Recreation Officer

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Are you seeking an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Young Persons and are adept at planning and leading recreational activities? If so, picture yourself as a Recreation Officer at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre where you will plan, organize, and implement a balanced program of physical, social, cultural and leisure activities for the facility.

Note:This position works on an on-call basis between 0 to 40 hours per week, based on operational requirements, and with no guaranteed minimum number of hours per week. You are expected to work rotating shifts that may include evenings, weekends, and/or statutory holidays. This is an in-person position that requires onsite work.

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About the job

• Plan, organize, coordinate and manage a balanced therapeutic recreation program of physical, social, cultural and leisure time to meet the individual needs, interests and abilities of the youth, including facilitating recreational events
• Ensure the safety, security and welfare of young persons and staff while they are participating in recreation programs
• Anticipate, de-escalate, and defuse potentially hostile situations
• Give directions in an appropriate manner and develop successful relationships with youth, staff and the community
• Contribute to a multi-discipline team in the case management process
• Coordinate and schedule recreational facilities and equipment
• Evaluate the progress and development of young persons

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What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• Current First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Heartsaver Certificates with AED (or ability to obtain upon hire)

Specialized Knowledge and Experience

• You have experience planning, facilitating, and supervising a variety of recreational programs (i.e. physical, social, cultural, educational, etc.)
• You have training in kinesiology, physical education, or recreation leadership
• You have experience with program design, implementation, and evaluation in order to develop recreational programs specifically for youth in custody
• You have experience working with youth and understand adolescent development and behaviour
• You have basic understanding of the correctional system/environment in order to participate in dynamic security and relationship custody

Group Leadership and Communication Skills

• You can instruct participants and supervise recreational activities
• You are able to interact and connect with youth of diverse cultural, religious, and educational backgrounds
• You have demonstrated counselling, motivational, team-building, and coaching skills in order to encourage participation as well as address behavioural issues
• You have knowledge of verbal diffusing techniques
• You are able to liaise with staff, community groups, agencies, and volunteers

Analytical and Evaluation Skills

• You can participate in the design and implementation of recreation program content
• You have planning and organizational skills to coordinate resource and facility availability for programming
• You are able to acquire knowledge of and follow relevant legislation, regulations, organizational policies, and procedures

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Don't meet every qualification?

If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!

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How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer  accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please  contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

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Additional information:

Note:

• About security checks:
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
• T-SS-213176/24

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How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.