Parks & Grounds Worker - Senior

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play, and learn! For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view Placer Public Employees Organization (PPEO) benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

To perform grounds, gardening and landscaping duties in the maintenance of County parks, median areas, and lawn and garden areas around County buildings; to perform maintenance and repair of tools and equipment; to perform routine maintenance and general construction related to parks facilities; and to exercise technical and functional supervision over maintenance personnel.

This is the advanced journey level class in the Parks and Grounds Worker series.  Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken, by the amount of time spent performing assigned duties, and by the nature of the public contact made.  Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series and exercise technical and functional supervision over maintenance personnel.

Receives direction from the Supervising Parks and Grounds Worker and/or management and supervisory staff.

Exercises technical and functional supervision over maintenance personnel.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Train and lead subordinate personnel.
• Perform a variety of grounds and lawn maintenance duties including mowing, trimming, raking, planting, cultivating, irrigating, pruning, and applying insecticide and fertilizer; and install, maintain, and repair irrigation systems and components.
• Clean and clear grounds, playgrounds, and playing fields; clean walks, parking lots, and storm drains; dispose of trimmings and other debris; dig trenches and post holes either manually or with mechanical assistance; clean and maintain trails; and maintain native vegetation. 
• Inspect, service, repair and otherwise maintain various types of grounds equipment, including mowers, rototillers, edgers, hedge trimmers and other power driven and mechanical equipment.
• Perform routine carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work including welding, repairing faucets, sinks, and toilets, framing, rough carpentry and painting, pouring concrete, and lighting and wiring in parks and grounds facilities.
• Perform daily sanitation duties and maintenance of parks rest rooms, campsites and picnic areas; perform minor playground equipment repair; accept and receipt parks fees and maintain appropriate records.
• Perform arborist duties such as climbing trees, evaluating and inventorying trees, and removal of diseased trees.
• May remove snow and ice on a seasonal basis.
• Perform pool maintenance and upkeep including pumps, filters and chemicals.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training
Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: Two years of responsible parks and grounds experience performing duties similar to a Parks and Grounds Worker with Placer County.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.

Required License or Certificate:

• Possession of a Qualified Applicator Certificate from California Department of Food and Agriculture is desired.
• Possession of a valid Class A or B driver's license may be required depending upon the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.

Knowledge of:

• Parks and grounds policies and procedures.
• Use and purpose of common materials, equipment and methods used in parks and grounds maintenance, including irrigation and sprinkler systems.
• Tools, equipment and methods used in semi-skilled building trades and construction work.
• Principles and practices of work safety.

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, know and understand operations, and observe safety rules.  Intermittently analyze problem equipment; identify and locate equipment and tools; interpret work orders; remember equipment and tool location; and explain job to others.
• Intermittently, sit while completing work papers and reports; walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, twist, and reach while operating equipment and performing grounds and maintenance work; perform simple and power grasping, pushing, pulling, and fine manipulation; regularly lift very heavy weight.
• Train, assign and review work of assigned personnel.
• Operate light trucks and related grounds equipment to prepare areas for landscaping or planting of lawns and debris removal.
• Operate sprayer, chainsaw, weedeater, tractor, leaf sweeper, chipper, forklift, and various hand and power tools.
• Service, repair, and adjust various mechanical and electrical groundskeeping equipment and tools.
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Act quickly and calmly in emergency situations.
• Obtain information through interview and to deal fairly and courteously with the public.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively and determine proper course of action.
• Work assigned shift.
• Perform heavy manual labor.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over),  marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Preciosa Ayala-Burkhardt, Administrative Technician, at payala@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4637.