Montgomery County Government

About the Position

WHO WE ARE

Montgomery County Department of Recreation is a nationally recognized and award-winning agency with a mission to provide high quality, diverse, and accessible community-based programs, activities, and services that serve the recreation and leisure needs of the Montgomery County community. The department manages 39 facilities including recreation centers, senior centers, and indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities and provides thousands of programs such as out-of-school activities, aquatics, classes, youth and adult sports programs and leagues, senior programs, and therapeutic recreation.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Montgomery County Recreation seeks an energetic, highly motivated Program Director with a passion for Therapeutic Recreation and experience serving individuals with disabilities.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Program Director, you will:

• Greet and assist participants and visitors, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for individuals of all abilities.
• Provide exceptional customer service, including supporting individuals with disabilities in accessing programs and services.
• Set up and break down adaptive equipment and program spaces as needed.
• Ensure proper use and maintenance of specialized equipment and facility adaptations.
• Monitor activities and participant engagement to ensure a safe, supportive, and accessible environment for all.
• Adapt programs, activities, and materials to accommodate varying needs and abilities.
• Maintain a clean and organized facility or program that promotes accessibility and inclusion.
• Enforce program and facility rules while fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere.

As a Program Director, you may:

• Serve in a leadership role in school-based, community-based, or recreation facility-based therapeutic programs.
• Supervise, plan, lead, coordinate, and evaluate recreation activities for individuals with disabilities.
• Collaborate with partners to deliver inclusive recreation programs, adaptive sports, or transportation services.
• Collect and process registrations and payments while safeguarding financial and personal information.
• Complete administrative tasks such as answering phones, completing reports, maintaining records, and scheduling.
• Officiate or judge adaptive sports and recreation programs.

To be a successful Program Director, you MUST:

• Be able to follow and give directions and answer inquiries professionally and with a welcoming attitude.
• Be knowledgeable about adaptive recreation techniques, disability awareness, and inclusion best practices.
• Demonstrate patience, empathy, and strong problem-solving skills when working with individuals with disabilities.
• Work as part of a team, maintain relationships, attend required training, and participate in staff meetings.
• Exercise sound judgment and maturity in maintaining a positive and safe program environment.
• Have experience managing large groups, supervising seasonal staff and volunteers, and communicating expectations clearly.

The hourly rate for this seasonal position is $21.46 an hour

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: Four thousand one hundred sixty (4,160) hours (2 years) of relevant work experience as a leader or instructor in recreation, adaptive recreation, or therapeutic recreation settings.
• Education: Completion of two (2) years in college, preferably in recreation, therapeutic recreation, special education, or a related field.
• Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Leave Benefits

Our generous leave package starts with non-MLS permanent and term employees earning 15 days of sick leave and 15 days of annual leave in their first year, as well as up to three additional personal days each calendar year. Positions in MLS earn 35 days of paid time off each year. In addition, we offer all employees 10 paid holidays. Our leave policies adhere to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, and we provide six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.

Retirement Benefits

All permanent and term positions are eligible for robust retirement plans. Public safety positions are eligible for a defined benefit pension plan in which they are vested after only five years. Employees in non-public safety positions can participate in retirement plans that contribute up to 12 percent of their annual salary. All employees can also participate in a supplemental retirement plan, the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, to contribute even more to their retirement goals.

Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Forgiveness

Montgomery County employees are eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Participants who meet all requirements may qualify for forgiveness on the remaining balance on their Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time in a qualifying public service position. To learn more about PSLF, please visit the Student Loan Repayment Benefits page. Our tuition assistance program allows you to receive up to $2,130 annually in tuition assistance to help you achieve a degree that supports your career path.

Free Mass Transit Benefit

County employees are entitled to use the RideOn Bus service for free with a valid County-employee ID. This benefit can be used any time of the day or evening, including weekends. We also offer a pre-tax flexible spending account to reduce the cost of other mass-transit options such as MARC trains and Metro.

Reduced Child and Health Care Costs

Working for Montgomery County also entitles permanent and term employees to participate in healthcare and childcare Flexible Spending Accounts. These plans allow eligible employees to save on a pretax basis for healthcare and dependent care costs incurred during the plan year. 

Employee Wellbeing

We deeply care about your holistic wellness. Our award-winning wellness program, LiveWell, will support you in improving and maintaining your physical, mental, financial, social, and intellectual well-being.

Learn more about our wonderful benefits available to you once you join our team. Montgomery County Benefits