CHIEF LAKE LIFEGUARD

Job Description:

CHIEF LAKE LIFEGUARD

Description

Position/Program Information

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

FILING PERIOD

We will be accepting applications beginning Monday, August 25, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) until Monday, September 22, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. (PT). Applications received after 5:00 p.m. (PT) will not be considered.

EXAM NUMBER

D2960A

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

We accept applications from everyone.

ABOUT THE JOB:
Oversees water safety and lake aquatic operations at the Department of Parks & Recreation's three regional lakes (Castaic Lake, in Castaic, Frank G. Bonelli Lake in San Dimas, and Santa Fe Dam Lake in Irwindale) and provides policy level guidance and training to water safety and lake lifeguard personnel.

Why work for us?
With more than 10 million residents, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation! As the largest employer in Southern California, over 116,000 employees in more than 38 Departments, we provide vital public services as diverse as law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, cultural activities and many more.

We are dedicated professionals committed to preserving the dignity and integrity of the workplace as well as protecting the rights of each employee. The County has more than 2,300 different job descriptions, offering a lifetime of opportunities and careers! We offer of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the country. Join us and discover a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax, and rejuvenate to reach your fullest personal and professional potential.

Essential Job Functions

Oversees all aspects of lake safety operations, including strategic planning, policy development, program implementation, underwater rescue and recovery, staffing, emergency response, boat accident investigations, lifeguard training and certification, water safety, and enforcement of relevant laws (e.g., state and county safety, penal, and fish and game codes).

Evaluates the performance of subordinate supervisors and managers; provides recommendations for advancement and career development of all divisional personnel; and approves selection criteria and performance standards for staff.

Develops and manages budgets for safety operations and programs across the three lakes; recommends staffing levels and allocates resources in alignment with departmental policies; and ensures equitable and efficient distribution of resources.

Oversees the lake aquatic facilities to ensure that they conform to departmental standards regarding health and safety, staff efficiency, and responsiveness of lifeguarding and boat patrol services in emergencies; and coordinates with other County departments, and public and governmental agencies to ensure that program requirements and safety are maintained.

Serves as the Department’s representative in meetings with community groups, city councils, chambers of commerce, and other organizations to address lake safety and improve services and programs; coordinates with public safety agencies, including law enforcement, fire, and paramedic service; and contributes to the development of emergency response plans for lake operations.

Oversees the development and implementation of a comprehensive training program for all lake aquatic personnel; ensures proper certifications, including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), are obtained for lifeguards at various levels of responsibility; and provides technical direction to ensure proper performance of lifeguards (e.g., uses advanced knowledge of boat patrol operations and protocols to coach and counsel lifeguard supervisors).

Commands major departmental rescue operations, such as airplane crashes or complicated underwater rescue efforts.

Oversees investigation of serious lake-related accidents; collaborates with departmental leadership and other agencies to evaluate incident response and recommend improvements; and assists in preparing news releases and other public communications about lake activities.

Serves as a water safety technical expert in labor grievances and other labor relations issues that affect the lifeguard bargaining unit.

Reviews existing ordinances to determine their effectiveness; proposes updates or new ordinances, as needed; and recommends submittal of proposals to the Board of Supervisors for approval to improve public safety.

Develops and coordinates with the state and federal regulatory agencies a public outreach and education plan addressing issues such as water quality impairments, harmful algal blooms, large fish die-offs, aquatic weed control, resident waterfowl population management, monitoring of invasive species, and suspected water contamination, to correct deficiencies at all lake facilities managed by the department.

Assists the Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation and Regional Operations Manager, Parks and Recreation of the Aquatics Agency in developing and implementing public service, financial, and administrative objectives and policies that affect water safety and law enforcement.

Engages in the physical fitness program established by the department in order to maintain sufficient capability to perform open water lifesaving duties.

Monitors and tracks all expenditures for Services and Supplies (S&S), overtime and salaries, and reviews and approves all Lake Lifeguard Division purchases, construction projects, communications, and fleet repairs.

Oversees grant and special funding programs; and coordinates all capital projects within the Lake Lifeguard Division.

Negotiates employee Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and serves as a liaison, as needed, with the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association (LACOLA).

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

Option I: One (1) year of experience supervising* lifeguard and patrol operations at a private or public lake or open water beach, serving a population of 500,000 or more, at the level of a Lake Aquatics Manager.**

Option II: Two (2) years of experience supervising* lifeguard and patrol operations at a private or public lake or open water beach, serving a population of 500,000 or more, at the level of Supervising Lake Lifeguard, Parks and Recreation.***

Option III: Five (5) years of experience supervising* open water lifeguard operations at a private or public lake or open water beach, serving a population of 500,000 or more.

CERTIFICATIONS:
A valid Emergency Medical Technician I (EMT) certificate.

Certification in open-water lifesaving from an agency authorized under the California Code Regulations, Health and Safety, Title 22, State First Aid Standards for Public Safety Personnel.
DRIVER LICENSE REQUIREMENT:

A valid California Class C Driver License is required at time of application or within five days after the closing date of the bulletin.

For positions that require driving, successful applicants must acquire and present a copy of their driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not submit their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

PHYSICAL CLASS: 4 - Arduous
This class involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working above ground on irregular surfaces. It includes those positions that occasionally demand extraordinary physical activity such as those in Safety positions.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience overseeing and managing a budget
• Basic scuba certification from a recognized diving organization
• State of California Arrest and Firearms PC 832 Certificate

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

* Supervising includes responsibility for scheduling work shifts, approving time off, and writing formal evaluations of work performance.
**At the level of a Lake Aquatics Manager is defined as managing the lake aquatics activities of a facility on all shifts, 7 days per week and providing administrative and technical supervision to a large year-around staff of lake lifeguard personnel through subordinate full-time supervising lifeguards.
*** At the level of a Supervising Lake Lifeguard is defined as providing administrative and technical supervision to lake lifeguards and senior lake lifeguards assigned to boat patrol and shoreline duties on a year-round basis.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:

• Training & Experience (T&E) Evaluation: This assessment type will evaluate the experience, training, education and desirable qualifications that you list on a questionnaire and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system.
  
  
• The assessment is weighted 100% of your total score.
  

• The passing score for the assessment is 70%.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
Candidates who pass the assessment are placed on a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months.

VACANCY INFORMATION:
The list of successful candidates created from this exam will be used to fill a vacancy located in Arcadia, CA .

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

jyee@parks.lacounty.gov
info@governmentjobs.com
talentcentral@shl.com
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Note: All notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. Test scores cannot be given over the telephone.

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

For those who do not have access to a computer or the internet, we provide access to complete an application at public libraries throughout the county.

All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's login information may erase a candidate's original application record.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Jesse Yee
Department Contact Number: (626) 588-5104
Department Contact Email: jyee@parks.lacounty.gov
ADA Coordinator Phone: (626) 588-5109
Teletype Phone: ( 213) 427-6118
California Relay Services Phone: (800)735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 9/22/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$94,242.72 - $127,000.32 Annually