The Lead Open Space Technician position is an excellent career opportunity for a skilled and motivated individual who enjoys working outdoors while building and maintaining trails, working on open space construction projects, and providing technical and functional supervision to assigned staff on open space preserves. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and communication skills, have experience across a broad range of construction, maintenance and resource management projects, and enjoys working collaboratively with others.
About Midpen: Midpen helps plants, animals and people thrive throughout the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region by preserving a greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres of public open space with 250 miles of trails in 27 extraordinary preserves, permanently protected for natural resource conservation and ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Midpen is a public agency with a focused mission that guides our work, and where every employee makes an impact. If you are looking for an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the legacy of open space protection, natural resource restoration and outdoor recreation, working with an incredible team of like-minded colleagues, we invite you to apply for this position! At Midpen, we believe open space is for all. Our public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community. All people, regardless of background, deserve respect, dignity, safety, and a sense of belonging. Midpen welcomes all people to enjoy the public open space preserves we hold in trust, supporting the mental, physical, and social well-being of our region. Check out the Working for Midpen video on our Employment Opportunities page.
Assigned Location: Midpen is currently seeking to fill two Lead Open Space Technician positions, reporting to the Maintenance Supervisor. These assignments are scheduled to begin in September 2026, and based in the following locations:
Foothills Field Office (FFO) - Cupertino (Address: 501 Rancho San Antonio Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014)
Skyline Field Office (SFO) – La Honda (Address: 21150 Skyline Blvd., La Honda, CA 94020) MAP
In addition to filling this position, we intend to create a pool of highly qualified candidates to fill future opportunities at Midpen for the position of Lead Open Space Technician. Assigned work locations may be at any of these offices:
- South Area Office (SAO) – Campbell (Address: 240 Cristich Lane, Campbell, CA 95008)
- Foothills Field Office – Cupertino (Address: 501 Rancho San Antonio Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014)
- Skyline Field Office (SFO) – La Honda (Address: 21150 Skyline Blvd., La Honda, CA 94020) MAP
- Coastal Area Outpost (CAO) – La Honda (Address: 5710 La Honda Road, San Gregorio, CA 94074)
About the Position: The Lead Open Space Technician performs a wide variety of tasks in the construction, maintenance, and repair of assigned areas. This role requires the use of considerable independence, initiative, and discretion within established guidelines. Key responsibilities include inspecting District properties and facilities to identify construction and maintenance needs, recommending appropriate actions, leading maintenance crews and performing complex duties to ensure that District lands and facilities are well maintained and provide the highest level of safety for public and staff use. For additional information about the Lead Open Space Technician position, see the Job Description page on our website.
A Few Reasons Why You May Love This Job
- Collaborative work that directly supports Midpen’s mission to protect and restore the natural environment
- You’ll be part of a talented and dynamic team whose work contributes to providing nature’s benefits to everyone
- Excellent employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, tuition reimbursement, and a retirement pension through California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Work Environment: This position is part of the Land Stewardship & Trails Department assigned to a primary field office and will visit other Midpen field sites. This position may be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Must wear prescribed District uniform and adhere to strict safety procedures and work habits. Depending on the exposure, employee is required to wear head, hearing, eye, foot, face, hand, and full protection equipment. Employees work in the field and are exposed to loud noise levels, cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, confining workspace, chemicals, mechanical and/or electrical hazards, hazardous physical substances and fumes, and poison oak. Following onboarding and successfully meeting job performance expectations, may be eligible for the flexible work program which includes 9/80 schedules.
Midpen reserves the right to limit or deny off-duty employment or business ownership which creates a conflict of interest or an incompatibility with District employment. Additional information can be found in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual Section 4.13 Off-Duty Employment and Business Ownership.
Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade supplemented by college-level coursework in park maintenance, resource management, or a related field and three (3) years of experience in construction, maintenance, and/or repair of parks, open spaces, and/or related facilities, and/or resource management.
Licenses & Certifications Required:
- Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License.
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, Basic First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
certification within six (6) months of employment.
- Depending on assignment, possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Class A Driver’s
License and required endorsements within twelve (12) months of employment.
- Depending on assignment, possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Grade I Water Treatment
Operator Certificate and Grade I Water Distribution Operator Certificate issued by the California
Department of Public Health (CDPH).
- Depending on assignment, possession of, or ability to obtain, a California Qualified Applicators
Certificate with Landscape Maintenance (Category B) for pesticide application within twelve (12) months of
employment.
- Depending on assignment, possession of, or ability to obtain, a District approved Fire Suppression Certification within twelve (12) months of assignment into the District’s fire program.
Benefits: Midpen provides an excellent benefits package including health, life & disability insurance as well as CalPERS pension.
How to Apply: apply online at CalOpps.org.
(To avoid missing email communication regarding your status in this recruitment, add mpropenspace@calopps.org to your contacts or list of safe senders).
Application deadline is Sunday, July 19, 2026. Applicants with the most relevant experience and qualifications suitable for the position will be contacted for an interview.
The following application items are required to be considered*:
1. Fully completed CalOpps employment application
2. Cover letter
3. Resume
4. Supplemental question responses
*Incomplete CalOpps employment applications, or applications without the required application items listed here, will not be considered for the position.
Upon receipt of a conditional employment offer, candidate must provide a current DMV report (request report by submitting form INF 1125 to the DMV). Employment offers are conditional upon the results of a DOJ/FBI fingerprint background check and a pre-employment physical.
Recruitment Timeline: We recommend applicants be available for interviews on the following dates for panel interviews (we are unable to accommodate individual schedules):
First interview (virtual): Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Skills Assessment (in-person): Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Final interview (in-person): Wednesday, August 19, 2026
A note to applicants who currently live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area: before committing to the application process, and if you haven’t done so already, we suggest evaluating the feasibility of relocation. We recommend researching the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, the cost to relocate, and typical commute times to Los Altos from outlying areas.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
