The Position

The Summer Free for All Lunch + Play program takes place in parks throughout the city and for the Free Lunch + Play Mobile Van program travels to East Portland Apartment Complexes and parks on a daily basis.

Portland Parks & Recreation strives to hire people that share in our mission of providing inclusive programming that celebrates and reflects the diversity of Portland and the youth we serve and align with City of Portland's core values of Anti-Racism and Equity. This includes a daily commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion.

FREE LUNCH + PLAY
The Free Lunch + Play program runs from mid-June to end of August. During this time children and families spontaneously “drop-in” to various parks and mobile sites to play, make friends, participate in activities, and eat a free meal onsite. Some children and families will return to the same sites frequently, while others may visit only once. Ages of youth and numbers of youth in attendance continually changes throughout the day. Staff will prepare, plan and lead drop-in recreation activities such as arts n’ crafts, exploratory play, and games to youth and families, give out meals as part of the Federal lunch program, and provide a fun, safe experience for children in our parks. All staff are expected to be inclusive, friendly, reliable, and eager to play with diverse groups of children and youth during their entire shift each day. All Free Lunch + Play positions are physically active, high-energy jobs that take place in outdoor parks in all types of weather. Must be able to lift and move 20 pounds throughout the shift each day and work in an outdoor environment.

This recruitment is for positions held at various parks located throughout Portland. This is an open continuous recruitment and intended for summer employment only.

Positions include:

• Counselor (approximately 60 opportunities)
• Lead Counselor (approximately 35 opportunities)

Find more information below about job types, locations of potential job openings, shifts and salary ranges.

The City of Portland, Oregon is a growing and diverse city of 650,000 residents, nearly 20% of whom speak languages other than English at home. PP&R values a diverse workforce and seeks ways to promote equity and inclusion within the organization and with the public. PP&R encourages applications from candidates with knowledge, ability and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities with diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Although not required, PP&R encourages candidates that can speak another language fluently to include that information in their responses below. Bilingual/bi-cultural candidates are encouraged to apply.

Language Pay Differential: Employees who speak one or more languages in addition to English and who use their language skill to assist the community, may receive additional pay. More about the process can be found here.

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  Must be able to lift and move 20 pounds throughout the shift each day.

Ages:
Counselor (Must be at least 16 years old)

Wage Range (applicants start at the entry hourly rate):
Recreation Associate – Counselor $18.00 - $21.00

Training Wage: The training wage is $18.00 for all counselor positions.

RECREATION ASSOCIATE - LEAD COUNSELOR
Position/s: Lead Counselor – These positions are union represented.
Lead Counselors are the staff leaders and are expected to communicate and model exceptional customer service, safety protocols, and engagement techniques to all Counselor’s and volunteers on a consistent basis. Lead Counselors are also responsible for prioritizing the safety of all staff and guests, documenting, and maintaining accurate records, being a liaison to all program partners, creating a culture of inclusiveness, care, and fun, ensuring staff and volunteers remain engaged and on-task, daily communication with supervisors.

Recreation Associate – Lead Counselor: Free Lunch + Play at Park Sites

• Must be able to lift and move 20 pounds throughout the shift each day.

Recreation Associate – Lead Counselor: Free Lunch + Play Mobile Van Program

• Must be able to lift and move 20 pounds throughout the shift each day.
• Not all positions will require a driver’s license.

Ages:
Lead Counselor (Must be at least 18 years old)

Wage Range (applicants start at the entry hourly rate):
Recreation Associate – Lead Counselor $20.00 - $23.00

Training Wage: The training wage is $18.00 for all counselor positions.

Please note: This position is represented by Labors' (LiUNA) Local 483 - Recreation. Applicants start at the entry hourly rate. To view the labor agreement, please go to the Labor agreements webpage and click on the appropriate link.

City of Portland Core Values:
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
As of October 18, 2021, all City employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This is required for all positions at the City of Portland. Proof of being fully vaccinated is required by date of hire. You may request an exception,for health or religious reasons, from getting the COVID-19 vaccine at the time a position is offered.

To Qualify

The following minimum qualifications are required for these positions are as follows:

• Experience with playing, interacting, and providing positive experiences for youth and families.
• Ability to build relationships, solve conflicts, and collaborate with a team.
• Ability to communicate and engage effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Ability to recognize and respond to safety and emergency situations.
• Ability to problem-solve and respond to customer concerns.

Applicants must possess:

• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 per City/State mandate or have an approved exception by date of hire.

The Recruitment Process

Applicants must submit the following to be considered:
1. Work History
2. Answers to Supplemental Questions

Work Experience: Fully describe your relevant work experience and/or any unpaid volunteer experience, making sure to explain how your experience demonstrates the qualifications listed in the "To Qualify" section above.

Supplemental Questions: Please answer all required questions

• Your work history and answers to the questions will be scored for this position. Incomplete work history and answers to the job questions may remove you from moving forward.
• Your answers to the supplemental questions should have details about your education, training, work experience or lived experience.
• Your work history should support your answers to the questions.
• Salary Range/Equity Pay Analysis: Per the Oregon State Pay Equity Law, your pay is determined based on the experience and education listed in your application. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all directly related and equivalent experience.
• If you served in the military, you may ask for preference. More information can be found below. You may provide in your answers to the questions and resume, any skills gained during your service and how they relate to each of the required minimum skills for this job.

Next Steps:

• After you submit your application to Government Jobs, it will be reviewed, and you will be contacted for an interview if a position opens and if you meet the qualifications.
• You may be contacted anytime while this recruitment remains open as this is an open-continuous recruitment.
• This recruitment will consider only summer employment.
• Applications submitted by April 10th will be guaranteed an interview. Applications submitted after April 10th, will only be interviewed on an as needed basis.
• Interviews will be offered weekly beginning in late March/early April. You will get more information to sign-up for the date and times available once your application has been reviewed
• Summer Trainings will begin the week of June 20th
• This recruitment will remain open until June 30, 2023.

Additional Information

Work Status: Non-citizen applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application.

Veterans' Preference: If you are requesting Veterans' preference, attach a copy of your DD214/DD215 and/or Veterans Administration letter stating your disability to your profile, as well as checking the box identifying yourself as a Veteran. You must request Veterans' Preference AND include a copy of your documentation for each recruitment to which you apply. Veterans' Preference documentation must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on the closing date of this recruitment.

ADA Accommodations: If you identify as a person with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation when applying for this job, please contact the Recruiter below for assistance.

Equal Employment Opportunity: It is the policy of the City of Portland that no person shall be discriminated against based on race, religion, color, sex, marital status, family status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or source of income. The City values diversity and encourages everyone who is interested in employment with the City to apply.

Did you know? The City of Portland offers How to Apply Classes that are free and review best practices for applying to the City. Follow the link for the most recent list of scheduled dates: https://www.portland.gov/bhr/career-center/applying-city-jobs

Questions?
Vanessa Valdez, Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
Vanessa.Valdez@portlandoregon.gov