Job Description

Posting number: 26-02554(PT)

Department: Parks

Job classification: PARKS/RECREATION SPECIALIST

Posting type: Open

Categories: Administration, Administrative Assistant, Building & Safety, Building Maintenance, Clerical & Data Entry, Code Enforcement, Environmental Services, Facility Management, Human Resources, Public Health, Public Relations, Public Safety, Public Works, Recreation, Parks and Recreation, Parks, Urban Forestry, Maintenance, Community Development, Construction Maintenance, Customer Service, Organizational Development, Grounds & Landscaping, Forestry, Business, Communications, Green-Collar/Environmental, Database Administration, Horticulture

Summary

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Parks seeks reliable and customer-focused individuals to join our team as part-time Parks/Recreation Specialist. This position may report to the Operations or Natural Resources Divisions to assist in maintaining Park Board-controlled properties. Duties may include general landscape/lawn care, forest restoration, and/or horticultural services. In this role, you will provide excellent customer service to park visitors, address inquiries, and ensure a positive experience for all patrons. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills, a friendly demeanor, and a passion for promoting a safe and enjoyable environment within our parks.

HOURS: Part-time employees work up to 30 hours per week. Some positions may work weekends, holidays, and evenings.

1. A Seasonal Horticulturalist (Operations and Greenspace)

• Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following items:
• Designs, installs, and maintains horticultural displays
• Communicates closely with community representatives to plan displays and inform them of progress.
• Maintenance and duties include driving a city pickup truck with a large water tank and operating a gas-powered pump to water.
• Fertilize, prune, deadhead, weed, replace soil as needed, divide plants, remove litter, and related tasks. Responsible for working with a horticultural technician to assist you with maintenance requirements.
• Assist with all maintenance and planting tasks, including landscape bed preparation, mulching, weeding, pruning, planting various plant materials and removal, deadheading, trash pickup in beds, raking up debris, fertilizing and other chemical applications, and watering.

2.Conservation and Land Management Technicians

Wildlife Habitat and Forest Restoration

• Trail Management: inspection and maintenance of the trail system throughout the park system
• Invasive Plant Removal: using herbicide, a chain saw, weed whip, and/or machete to manage invasive shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plant materials
• Prairie & Meadow Management: Preparing and managing fields using herbicide and/or mechanical means; collecting native seed for propagation and use in new prairie installations.
• Forest Management: Reforestation and landscape planting of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous understory material; monitoring for emerging invasive species and other possible management issues
• Ecological Research: creation, set up, monitoring, and reporting on research projects related to ongoing and/or future research projects, including data entry in MS Excel and ArcGIS FieldMaps.
• Volunteer Engagement: Serving as a site-leader for volunteer workdays on various land management and conservation-based projects related to the above.

3.Urban Forestry Technicians

• Tree Care - help the with brush chipping, roping down branches, and/or bucking up ground material, young tree pruning, watering, and fertilization
• Urban Forestry Management - Assist Urban Forestry Staff with tree inventories for the preparation of contracted preventive maintenance cycle; administrative work may include data entry in MS excel and/or ArcGIS
• Tree inventory: work alongside one of Park’s certified arborists to collect tree data using Arc Collector.

All Part-time employees must:

• Follow safety procedures, maintain a safe environment/facility for staff and visitors, and recognize potential environmental and situational hazards.
• Provides general cleaning of park facilities and office areas.
• Demonstrates good organizational and administrative skills. Contacts staff and volunteers working on special events (email or phone calls), prepares any paperwork needed, and provides event statistics for monthly reports.
• Secures building and event facilities at the end of the workday and as needed during work hours.
• Assists with developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with community groups and other partnership organizations during the special event.
• Performs related duties as required.

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Must be eighteen (18) years of age, a high school graduate, and have a valid driver’s license.

DESIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Courses in the natural sciences, education or related area.
• Knowledge of local ecology, local culture, and natural history.
• Familiarity with various electronic software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., and social media platforms.
• Knowledge of or interest in parks and outdoor activities is preferred.
• Basic math skills
• Knowledge chain saw operation and herbicide application
• Knowledge of mapping with ArcGIS applications to collect and compile data
• Setup, monitoring, and reporting on research objectives
• Knowledge of plant identification of native versus invasive plants and common tree species
• Ability to drive a pickup truck in city traffic. Work sites may include streets, sidewalks, parkways, and community gateways.

This part-time position offers an exciting opportunity to be a key player in creating positive experiences for park visitors. If you are passionate about customer service and enjoy working in a dynamic outdoor environment, we encourage you to apply for this position.

Training Requirements

For some positions, employees must complete fifteen hours of training and/or pre-season orientation. Training topics may include, but are not limited to, CPR, First Aid, Back Safety, Fire Safety, Customer Service, Cultural Diversity, Sexual Harassment, Inclusion, and the Recreation Commission's Orientation for New and Returning Employees.

Supplemental information

Environmental Conditions:

Indoor and outdoor environments; exposure to office computer screens; work on slippery or uneven surfaces; work in or around water; exposure to poison flora, insects, or other animal diseases; exposure to extremes in weather conditions (all types of weather); exposure to human health issues; exposure to various chemicals (ex. water-quality testing chemicals); at times will work alone at parks and nature centers.

Physical Conditions:

Responsibilities and duties require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, standing, climbing, walking for prolonged periods of time; lead hikes over varied terrain, including steps and hills.

occasional light or moderate lifting and carrying required; occasionally required to use hands to finger, occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs.; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to distinguish colors, and the ability to adjust focus; must speak clearly and audibly