Park Maintenance Irrigation Specialist presso City of Albany, OR

About the Department

Our wonderful irrigation specialist of 17 years is retiring, and we’re looking for someone ready to take over the reins (and the timers). 
Join us in keeping Albany’s parks lush, green, and community-ready.

The City of Albany is in search for a Park Maintenance staff member with a focus on irrigation to help keep Albany’s parks, sports fields, and green spaces thriving. From installing and repairing irrigation systems to caring for turf, trees, and trails, this role combines hands-on problem solving with meaningful work that benefits thousands of residents every day. If you’ve got the skills — or the drive to learn — and enjoy working with a team that takes pride in keeping parks safe, beautiful, and sustainable, we’d love to have you on board!
 
 • Exciting change is in the air! Our department is going through an exciting transition, and our small but mighty recreation team is looking for someone to help guide the future of fun in Albany.
 • Collaboration is key! Albany is the perfect size—not too big, not too small—which means you’ll have the opportunity to work closely with other departments to bring exciting projects to life.
 • We’re passionate (and scrappy)! Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service and making Albany a place people love to live, work, and play. We’re not afraid of a challenge and always strive to add value for our residents.
 • Every day is an adventure! No two days are the same, and after a year with us, you'll have plenty of amazing stories to share about your experiences—more entertaining than anything you saw on Parks and Recreation.
 • Waffles, anyone? Yes, we love waffles—and we have staff waffle parties throughout the year to prove it.



**Beginning salary will be dependent on the qualifications of the applicant at the time of hiring. 
The ranges for each step in this series are as follows:

• Park Maintenance II: $28.08 to $35.67 hourly; $58,413.60 to $74,198.64 annually
• Park Maintenance III: $30.56 to 38.94 hourly; $63,561.11 to $80,997.37 annually

Benefits include:

• Excellent medical, vision and dental benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with low monthly out-of-pocket cost. Currently, the employee-paid premium is approximately $51 per month for employee-only coverage up to a max of $147 per month for family coverage.  
• City-paid contribution to a VEBA Trust account for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Currently, the annual contribution is $1,000 for employee-only and $2,000 for employee plus dependent(s).
• Paid time off including:
  • 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with progressive increases
  • 8 hours of sick leave per month
  • 10 paid holidays per year
  • 24 hours of floating holiday per year
  • No after-hire waiting period to use vacation or sick leave
  • Fronted sick and vacation leave may be considered upon hire

• Excellent retirement benefits including: 
  • City-paid participation in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (OPSRP and City pays 6% IAP contribution) 
  • City-paid 0.5% contribution into pre-tax deferred compensation plan 
• In addition, other benefits such as job-related college tuition and book reimbursement, employee assistance program, basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for healthcare and childcare expenses.

 To learn more about our organization, our community, and our benefits, click here.

Position Duties

General Purpose
Performs a variety of basic semi-skilled and skilled maintenance and construction work and operates a variety of equipment in the construction, repair, maintenance, and the general services to the street, storm, pavement marking, street signal and signage activities and related materials, facilities, and systems; and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics
The Park Maintenance I, II, III classification is a progressive series where an employee advances levels based on their level of experience, certifications obtained and demonstrated proficiency in the performance of job duties, skill, and responsibility. Differences in duties and certifications are outlined below.

Essential Job Tasks & Responsibilities
The duties listed are intended only as illustrative examples of the various types of work that may be performed by individuals in this classification. Any of the following duties may be performed. These examples are not necessarily performed by all incumbents and do not include all specific essential functions and responsibilities the incumbent may be expected to perform.

1. Performs basic, routine heavy manual work maintaining park and open space areas such as sport fields, playgrounds, turf areas, natural areas, shrub beds and tree care.
2. Performs basic, routine groundskeeping, building maintenance, graffiti removal, illegal camp cleanup, and related custodial duties.
3. Performs basic building maintenance such as painting, plumbing, carpentry, and other unskilled trade work.
4. Performs routine maintenance on power equipment and operates a variety of equipment as needed.
5. Maintains ornamental and natural resource areas by pruning, raking, fertilizing, weeding, invasive species removal, and mulching.
6. Maintains turf by trimming and mowing, edging, and fertilizing, monitors watering of turf and grounds, assists with repairs and maintenance of irrigation components and systems.
7. Performs custodial duties to maintain park facilities such as cleaning restrooms and picnic shelters, mopping, waxing, and buffing floors, washing windows, arranging furniture and equipment for events.
8. Assists with pruning and removal of trees on City streets and in parks.
9. Assists with caring for, planting, and transplanting trees and shrubs.
10. Assists in setting up and taking down equipment for various park and recreation programs; prepares facilities for park and recreation program use.
11. Assists in the construction of new parks facilities including clearing, grading, drainage, and foundation work.
12. Represents the City of Albany by responding to the public, citizens, its employees, and others in a prompt, professional, and courteous manner while continuously maintaining a positive customer service demeanor. Regards everyone, internal and external, as a customer and deliver the best service possible in a respectful and patient manner.
13. Works to create a high-performance work culture by demonstrating a positive attitude and modeling the City’s mission, vision, and values. Conducts self with high integrity, proactive in conserving City resources, and seeks and incorporates customer feedback for ongoing performance improvement. Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
14. Serves as a member of various City committees as assigned.
15. Assists other staff in the performance of their duties as assigned; and may provide training and orientation to newly assigned personnel.
16. Maintains regular job attendance and adherence to working hours.
17. Operates a motor vehicle safely and legally. 
18. Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

Position Job Tasks & Responsibilities
The following duties of this classification are intended only as illustrative examples of the various types of work that may be performed by individuals in this position. 

Park Maintenance II
Includes all the aforementioned Essential Job Tasks as well as the following additional duties:

1. Mows and maintains park and open space areas such as baseball and soccer fields; cleans and maintains tennis courts and nets; maintains sprinkler systems and assists in the repair and installation of sprinkler lines and heads.
2. Performs minor semiskilled interior building maintenance, such as painting, plumbing, carpentry, electrical and other skilled and unskilled trades work.
3. Winterizes and repairs plumbing in drinking fountains and restrooms.
4. Plants lawns, trees, shrubs, and flowers; prunes trees and shrubs; carries out the seeding, fertilizing, and top dressing, soil conditioning, watering and pest and weed control of parks and open spaces.
5. Gathers leaves in the fall and organizes work crews to assist with this.
6. Maintains and adjusts specialized turf care equipment and tools, including electric motors, pumps, sprinklers, tractors, mowers, and irrigation systems.
7. Maintains and repairs park tables, slabs, sidewalks, and park trails; inspects, washes, and performs routine maintenance of park drinking fountains and restrooms; and assists in the maintenance of municipal swimming pools, monitors and maintains pool filtration system, and monitors and adjusts pool water chemistry through testing of water samples.
8. Operates technical and specialized equipment as required for park maintenance and landscape construction including excavator, gradall, backhoe, front-end loader, tractors, dump trucks, aerial tree truck and other construction equipment, large mowing equipment, power tools, and specialized equipment to maintain facilities and grounds. 
9. Completes playground safety inspections and repairs all city park playgrounds.
10. Installs new parks and playgrounds, which includes bringing in soil or digging out and hauling away soil; grading turf area; forming and pouring new sidewalks; creating and planting new shrub beds and trees; and installing new playgrounds, benches and drinking fountains.
11. Maintains turf by over seeding liming, fertilizing, aerating, and mowing, and trails with various mower attachments.
12. Inspects parks and trails, including trees, sidewalks, lights, turf.  Paying close attention to any hazards or safety issues.
13. Assists in setting up and taking down equipment for various park and recreation programs; prepares facilities for park and recreation program use.
14. Installs and maintains goalposts and nets for sports facilities, including soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, and basketball; drags ball fields; lines fields for games.
15. Installs drainage systems when needed throughout parks and ballfields, including trenching, grading, spreading rock, drainage pipes and catch basins; and back filling and over seeding to complete the job.
16. Assists the Linn County Sherriff's Inmate Work Crew; creating work prior to their scheduled day; setting up a work plan; getting equipment ready; and leading them in the clean-up of Albany parks and trails.
17. Assists in the construction of new parks facilities, including clearing, grading, drainage, and foundation work.
18. Uses web-based software to capture data, track condition and work history of park assets, which includes tracking resources (labor and equipment costs), attachments, photos, notes, and follow up tasks, in real time.

Park Maintenance III
Includes all the aforementioned duties as well as the following additional duties:

1. Coordinates and performs a variety of technical and nontechnical work in that assigned area to include landscape construction, maintenance, daily work organization, and short- and long-term planning. 
2. Oversees and provides project leadership in specific program areas to include irrigation, fleet maintenance and repair, turf, and shrub management, managing small and mid-value construction projects, assisting, and supporting management on large construction projects.
3. Maintains and repairs all park irrigation systems including upgrading, new installation, trouble shooting, fall shutdowns and spring startups. 
4. Operates and programs schedules for all irrigation controllers to achieve optimum water conservation. 
5. Operates technical and specialized equipment as required for park maintenance and landscape construction including excavator, gradall, backhoe, front-end loader, tractors, dump trucks, aerial tree truck and other construction equipment, large mowing equipment, power tools, and specialized equipment to maintain facilities and grounds. 
6. Keeps an irrigation inventory of parts and supplies well stocked for repairs and exercises procurement as assigned. 
7. Leads the Sheriff’s Inmate Work Crew and seasonal temporary staff.
8. Identifies and corrects park safety hazards as quickly as possible. 
9. Installs and removes marine docks, seasonally.
10. Monitors and records dam and river levels. 
11. Stays current on pesticide rules and regulations and keeps coworkers informed on how to use pesticides safely and efficiently.
12. Maintains professional networks and attend training sessions and conferences as necessary to advance skills and keep informed of issues and practices in all areas of responsibility.
13. Oversees the preventative maintenance and operation of equipment and hand and power tools and may provide training and instruction on the use and care of equipment and tools.

Minimum Qualifications

Works under the supervision of the Parks & Open Space Manager.

This is a non-supervisory position. Lead work/coordination of the work of others is not a typical function assigned to this position. Incumbents in this position may provide training and orientation to newly assigned personnel.  Incumbents may also be responsible for coordinating the activities of temporary or seasonal staffing. 

Other Qualifications

Education and Experience
Park Maintenance II shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent and three years of experience in repair, maintenance, construction, or horticultural work; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

Park Maintenance III shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent and six years of experience in landscape maintenance, landscape construction, grounds maintenance; and experience leading the work of others; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Irrigation work experience preferred.

Special Requirements

1. The Park Maintenance II position requires:
   1. Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at time of job placement.
   2. Possession of possess or the ability to obtain Oregon Pesticide Applicator's License with right of way and ornamental and turf herbicide certifications within six months of job placement.
2. The Park Maintenance III position requires:
   1. Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at time of job placement.
   2. Possession of or could obtain any of the following certifications: International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist, NRPA Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI), and Oregon Department of Agriculture Public Pesticide Applicator License within one year of job placement.
3. For all levels within this series:
   1. The individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of themselves or others. 
   2. In accordance with Human Resources substance abuse policies, incumbents in this classification are subject to the City's Drug & Alcohol testing program.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of: all aspects of parks maintenance and operations including horticulture, arboriculture, turf care, irrigation, natural area maintenance, sport fields, and facilities maintenance, which includes concrete work, painting, carpentry, and plumbing; computer use, tools, materials, methods, equipment, and practices which pertain to park maintenance activities; sprinkler and irrigation system design, installation, operation, and maintenance; operating and mechanical characteristics of a full range of grounds maintenance equipment; reading landscape blueprints and specifications; and proper and safe application of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.

Skill in: operation of tractors, trucks, steam cleaners, chippers, blowers, various mowers and other specialized equipment.

Ability to: operate a variety of tools and equipment; plan and implement maintenance; provide guidance and training for subordinate workers; operate computers for data entry; operate small office equipment, including copy machines or multi-line telephone systems; operate and maintain lawnmowers, weed eaters, sprinklers, and other light equipment; walk and stand for long periods of time; perform strenuous physical labor under adverse field conditions; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments, and the public.

Work Environment
The work environment is regularly outdoors in outside weather conditions. The employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts and is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and vibration. The employee frequently works in utility excavations and occasionally enters confined spaces. The noise level in the work environment is occasionally loud.  May be required to be on-call and work weekends, holidays, and evenings.

Physical Demands
The factors described herein are representative of, but not all-inclusive of, those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Detailed information may be available in a supplemental Job Task Analysis document.

The work is medium work which lifting up to 55 pounds occasionally, carrying up to 55 pounds occasionally, and pushing and pulling up to 100 pounds occasionally.

Tools & Equipment Used
In the performance of job duties, the employee will use motorized vehicles and equipment, including dump trucks, pickup trucks, utility trucks, backhoes, forklifts, and vacuum excavation equipment; saws; pumps; compressors; generators; common hand and power tools; shovels; wrenches; detection devices; phone; copiers; computers; and other related tools and equipment.

Safety Equipment: This is not an exhaustive list. Hearing protection (including earmuffs), safety glasses, steel toed boots, gloves (nitrile, latex, leather), hardhat, knee pads, respirators and dust masks, traffic cones, safety vest, fall-restraint equipment when required. Develops safe work habits and contributes to the safety of self, co-workers, and the public.

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