Groundskeeper - Parks (Seasonal)

Anticipated Hiring Range: $15.16 - $21.75 Hourly

Job Summary:

The Seasonal Groundskeeper - Parks ensures the physical aspects of the community are maintained and standards are met regarding the grounds, amenities, and overall curb appeal of the City of Greeley Parks system.  Applicants will work with a diverse team on a variety of projects and assignments, while serving locations in the Parks Division for events such as the Arts Picnic, Shelter rentals and various community events.  Exposure to high traffic areas in medians and right-or-ways, parks, athletic facilities and public grounds may exist. Possible exposure to homeless/transient individuals and camps which may pose biohazard risks in rare instances.

The Groundskeeper - Parks role is a hands-on, hardworking individual who must be willing to drop anything and everything for an emergency; big or small. The City relies on the Groundskeeper to follow safety protocols, while being responsive, thorough, and a resourceful self-starter with a customer focused mindset. Sites include but are not limited to the Downtown Plazas, Recreation Center Grounds, Lincoln, Meeker Museum, Archibeque, Hoshiko, City Hall Grounds, City Center Grounds, Anna Gimmestad, Brentwood, Farr, Glenmere, Balsam, Delta, Discovery Bay, East Memorial and Waggin Tail Parks.

Scheduling for this position varies and will include working evenings, weekends, and holidays, as followed by State and Federal law.

This is a continuous posting and can be closed at any time.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

Minimum Qualifications - Entry Level

• Minimal to no previous groundskeeping experience required
• Must be 16 years of age or older
• Possess a valid driver’s license with a good driving record

Minimum Qualifications - Experienced 

• One (1) year groundskeeping, parks, or athletic field maintenance experience
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Possess a valid driver’s license held for a minimum of two (2) years with a good driving record

Preferred

• None

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability and willingness to assist others with questions about facilities operations, hours, and general regulations.
• Ability to work a variety of small and large events and venues.
• Ability to operate handheld tools and pressure washing equipment. 
• Experienced: Ability to operate golf carts, turf utility vehicles, and two-stroke engine tools including string trimmers, hand and backpack blowers; hand power tools, push mowers, shop equipment, etc. 
• Ability to identify most common native vs. non-native plant species,
• Ability to identify native and non-native plants of concern in open spaces and make informed decisions on the actions based on each species,
• Ability to safety operate (Experienced Groundskeeper):
  • a motor vehicle on public roadways if age requirements are met, including trucks.
  • power equipment, such as high-pressure washers and hand blowers.
  • 3’ – 6’ wide riding rotary mowing units, used for mowing small park areas, and small parkways.
  • 10’-16’ wide riding mowers used in Parks.
  • commercial truck and pull a trailer with loaded equipment.   
  • brush weed-eater, rototiller, snow throwers, and backpack blower.
  • water truck, forklift, tractors, front end loaders, excavators and skid loader machines and their various attachments, including backhoe, auger, pathway surface leveler, groomer, synthetic turf sweeper.
  • chainsaws and woodchippers in team settings.
  • rotary mowers 16’ wide or larger in turf areas.                                           
• Ability to walk throughout facility grounds of various topographical conditions to visually identify needed work and inspect work results.
• Ability to handle difficult situations using tact, patience, and good judgment.
• Collaboration skills, including the ability to work with others from different areas and backgrounds to reach a common goal. 
• Interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate interaction, communication, and teamwork between others.
• Oral, written, and listening communication skills, including the ability to accurately interpret what others are saying and convey messages, information, concepts, and details accurately and clearly.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple concurrent and competing tasks and responsibilities, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining personal effectiveness.
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and stay on task when completing special projects and daily assignments.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and reliable professional judgment, as well as collaboratively with a team to achieve desired results.
• Ability to maintain a strong work ethic, positive problem-solving attitude, and enthusiasm for the work performed.
• Knowledge of customer service principles and best practices, including customer needs assessments, meeting quality service standards, and evaluating customer satisfaction.
• Knowledge of incident response and handling methodologies.
• Customer service skills, including the ability to actively listen, address customer needs, defuse tense situations, and maintain an open, flexible, and friendly demeanor.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ages.

Essential Functions:

• Cleans and stocks restrooms, including port-a-lets.
• Cleans and removes debris from shelters and uneven turf areas.
• Washes picnic tables, benches and trash receptacle covers.
• Empties and clean permanent BBQ grills.
• Drags with utility vehicle or by hand park baseball infields.
• Empties trash receptacles regularly throughout assigned areas.
• Assists with repairs and maintenance of playgrounds, shelters, hard courts and site furnishings, grooming neighborhood athletic fields, while inspecting building sites for vandalism and graffiti.
• Pulls weeds in landscape beds and mulched parking lot medians.
• Performs vegetation management to include string trimming and edging.
• Performs hand watering for lawns and landscape beds. 
• Operates motorized handheld turf maintenance equipment to include push mowers, string trimmers and blowers.
• Operates motorized leaf and debris vacuum on hard surface and turf areas.
• Assists with hanging and removal of holiday lighting displays.
• Performs basic repairs to brick pavers to include setting, leveling and cutting with a wet saw.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Assists in proper loading and securement of equipment in the field.
• Performs irrigation tasks, including hand watering, sprinkler adjustment, soil moisture identification and management.
• Assists with inspecting park amenities for safety.
• Levels volleyball pits, playground surface fill with hand or power equipment.
• Inspects basketball, tennis and pickleball court surfaces for debris, clean and/wash courts, inspect net height and properly adjust when needed.
• Experienced: Assists with herbicide application from a pump sprayer and other more technical weed management tasks. 
• Performs more technical irrigation work to include mainline repair, system redesign, and valve replacements.
• Experienced: Operates large area turf mowers from 72” wide to 16’ wide on athletic facilities, including preventative daily maintenance and upkeep of equipment.
• Experienced: Operates tractors and various maintenance equipment to perform aerating, fertilizing, seeding, loading and unloading of soils, debris and various landscaping materials.
• Experienced: Operates skid steer and attachments for maintenance activities.
• Experienced: Operates snow removal equipment to include single stage snow blowers to tractor mounted snow blowers and brooms.
• Experienced: Applies fertilizer, pesticide, and insecticide chemical applications using manual and ride-on spreaders, handheld and backpack sprayers, and vehicle mounted sprayers.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

• Work outside with exposure to all weather elements.
• Possess good manual dexterity to perform equipment maintenance functions.
• Long periods of time involved in planting, hand weeding and maintaining grounds using a shovel, rake and other tools.+
• Schedule availability to work late nights, weekends and holidays for sports event setup and cleanup duties;
• Hours may be flexible depending on assigned area, 20-40 hours per week, with weekends and holidays as assigned.
• Extended hours operating grounds equipment - i.e. poly cord trimmers, mowers, & a multitude of other equipment.
• Incumbent may be exposed to loud amplified sound equipment while working grounds.
• Follow workplace safety rules at all times.
• Manual labor, prolonged standing, kneeling, bending and walking, climbing ladders and stairs.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds on a frequent basis.
• Ability to lift arm above shoulder level and to move objects.
• Mix and use chemicals for weed and grass control following label and local regulations.
• Manual dexterity enough to operate hand and power tools.
• Vision enough to perform above functions and to read printed instructions.
• Exposure to vegetation that can cause punctures, biting insects, wildlife, off-leash dogs.

EOE Statement: The City of Greeley provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

ADA Statement: We are committed to an inclusive and barrier-free search process. We provide accommodations for applicants requesting accommodation through the search process such as alternative formats of this posting.  Individuals with disabilities in need of accommodations throughout the search process should contact the ADA Coordinator at: HR@Greeleygov.com .

Conditions of Employment: Candidates must successfully complete all pre-employment screenings and employment eligibility verification. Pre-employment screenings include a drug test, a background and national sex offender search, a motor vehicle record search, and for some positions, a physical demands evaluation. For more information about City policies and practices during the recruitment process, including but not limited to EOE, Reasonable Accommodation, and pre-employment screenings, please visit our career page HERE.