Location
Description
The City of Menlo Park invites you to join our Tree Maintenance team in our quest to improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors. From the beautiful bay to the scenic foothills, you will join a dedicated, safety-conscious team that takes immense pride in caring for the City’s urban forest. Whether you are looking to kickstart your career with close mentorship (Maintenance Worker I) or ready to bring your established expertise to a highly collaborative environment (Maintenance Worker II), we have a place for your positive attitude and customer service skills. If you value teamwork, efficiency, and want to leave a lasting, green footprint on our community, we want to hear from you. Apply today!
Maintenance Worker I
This is the entry-level class in the Maintenance Worker series. Initially under close supervision, incumbents with basic maintenance experience learn City infrastructure, systems, grounds, parks, facilities, use of tools and equipment, and a wide variety of practices and procedures. Positions at this level usually perform most of the duties required of the positions at the II level, but are not expected to function at the same skill level and usually exercise less independent discretion and judgment in matters related to work procedures and methods. Work is usually supervised while in progress and fits an established structure or pattern. Exceptions or changes in procedures are explained in detail as they arise. As experience is gained, assignments become more varied and are performed with greater independence.
Maintenance Worker II
This is the journey-level class in the Maintenance Worker series responsible for performing the full range of duties required to ensure that City infrastructure, grounds, parks, and facilities to which assigned, are maintained in a safe and effective working condition and provide the highest level of safety for public use. Responsibilities include inspecting and attending to assigned areas in a timely manner, and performing a wide variety of tasks in the maintenance and repair of assigned areas. Positions at this level are distinguished from the level I by the performance of the full range of duties as assigned, working independently and exercising judgment and initiative. Positions at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. This class is distinguished from the Senior Maintenance Worker in that the latter is responsible for technical and functional supervision of lower-level maintenance staff and performs the most complex duties assigned to the series.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate brings a comprehensive background in public works and community services maintenance, blending hands-on technical skills with a strong foundation in horticulture. They possess thorough knowledge of the principles, tools, and materials required for street upkeep, landscape maintenance, and safe tree care—including trimming and removal. Proficient in identifying various plants, shrubs, and trees, this individual understands soil cultivation and landscape plans, and can confidently recognize, prevent, and treat common plant diseases and insect pests using appropriate insecticides and fungicides. Operationally, they are skilled in troubleshooting maintenance issues, performing construction and repair work, and safely operating and maintaining a wide range of hand tools, power tools, vehicles, and light-to-heavy mechanical equipment.
An effective organizer and team player, the ideal candidate can independently prioritize tasks to meet critical deadlines, follow complex oral and written instructions, make accurate mathematical calculations, and maintain precise logs of work performed. Safety-conscious and community-oriented, they strictly adhere to safe driving rules and utilize exceptional customer service techniques to foster positive, cooperative working relationships with crewmembers, city staff, vendors, contractors, and the general public.
Minimum Qualifications
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:
Maintenance Worker I
- Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade
- One (1) year of experience in performing tree maintenance work
- Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license by time of appointment
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class B license within six months of employment with appropriate endorsements
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, an Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) certificate within twelve (12) months of employment
Maintenance Worker II
- Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade
- Two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in performing tree maintenance work
- Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license by time of appointment
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class B license within six months of employment with appropriate endorsements
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, an Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) certificate within twelve (12) months of employment
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a forklift certification issued by Cal/OSHA within six (6) months of employment
- Possession of a Certified Tree Climber Certificate issued by ISA is highly desirable
Benefits
Salary:
Maintenance Worker I: $69,156 to $84,059 Annually
Maintenance Worker II: $74,762 to $90,874 Annually
The City offers an excellent benefit package consisting of:
- Health Insurance: City contribution up to $3,039 per month towards a Cafeteria Plan which can be used to purchase medical insurance and participate in a flexible spending account for health care and/or child care reimbursement
- Dental: City-paid coverage for employee and dependents
- Vision: City-paid coverage for employee and dependents
- Vacation: 88 - 176 hours of vacation leave accrual each year, depending on length of service
- Sick Leave: 96 hours of sick leave accrued each year
- Holidays: 11 official holidays; 34 hours of floating holiday time per year; 8 “Day of Reflection” hours per year in recognition of holidays of individual and community importance
- Retirement: CalPERS: For classic members 2.0% @ 60 formula. For all others, 2.0% @ 62 formula
- Deferred Compensation: Voluntary participation in City Plans.
- Life Insurance: City-paid policy equal to 1.5 times regular annual wage
- Long Term Disability: City-paid coverage
- Educational leave and tuition reimbursement
- A City-paid BayPass. The Menlo Park campus is centrally located within walking distance from Caltrain and downtown Menlo Park. This program offers employees unlimited travel for both work and personal trips on 25 Bay Area transit agencies that use the Clipper card, including CalTrain.
- A transportation allowance program provides employees with $1.50 per day when they walk, bicycle or carpool to work at least once per week.
- Employees are provided with access to an on-site gym at no cost
For additional benefit information, visit www.menlopark.gov and review the City of Menlo Park and SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.
Special Instructions
IMPORTANT: Please be sure to fill out the required City application completely, including all relevant work experience. Applications with “See Resume” as a substitution for the work experience description and/or unclear past employment information will not be considered.
Applications will be screened according to the qualifications outlined in this announcement. If 25 or fewer qualified applications are received, the eligibility list will be established based on application review. If 26 or more qualified applications are received, candidates will be invited to participate in a Oral Board Panel Examination tentatively scheduled for the week of June 15, 2026. All applicants will be notified by email as to whether or not they are invited to participate further in the selection process.
An Eligible List will be established as a result of this examination process and will be valid for a period of six (6) months. The list may be extended up to a maximum of two (2) years. The hiring department will review the Eligible List to determine which candidates will be invited to the department selection process.
The City of Menlo Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the City of Menlo Park not to discriminate against all qualified applicants or employees. We will make reasonable efforts in the selection process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please contact Human Resources at (650) 330-6670 or jobs@menlopark.gov prior to the closing date for accommodation requests.
Before receiving an offer of employment, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a reference check, criminal conviction history questionnaire, OccuScreen background, DOJ fingerprinting, and a physical examination.
Applicants must be successful in all phases of the selection process to be considered for this position.
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all potential employees are required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or authorization to work in the United States. The City will not sponsor applicants for work visas.