Park Operations

Howard County Government•Howard County, MD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Howard County Government is seeking outstanding individuals to join their team as Park Maintenance Specialists. This role involves performing skilled grounds maintenance on County parks and facilities, serving as a crew leader for projects, and operating various equipment. The position is classified, meaning it becomes part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period. This role is designated as 'essential personnel,' requiring employees to report for duty during inclement weather, emergencies, and holidays, and to be on-call. The position falls within a collective bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Local 3085, Local 3888, or Local 1810.

Requirements

Any combination of education and experience equivalent to completion of the 12th grade plus two (2) years of experience in landscaping, park maintenance or a related field; or, completion of an Associate's degree program in horticulture or park/resource management plus experience requiring the use of hand tools and motor equipment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Possession of a Maryland Class ACDL License within one year of hire date.
Obtain Maryland Professional Pesticide Applicator's Certificate within one year of hire date.
CPR and First Aid Certification within one-year of hire date.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Nice To Haves

Associate's degree (A. A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school.

Responsibilities

Performs grounds and turf maintenance, pavilion and picnic area cleaning, and repairs in assigned park regions.
Performs trail construction and maintenance.
Conducts minor plumbing, janitorial, painting, electrical, and carpentry work.
Performs landscape and horticultural maintenance including pesticide application, trimming, edging, pruning, and mulching.
Removes graffiti and repairs vandalism.
Performs routine playground inspections and repairs.
Performs specialized maintenance on unique park amenities (e.g., skills course, equestrian ring).
Conducts routine inspection and maintenance of dams, including high-hazard dams depending on assignment location.
Assists with sport field maintenance: aeration, seeding, fertilizing, grading, and sod installation.
Uses hand tools and power tools including trimmers, chain saws, blowers, and snow blowers.
Operates complex vehicles and equipment such as mowers, tractors, loaders, large trucks, aerators, graders, turf shapers, and other bureau vehicles.
Performs preventative maintenance on tractors, mowers, skid loaders, and other equipment.
Demonstrates equipment methods, techniques, and operations to crew members.
Sets up mobile stage.
Assigns work detail under the guidance of a supervisor.
Directs crew in daily projects and ensures work meets quality and quantity standards.
Plans daily activities and assigns appropriate tools and equipment.
Maintains supplies and materials.
Meets regularly with supervisor to determine work via written, verbal, or email communication.
Serves on committees as assigned.
Handles administrative paperwork including incident reports, police reports, timesheets, department requisitions, inspection forms, chemical application cards, and vandalism journal entries.
Estimates supplies and materials for maintenance tasks and develops requisitions for supervisor approval.
Maintains inventory of tools, supplies, materials, and chemicals.
Responsible for identifying and applying sustainability practices in all operations.
Requires considerable public contact, including communication with tournament directors and staff, conflict resolution, and addressing disputes, questions, and comments.
Communicates and coordinates with recreational staff, tournament personnel, and other county agencies.
Assists recreational staff with program setup and teardown.
Handles citizen complaints and inquiries.
Performs snow removal duties and assists during inclement weather conditions, including supporting Public Works as needed.
This position is considered essential and will be required to work emergency situations to include staff the Department's operations center.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Serves as crew leader in charge of full-time park maintenance workers and contingent positions, overseeing personnel and directing the project from start to finish.
Coordinates work site environment, safety issues, and ensures proper handling of materials.
Answers staff questions on department policies and procedures.
Makes recommendations on job performance.