Recreation and Athletics Programs Manager in San Leandro, California at ALAMEDA COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFFS ACTIVITIES LEAGUE

Recreation and Athletics Programs Manager

Job Description

Organizational Description

DSAL’s mission is to implement the Community Capitals Policing model, which builds on existing community capitals (natural, human, social, economic, built, political, and cultural) to create safer, healthier, more vibrant communities with authentic opportunities for all. DSAL, a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit, works within the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Health Unit, alongside sworn Sheriff’s Office personnel and behavioral health clinicians to accomplish this mission.

DSAL recreation programs offer no- and low-cost soccer, boxing, fitness, and other recreational activities for low-income community members and provide opportunities for sheriff's deputies to interact positively with members of the community.

DSAL community development programs endeavor to provide support for community groups, empower community members to engage in the political process, engage in creative placemaking, and make their community a more vibrant, healthy place to live, work, and play.

DSAL General Competencies

These are the qualities that all DSAL employees are expected to exhibit.

• Efficiency: Able to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort.

• Organization: Plans, organizes and budgets in an efficient, productive manner, and focuses on key priorities. Does not let important details fall through the cracks or derail a project.

• Proactivity: Acts without being told what to do, and brings new ideas to the organization. Moves quickly and takes the initiative on matters of importance.

• Tenacity: Asks questions until the way forward is clear. Demonstrates a willingness to go the distance to get something done. Follow-through on commitments.

• Intellectual curiosity: Learns quickly, and demonstrates a desire to absorb new information and put it into practice.

• Flexibility: Adapts quickly to changing priorities and conditions. Copes well with complexity and ambiguity.

• Innovation: Creates new approaches to intractable problems. Isn’t tied to old ways of doing business or solving problems.

• Respect: Maintains courteous and professional relationships with staff, faculty, and the public; Is responsive and fair toward all co-workers. Follow through on all requests.

• Communication: Keeps coworkers and other parties informed of relevant meetings and work progress. Communicates expectations clearly, gives timely feedback; Delegates responsibility where appropriate based on co-workers’ and subordinates’ ability and potential.

• Have an Asset Based Youth Development approach: understand that young people need encouragement as well as standards and expectations to meet. Hold young people to those high standards and encourage them to keep pushing for more through hard work and effort.

• Keep Community Development in mind: recognize that your relationships with individuals can lead to the opportunity to connect them to other parts of the community, including ACSO Deputies, Therapists, other DSAL programs, parents, and other community-based resources.

Job Summary

This is a hands-on management role that balances departmental leadership with direct program delivery. The manager develops, coordinates, teaches, and evaluates recreation and fitness programming; leads staff and program operations; maintains safe and inclusive environments; and ensures that participation data and required documentation are accurate and timely. The role is based primarily at the ACDSAL Fitness Arena, with regular and substantial teaching, program development, and meeting responsibilities at REACH Ashland Youth Center. Travel to other ACDSAL and partner sites throughout Alameda County is required as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Department Leadership and Staff Supervision

  • Lead the day-to-day operation, quality, safety, staffing, and participant experience of ACDSAL's Recreation and Athletics Department.

  • Directly supervise assigned program leads and staff; provide indirect leadership to the broader recreation team through designated leads and supervisors.

  • Set clear expectations, delegate responsibilities, monitor performance, and provide timely coaching, feedback, training, accountability, and professional-development support.

  • Lead or support recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, and succession development for recreation and athletics positions.

  • Maintain current staff rosters, certifications, assignments, and schedules; adjust staffing for seasonal programs, special events, absences, and changing operational needs.

  • Address routine staff and operational issues and coordinate significant performance or personnel matters with the Operations Manager and Executive Director.
    
    

• Program Leadership, Instruction, and Youth Development

  • Serve as ACDSAL's primary instructor and program lead for recreation and fitness programming at REACH Ashland Youth Center, including regular direct teaching and facilitation.

  • Develop and maintain a seasonal menu of standards-based programs aligned with REACH's schedule, priorities, participant interests, and available resources.

  • Design, adapt, and deliver indoor and outdoor activities for youth, families, and special populations that are age-appropriate, inclusive, engaging, and physically active.

  • Promote teamwork, confidence, self-reflection, social skills, sportsmanship, healthy choices, and positive youth development.

  • Coach staff in effective instruction, facilitation, behavior support, and youth engagement; help staff translate program goals into strong participant experiences.

  • Evaluate programs using observation, participation data, feedback, outcomes, and community needs; recommend improvements or expansion within available resources.

  • Coordinate REACH members' access to ACDSAL programs and support evening, weekend, off-site, family-engagement, and special-event programming as approved.
    
    

• Internal Operations and Cross-Department Coordination

  • • Coordinate program calendars, facility use, staffing, equipment, supplies, transportation or permits, and other logistics across ACDSAL locations and programs.

  • Partner internally with operations, finance, communications, data/evaluation, and executive leadership to resolve needs, meet deadlines, and keep programs ready for daily operation.

  • Manage equipment and supply inventory, storage, maintenance, and approved purchasing in accordance with budgets, funding restrictions, and ACDSAL procedures.

  • Communicate significant staffing concerns, facility issues, safety needs, resource gaps, and program updates promptly through the appropriate internal channels.

  • Maintain orderly program, personnel, purchasing, and compliance documentation within the scope of the role.

• Program Operations And Coordination

  • Plan and maintain staff and program schedules for DSAL recreation and athletics activities, including REACH programming.

  • Coordinate facility calendars, space usage, equipment, staffing, and program logistics across DSAL, REACH, and partner locations.

  • Coordinate the procurement, use, inventory, storage, and maintenance of recreation and athletics equipment and supplies.

  • Research and purchase program equipment and supplies in accordance with approved budgets and DSAL purchasing procedures.

  • Submit and track permits, approvals, and other required program documentation.

  • Coordinate operational needs with internal DSAL departments and external partners.

  • Ensure programs are adequately staffed, supplied, and prepared for daily operations.

  • Support seasonal, summer, after-school, evening, weekend, and special-event programming.

  • Promptly communicate staffing concerns, facility issues, operational needs, and significant program updates to the DSAL Operations Manager and Executive Director.
    
    

• External Partnerships and Community Representation

  • Serve as ACDSAL's primary day-to-day contact for recreation and fitness coordination with REACH staff and applicable external partners.

  • Build and maintain productive relationships with youth, families, schools, community organizations, government agencies, law-enforcement partners, and other stakeholders.

  • Represent ACDSAL professionally in REACH Management Team meetings, partner meetings, community events, evaluation meetings, and other external engagements.

  • Collaborate with partners on shared goals, coordinated activities, participant referrals, outreach, service integration, growth opportunities, and potential resources while keeping ACDSAL leadership informed.

  • Respond to partner and community questions or concerns with professionalism, good judgment, cultural humility, and timely follow-through; escalate commitments, conflicts, or risks beyond delegated authority.

  • Coordinate program descriptions, calendars, outreach, and approved promotional information with ACDSAL and REACH communications contacts, following applicable branding requirements.
    
    

• Safety, Program Standards, and Compliance

  • Establish and maintain standards for participant conduct, facility and equipment use, instructional quality, accessibility, and program safety.

  • Monitor facilities, equipment, classes, and activities; address hazards promptly and activate applicable Emergency Action Plans when needed.

  • Maintain required First Aid, CPR, Bloodborne Pathogens, and other applicable certifications, and ensure assigned staff complete required training and certifications.

  • Protect participant, family, employee, partner, and organizational information and follow ACDSAL, REACH, County, state, and federal privacy and security requirements.

  • When authorized to access protected information, use and disclose it only as necessary; immediately report suspected safety, privacy, or security incidents through required channels.

  • Ensure reports and shared information are appropriately aggregated and do not include personally identifiable health information or other protected information.
    
    

• Data, Evaluation, Reporting, and Financial Stewardship

  • Maintain accurate, timely attendance, enrollment, participation, completion, referral, service-hour, and program activity records in KidTrax, Salesforce, and other approved systems.

  • Train and support staff in required data-entry, attendance, documentation, and quality-control procedures.

  • Implement required surveys and evaluation tools and participate in REACH's Results-Based Accountability framework, including measures of service volume, service quality, and participant outcomes.

  • Document program activities, accomplishments, challenges, outcomes, and recommendations; provide accurate information and supporting records for quarterly, annual, grant, contract, organizational, monitoring, audit, and invoicing needs.

  • Coordinate with ACDSAL leadership and authorized REACH/County evaluation partners to meet reporting deadlines and respond to approved information requests.

  • Monitor assigned budgets and expenditures, maintain purchasing records, and promptly communicate financial needs or concerns to the Operations Manager.

Required Qualifications - Listed in Priority Order

• Required:

  • Leadership: Demonstrated experience supervising employees and leading teams in recreation, athletics, fitness, youth development, or a related program area, including delegation, coaching, accountability, and performance management.

  • Internal and external collaboration: Strong written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated ability to lead across functions while building effective relationships with youth, families, employees, administrators, schools, community organizations, agencies, and other partners.

  • Program delivery: Experience developing, coordinating, and directly delivering recreation, fitness, athletics, or youth programming; ability and willingness to serve regularly as a primary instructor and facilitator.

  • Youth and family engagement: Experience working directly with youth and families in community-based settings and a strong understanding of positive youth development, inclusion, age-appropriate practice, and participant safety.

  • Operational management: Experience coordinating multiple programs, staff schedules, facilities, equipment, logistics, and competing priorities with strong organization and follow-through.

  • Curriculum and quality improvement: Experience developing or adapting curricula and using participation information, feedback, and observed outcomes to improve programming.

  • Data and reporting: Experience maintaining program data in digital systems, implementing surveys or evaluations, and preparing accurate documentation for organizational, grant, or contract reporting.

  • Judgment and compliance: Ability to protect confidential information, follow privacy and information-security requirements, recognize when escalation is needed, and operate within established authority.
    
    

• Preferred:

Experience leading partnerships with schools, community-based organizations, government agencies, law-enforcement partners, or other youth-serving organizations.

Experience supporting grant-funded or contract-funded programs and associated reporting or invoicing documentation.

Familiarity with Results-Based Accountability or a similar evaluation and performance-measurement framework.

Experience using KidTrax, Salesforce, or comparable attendance and program-data systems.

Organizational Role And Supervision

The Recreation and Athletics Programs Manager reports directly to the DSAL Operations Manager and receives additional support and oversight from the Executive Director.

The position is accountable for the overall day-to-day operation, quality, safety, staffing, and participant experience of the Recreation and Athletics Department, exercising this responsibility directly through its assigned program leads and supervisors.

The employee also serves as DSAL’s primary recreation and fitness program lead at REACH Ashland Youth Center. REACH responsibilities are an essential component of the position and must be performed in coordination with DSAL leadership, REACH leadership, and applicable program partners.

The employee is responsible for completing assigned program-level duties and maintaining the records, data, documentation, and deliverables necessary for DSAL to meet applicable REACH contractual requirements. Ultimate responsibility for the contract remains with DSAL leadership.

Work Location And Schedule

The position is based primarily at the DSAL Fitness Arena, with regular and substantial teaching, program development, program delivery, and meeting responsibilities at REACH Ashland Youth Center.

Work may also be performed at other DSAL locations, schools, partner facilities, community sites, and off-site recreation locations throughout Alameda County.

Occasional remote work may be permitted with prior supervisor approval. Remote work is not guaranteed and is based on operational and program needs.

The position requires flexibility to work evenings and weekends based on DSAL, REACH, program, event, and community schedules.

Type of Employment

The position is a non-exempt, full-time position, paid at the rate of $42/hour x 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday x 8 hrs each. Standard and expected schedule is in person 10 am - 9 pm with an hour paid lunch.

This position includes the following benefits:

• Full-time employees accrue vacation according to the following schedule, up to a maximum of 180 hours:

  • 6.67 hours per month or 10 days per year = 0 -1 year

  • 10 hours per month or 15 days per year = >1 to <5 years

  • 13.33 hours per month or 20 days per year = >5 years

• Group health insurance plan: DSAL pays 100% of the value of the Kaiser Silver medical/dental plan. Kaiser Gold and Platinum are also available, and the employee pays the difference in price.

• Non-matching 401K to allow employees to save for retirement pre-tax

• Cell phone usage reimbursement: $15/pay period

• Laptop usage reimbursement: $25/pay period

• Professional Development Allowance ($300 per year)

Starting Date of Employment

As soon as possible.