Groundskeeper Parks Chemical Applicator - City of Greeley

Salary Range: $15.14 - $18.93 Hourly

Job Summary:

Parks seasonal chemical applicator will be responsible for following best management practices for Park, ROW and Public Grounds chemical spray applications. Primary duty will be chemical application with a truck mounted sprayer, following a set cycle of scheduled maintenance on vegetation in City Parks, along trail corridors, dog parks and other public grounds.  Expect a high level of public interaction/inquiries about property conditions, amenities, and construction projects.

The Groundskeeper – Parks Chemical Applicator 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.

Scheduling for this position varies and will include working evenings, weekends, and holidays, as followed by State and Federal law.  Successful applicant will be provided all necessary PPE required by law for pesticide application and will be required to complete training provided by the City of Greeley before physically applying any chemicals without supervision.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

Minimum Requirements:

• Zero to One (0-1) year of experience.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Valid driver's license.

Preferred:

• One (1) + years of experience. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability and willingness to assist others with questions about facilities operations, hours, and general regulations.
• Ability to safety operate:
  • a motor vehicle on public roadways if age requirements are met, including trucks and utility vehicles (i.e. ATV & UTV)
  • power equipment, such as truck mounted sprayers.                   
• 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 walk throughout facility grounds of various topographical conditions to visually identify needed work and inspect work results.
• 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.
• Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with a variety of internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ages.
• 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.

Essential Functions:

• Performs vegetation management by chemical means.  
• Drives full size city vehicles on public roadways.
• Assists in proper loading of chemicals into equipment in the field.
• Assists with herbicide application from pump sprayers and other more technical weed management tasks.
• Applies fertilizer, pesticide, and insecticide chemical applications using manual and ride-on spreaders, handheld and backpack sprayers, and vehicle mounted sprayers.
• Operates snow removal equipment from single stage snow blowers to tractor mounted snow blowers and brooms.
• Assists in the cleanup of abandoned property. 
• Handles difficult situations using tact, patience, and good judgment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

• Possess good manual dexterity to perform chemical applications tasks. 
• Work outside with exposure to all weather elements.
• Long periods of time involved in planting, hand weeding and maintaining grounds using a shovel, rake and other tools.
• 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.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers and general public.
• Handle difficult situations using tact, patience and good judgment.
• 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.