Grounds Maintenance Technician - Park District 2

About the role

This is skilled and manual labor work in maintaining the appearance, usability, and safety of landscapes, grounds, sports fields, and related facilities of City parks and City land. Work involves caring for grounds, ballfields, playgrounds, and athletic complexes at the City of Omaha’s parks and other specified areas. Routine work assignments are performed independently; however, work is inspected during progress and upon completion by the assigned supervisor.

Responsibilities

• Mows, edges, and trims grass in parks and various city properties.
• Prunes trees and shrubs, mulches leaves, seeds, mulches, fertilizes, and removes debris from natural areas.
• Cares for city parks and ballfields, including watering, aerating, tilling and dragging ballfields, and adding sand to playgrounds.
• Diagnoses plant problems and applies pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to trees and shrubs.
• Inspects grounds and performs necessary upkeep, minor repairs, or reporting issues.
• Performs general maintenance to equipment pertaining to landscaping and grounds maintenance.
• Performs general maintenance to park equipment, including painting, repairing storm damage, putting up and removing sunshades, replacing fence posts.
• Performs tree maintenance, including trimming limbs, removing trees, chipping, and grinding stumps.
• Maintains equipment and service maintenance records.
• Fills potholes with asphalt.
• Drives heavy equipment, such as loaders and trucks with loaded trailers.
• Prepares athletic complexes for use by members of the public, including cleaning pools.
• Removes snow from city properties using all forms of snow removal equipment.
• Disposes of litter and other debris appropriately.
• Cleans public restrooms.
• Maintains and repairs irrigation systems throughout city properties.
• Trains and provides work direction to other employees.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of experience in working in landscaping or maintenance.
• Two (2) years of experience in installing or maintaining green infrastructure (rain gardens, bioretention, bioswales, green roofs, permeable pavement).
• A valid class "B" commercial driver's license with "N" endorsement and air brake certification by the end of the probationary period.
• A current category 04 Certified Federal and State of Nebraska Pesticide Applicator's Certificate by the end of the probationary period.
• A 2nd grade hoisting and engineer's certificate by the end of the probationary period.
• A forklift operator's certificate by the end of the probationary period.

Special Qualifications

• Must possess a valid class "B" commercial driver's license with "N" endorsement and air brake certification by the end of the probationary period.
• Must possess a current category 04 Certified Federal and State of Nebraska Pesticide Applicator's Certificate by the end of the probationary period.
• Must possess a 2nd grade hoisting and engineer's certificate by the end of the probationary period.
• Must possess a forklift operator's certificate by the end of the probationary period.

Benefits

• Forty-hour work week.
• Paid leave per year: twelve days vacation; eighteen days sick; and fourteen holidays.
• Employee’s group health insurance, including major medical, vision, and dental, for individual or family.
• Defined benefit pension plan, plus Social Security, and more.

Pay

Pay Range: $20.67 with step increases to $27.80 hourly.

Schedule

Forty-hour work week.

Qualifications

The knowledge, skills, and abilities may be acquired through, but are not limited to, the following combination of education and/or experience. Two (2) years of experience in working in landscaping or maintenance. Two (2) years of experience in installing or maintaining green infrastructure (rain gardens, bioretention, bioswales, green roofs, permeable pavement).

Skills

• Knowledge of propagating, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, pruning, and general care of plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs.
• Knowledge of basic irrigation systems.
• Knowledge of the methods, tools, materials, and practices used in landscaping and grounds maintenance.
• Knowledge of the use of fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides and other disease management techniques used in grounds maintenance.
• Ability to recognize and treat various diseases, insect and abiotic problems of flowers, trees, shrubs, and turf.
• Ability to understand oral or written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow employees and members of the general public.
• Ability to adhere to safety policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Ability to operate automotive equipment and tools used in forestry and grounds maintenance.
• Ability to reach, balance, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, stand, walk, push, pull and otherwise perform the movements involved in exercising the essential functions of this position for periods of up to eight (8) or more hours.
• Ability to move objects weighing up to fifty (50) pounds up to 33% of the time; weighing up to twenty (20) pounds 34 to 66% of the time; and weighing up to ten (10) pounds from 67 to 100% of the time.

Conditions of Employment

• Candidates must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, permanent residence, or authorization to work without sponsorship.
• The City of Omaha reserves the right to conduct pre-employment inquiries or evaluations of candidates for employment as it deems appropriate for the particular position.

Contact Points

• City of Omaha Human Resources Department
• 1819 Farnam St, Suite 506 Omaha, NE 68183
• Phone: (402) 444-5300
• Fax: (402) 444-5314
• Email: employment@cityofomaha.org