Job Description

Raleigh Parks is seeking a collaborative, organized, and community-focused Health and Wellness Program Coordinator to help translate public health and community wellness priorities into accessible programs and experiences for Raleigh residents. This position plans, develops, implements, manages, and evaluates health and wellness programs delivered through parks, community centers, facilities, and community partnerships.

Program areas may include fitness and active living, nutrition and food security, chronic disease prevention, health education and screenings, behavioral and mental wellness, substance use and overdose prevention, community gardens, special events, and other emerging community health priorities. The coordinator also serves as the primary Health and Wellness program coordinator for Glen Eden Pilot Park, the department’s Health and Wellness hub, while supporting programs and initiatives throughout Raleigh.

About You:

You are a thoughtful, resourceful professional who enjoys turning ideas into meaningful community experiences. You are comfortable managing multiple priorities, building relationships across organizations, supporting staff and instructors, and using data and community feedback to improve programs. You bring curiosity to your work, ask good questions before jumping to solutions, and are willing to challenge assumptions when a different approach may better serve residents. You value accessibility, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning. You can work independently while knowing when to bring others into the conversation, and you balance innovative thinking with the practical realities of budgets, staffing, facilities, partnerships, and public service.

About Us:

Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources connects people to parks, programs, facilities, experiences, and each other. The Health and Wellness Program area works across Raleigh Parks and with community partners to expand opportunities that support the health and well-being of Raleigh residents. Our work includes community health education, fitness and active living, food security and community gardens, chronic disease prevention, behavioral and mental wellness, substance use and overdose prevention, community partnerships, and other preventive health initiatives. Glen Eden Pilot Park serves as a growing Health and Wellness hub where programs, instructors, partners, and residents can connect through accessible wellness experiences.

Duties and Responsibilities

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

• Plan, develop, implement, manage, and evaluate inclusive community health and wellness programs, taking assigned initiatives from concept through scheduling, logistics, participant engagement, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary Health and Wellness program coordinator for Glen Eden Pilot Park by coordinating programming, room schedules, rentals, instructor use, customer service, special events, site readiness, safety, and day-to-day operational needs while maintaining a citywide program focus.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with healthcare systems, universities, public health agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and other partners to expand expertise, resources, reach, and collaborative programming.
• Recruit, onboard, schedule, supervise, and support part-time staff and fitness/wellness instructors, and provide day-to-day guidance to interns, practicum students, seasonal staff, volunteers, and other program support personnel.
• Develop evaluation tools; collect and analyze participation, demographic, satisfaction, and outcome information; and use data, research, community feedback, and best practices to improve programs and communicate impact.
• Support the administrative and operational side of the program, including budgets, purchasing and procurement, contracts and invoices, equipment and supplies, grants and sponsorship opportunities, outreach, reports, strategic initiatives, and special projects.

Typical Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's Degree in Leisure Activities, Physical Education, Sports/Athletics, Therapeutic Recreation or related field; 1 to 3 years’ experience in recreation program/activity and/or special event implementation, marketing, coordinating, or related work OR Any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be substituted.

Knowledge of or experience supporting Mental Health First Aid, Question Persuade Refer, Opioid naloxone/overdose response education, or other relevant community health and wellness training or initiatives are considered equivalent.

Licensing and Certifications:

Valid NC Class C Driver's License or the ability to obtain within 60 days of hire' CPR/AED/First Aid certification or ability to obtain certification within 60 days of hire

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Health, Health Education/Health Promotion, Community Health, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Recreation Administration, Parks and Recreation, Nutrition, Social Work, or a closely related field.

3 years of direct or related experience in community health, fitness, wellness, recreation, or related programming, including at least two years of experience developing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating programs for diverse populations.

Experience managing community health, public health, fitness, wellness, recreation, or related programs from planning through evaluation.

Experience developing or managing partnerships with healthcare systems, public health agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, or community-based organizations.

Experience with program evaluation, survey development, performance measurement, data analysis, grant-supported initiatives, or outcome reporting.

Experience supervising or coordinating part-time employees, instructors, interns/practicum students, seasonal staff, or volunteers.

Experience in municipal/local government, parks and recreation, community centers, wellness facilities, or other public-facing environment.

Additional Information

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Program and Project Management – Ability to independently organize and manage multiple programs, projects, deadlines, partnerships, and operational priorities from concept through evaluation.
• Community Health and Evidence-Informed Practice – Knowledge of community health, health promotion, wellness, recreation programming, community needs assessment, and evidence-informed approaches.
• Partnership and Community Engagement – Ability to build effective relationships with residents, colleagues, instructors, healthcare providers, universities, nonprofits, public agencies, and other community partners.
• Evaluation and Continuous Improvement – Ability to collect, interpret, and communicate program data; seek community feedback; assess outcomes; and use findings to improve services.
• Supervision, Communication, and Customer Service – Ability to train, schedule, coach, and support staff and instructors; communicate clearly in writing and verbally; navigate conflict professionally; and provide strong public-facing service.
• Equity, Accessibility, Adaptability, and Problem Solving – Ability to consider barriers to participation, apply inclusive and accessible practices, question assumptions, respond resourcefully to changing needs, and adapt based on evidence and learning.

ADA and Other Requirements

Work Environment and Physical Effort:

Sedentary: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, a negligible amount of force frequently, and/or constantly having to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Work Environment:

Work is typically performed in an office or similar indoor setting. Employees may occasionally work in an outdoor environment or in a vehicle.

Work Exposures:

Work in this position does not require frequent environmental exposures.

City of Raleigh is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.