced until 30 days after the Established List of Candidates is approved by the Director or his/her designee. If an eligible candidate does not request additional credits or does not submit a transcript or other required documentation until after certifications and appointments have been made, the granting of additional credits shall have no effect on prior certifications and appointments.

3. If the 5 additional points from the CTE preference would rank a CTE graduate above a veteran, additional points shall be applied to the CTE candidate’s passing score to rank them directly below the veteran.

4. Candidates must submit adequate documentation including high school transcript with completion of CTE Program as required by the Office of Human Resources.

Candidates for Bilingual Specialty
When a single examination is announced to fill positions both in the bilingual specialty of a class and in another specialty of the same class, all candidates must take and pass all weighted parts of the same examination. All candidates who pass the weighted parts of the examination will be placed on the combined eligible list and will be eligible to fill positions in the specialty that does not require fluency in a Non-English language or in American Sign Language.

Candidates who applied for the bilingual specialty who have passed all weighted parts of the examination will be required to pass a qualifying examination as verification of their ability to communicate fluently in a Non-English language or in American Sign Language. Candidates who pass the qualifying examination will be identified on the eligible list as bilingual – fluency verified in a specified language or languages. Such candidates will be eligible to fill positions for the bilingual specialty.

Candidates who fail the bilingual qualifying examination will not be eligible to fill positions in the bilingual specialty, but will remain on the eligible list and will be eligible to fill positions in the specialty that does not require fluency in a Non-English language or in American Sign Language.

ADDITIONAL CREDITS ON EXAMINATIONS

Candidates who have successfully passed all other parts of the open competitive examination for this class who have verified ability to communicate fluently in any non-English language or in American Sign Language will have 3 points added to their final score

Only those competitors who have a passing grade in an examination shall receive additional credits to which they may be entitled. A maximum of three points may be awarded for each examination.

To receive the additional points, the candidate must respond affirmatively that he or she is fluent in a Non-English language or in American Sign Language while preparing the application for each examination or submit a written request for the additional points for each examination at any time prior to the administration of the first part of the examination.

The Office of Human Resources will verify the candidates’ ability to communicate fluently in the non-English language or languages or in American Sign Language).