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DESCRIPTION:

 

The Department:

The Parks and Recreation Department provides planning, development, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the City's neighborhood parks, open space, water sites, recreation buildings, and trails.

 

The Position:

Under supervision, to perform a variety of unskilled and semi-skilled tasks in connection with the development and maintenance of City parks and recreational facilities.

 

As an As-needed Laborer, the successful incumbent will work in the department, performing routine maintenance on various parks and facilities including the city-owned cemetery. This position will assist in maintenance and repair using a variety of tools and specialized equipment. 

The Laborer position performs varied, unskilled and skilled manual tasks related to landscape maintenance and sanitization. Typical tasks include cleaning and sanitizing restrooms and buildings, loading trash and leaves in truck, litter abatement, mowing, edging, cleaning park sites, graffiti abatement, and operating a variety of hand/power tools and heavy equipment as needed. This position may require working weekends, holidays, and after hours. Must be able to read, speak, and write English at a basic level, follow written and oral instruction, and perform heavy lifting.  

 

As an as-needed employee, this is an "at-will" position and there is no guarantee of hours. Hours are limited to 999 in a fiscal year or 960 hours in a fiscal year for retired CalPERS annuitants.

 

THIS RECRUITMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THIS, OR OTHER DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS BESIDES THE POSITIONS LISTED BELOW.  IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT IN THIS CLASSIFICATION, YOU SHOULD APPLY TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY UTILIZE THE APPLICANTS FROM THIS RECRUITMENT. MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS.  ONLY THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE THE BEST COMBINATION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION WILL BE INVITED TO TEST OR INTERVIEW.

 

The annual salary range for this position is $17.75 - $24.85.  This position will be filled at or near the bottom of the salary range.

 

TYPICAL DUTIES:

Under direct supervision, performs varied, unskilled manual tasks often requiring considerable physical strength and the use of hand tools and hand power tools; loads rubbish and leaves on trucks; excavates and fills trenches and ditches; assists in the removal, trimming and spraying of trees and shrubs; prepares surfaces for paving; mixes cement; breaks up paved surfaces; helps place forms and pour concrete; lays pipes; uses such tools as shovel, rake, and jackhammer; operates trucks and heavier equipment as needed. Performs construction, maintenance and sanitation duties as required; and does related work as required.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Education Requirements:

Sufficient education to provide the ability to read, write and speak English at a basic level. 

 

Minimum Experience Requirements:

No experience is required.

 

Acceptable Substitution:

None.

 

License/Certifications:

Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license is required.

 

Desirable Qualifications:

• Landscape maintenance experience.
• Experience working with the public in a service environment.

Other Requirements:

Ability to work odd and irregular hours including weekends and holidays.

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: 

Some knowledge of: the purposes, use, and maintenance of simple hand tools; construction and maintenance methods and materials. Good ability to: learn to use simple hand tools; follow oral and written instructions; and perform heavy physical labor.

 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the direct supervision of an assigned supervisor.

 

Additional Information:

You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applications must be filled out completely (i.e. do not write “see resume or personnel file.”). To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a Complete City Application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Application packets may be submitted online through the “Apply Now” feature on the job announcement at www.santaclaraca.gov. This position is open until filled: Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis for consideration to the position.  If you are interested in applying you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, before the position is closed.

 

The City of Santa Clara is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of Santa Clara is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 615-2080 or HumanResources@santaclaraca.gov.

The Park Assistant III (Class: 180) will perform a variety of skilled park maintenance work. Specific tasks vary with location and include regular maintenance of picnic grounds, restrooms, and developed areas, trash removal, trail maintenance, plant care including mowing and brush removal, irrigation repair, fence repairs, assembly and installation of site furnishings and signs, and delivery of materials and equipment to job sites.

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This is skills-based physical labor work, in all weather conditions, for a person at an entry level or intermediate level. The work performed will support MRCA’s operation of nature parks within greater Los Angeles and other MRCA efforts related to public access, open space conservation, habitat restoration, and urban park development.

Park Assistant III positions exist in the Routes, Construction and Developed Resources Divisions and specific duties may include but are not limited to:

Duties for the Developed Resources division also include repairs to utility infrastructure, building repairs, and skilled gardening, and assistance during special events.

Duties for the Construction division also include building renovation (carpentry, electrical, plumbing), utility infrastructure repairs, and new construction of park amenities and irrigation systems.

Supervision

Depending on the division, the position may report to an Operations Manager, Deputy Division Chief or Division Chief. The position does not supervise other staff but may occasionally direct the work of volunteers, court crews, seasonal workers, volunteers, and youth crews. The employee may work independently or as part of a crew.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Maintain picnic grounds and parking areas, including regular trash removal and pickup and graffiti removal. Regular inspection of park sites to determine maintenance needs.
• Clean and restock restrooms. 
• Inspect irrigation systems and perform repairs and adjustments as needed.
• Maintain landscape and natural areas to reduce fire hazards and perform weed control activities.
• Follow verbal and written directions.
• Apply pesticides and herbicides in accordance with applicable laws and regulations under the supervision of the pesticide manager.
• Make repair to hiking trails, stream crossings, and equestrian trails.
• Operate light equipment such as mowers, edgers, brush cutters and power tools, and perform minor mechanical repairs.
• Install various park amenities including benches, signs, fencing, landscaping, irrigation, and trails.
• Inspect drinking fountains and perform repairs as needed.
• Participate in agency emergency response.
• Assist in preparing and cleaning up for events as needed.
• Maintain good habits of answering and responding to incoming telephone calls and emails, and when communicating and providing customer service to citizens who seek assistance.
• Maintain positive relationships with coworkers and the public at large.
• Perform related duties as required.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to lift and carry items weighing up to 60 pounds for a distance up to 50 feet both indoors and outdoors;  frequently operate heavy equipment, hand tools, light equipment and power tools; constantly work in outdoor weather conditions; frequently move about work sites; communicate and exchange information; observe and document site conditions; transport equipment and tools between vehicles and work sites on a daily basis; and occasionally ascend/descend a ladder to access areas of work.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• Two (2) years of experience in grounds maintenance, plant care, facility/building maintenance or related field.

Training and Certification

• Must have a valid California driver’s license in good standing with a satisfactory driving record at the time of hire.
• Pesticide Handler certification (or ability to complete within 6 months).
• Basic First Aid and CPR certification (or ability to complete within 6 months).
• Forklift Operator / heavy equipment certification (or ability to complete within 6 months).

Knowledge of:

• Safe working practices, Cal-OSHA requirements.
• Automatic Irrigation systems.
• Pesticide and herbicide application.
• Proper tool care and storage.
• Basic proficiency in email and Office 365, or ability to learn.
• Regulatory requirements, or ability to learn.
• Bilingual skills in English and another locally common language, such as Spanish, Korean, Farsi, Chinese, Armenian, Yiddish, or Tagalog is highly desired.

Ability to:

• Maintain a safe and clean working environment.
• Consistently follow procedures.
• Prioritize varying tasks and projects.
• Work in all weather conditions. Perform demanding labor on multiple consecutive days outdoors in hot weather.
• Revise work approach to address changed conditions.
• Complete projects and follow oral and written directions.
• Learn technical material.
• Work independently and with others.
• Complete the MRCA Wildland Fire Academy, if desired by the employee.
• Read maps and navigate through greater Los Angeles in both urban developed and undeveloped open space areas.

Competencies:

• Effective oral English language skills. Not required to be a native English speaker, but fluency in English will be required.
• Follow safety procedures and utilize/wear protective equipment as needed.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the course of work including the general public.

This job announcement is not intended to, and does not, create an employment contract of any kind and does not create any express or implied contractual obligations. Employment at MRCA is at-will without exception. The employee and MRCA may terminate employment at any time with or without advance notice and with or without cause.

Any provision contained in this job announcement may be modified or revoked at any time without notice.