Grounds Technician IV

  • Full Time
  • Southeast
  • Applications have closed

Website City of Gainesville

Make a difference in the community you live in! As a Community Builder—an employee with the City of Gainesville— you will have a direct hand in building and improving your community and making a visible impact on the lives of your neighbors. Working for local government is more than a job, it’s a chance to contribute to community success and to help enhance the Gainesville way of life.

Job Details:

The City of Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs department is now hiring for a Grounds Technician IV position to provide support to our team.

This position will be stationed in the downtown area providing support to the city hall complex, Bo Diddley Plaza and other assigned areas. During a typical day work performed will include taking care of the landscapes, parking lots, grounds, ponds and other amenities of the downtown. You will interact with customers and respond to service requests that involve grounds and maintenance activities. This position will also support other Parks staff in servicing and repairing small equipment, working on assigned projects and helping out with special events.

To be considered for this position you must have graduated from high school or have an acceptable equivalency diploma, and possess three or more years of experience in laboring work with at least two years as a lead worker or supervisor including the use of hand and power tools and motorized equipment including trucks, trailers, mowers and tractors, equipment maintenance, repair and construction work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience which provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities. A valid Florida Class B CDL is required within 6 months of hire.

Preference will be given to those with experience with park maintenance including landscaping, construction, and maintenance operations.

Please note: May fill multiple positions. May establish eligibility list.

Live in our award-winning community and work to enhance the Gainesville way of life!

Job Description:

NATURE OF WORK

Semi-skilled and skilled lead craft work over a small crew performing grounds maintenance and facilities maintenance and construction.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS

Positions allocated to this classification report to a designated supervisor and work under general supervision.  Work in this class is distinguished from higher classes by its lack of administrative and supervisory duties and from lower classes by its emphasis on skilled work requiring an above average degree of skill, knowledge and proficiency.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Depending on area of assignment:

Oversees field operations involving landscape maintenance and maintenance and construction activities within City Parks.

Provides leadership and knowledgeable guidance to crew members.

Performs skilled trail, grounds and landscaping work including, but not limited to, pruning or trimming vegetation, pulling weeds, mowing, spraying or applying herbicide and fertilizer, raking or blowing leaves, edging curbs, loading trimmings onto truck, picking up trash and blowing or sweeping debris off parking lots and sidewalks.

Utilizes a specialized knowledge of trees, shrubs, and bedding plants and horticultural practices to perform and oversee installation of city trees, shrubs, and bedding plants including, but not limited to, preparing planting sites, digging holes, setting and watering plants and preparing appropriate supporting structures.

Operates motorized equipment such as mowers, tractors, frontend loader, backhoe trucks, dump trucks, and trailers used to transport materials and equipment to maintain parks, grounds, athletic fields and other areas.  Operates other equipment as required.  Services and washes vehicles.

Inspects and performs scheduled preventative maintenance on assigned equipment including, but not limited to, checking and making appropriate adjustments, lubricating, performing fluid and filter changes, replacing components and lighting maintenance and repairs.

Performs excellent care and cultural maintenance of athletic fields including, but not limited to, verticutting, aerating, top dressing and installation of clay in-fill materials, chalking, dragging and watering infields and warning tracks, packing holes on pitchers’ mounds, home plates and bullpens, laying out fields, painting lines and bases, picking up trash and removing practice equipment from fields.

Performs skilled upkeep, maintenance and the assembly and repair of recreation equipment.

Assists or performs skilled electrical, carpentry, plumbing, painting, concrete, and other trade work.  Uses and maintains power hand tools, such as drill, nailing gun, and circular saws.  Performs metal fabrication, cutting, welding and metal repairs.  Installs and repairs fencing.  Builds wood structures including pole barns, ramps, sheds, warehouses, pavilions, decks, concrete forms, fences and scaffolding.  Performs hand and bench work in a carpentry shop.

Performs excellent customer service by providing information and assistance to citizens who visit the City’s parks or conservation areas.

Supports City special events and programs by updating, repairing and caring for displays and exhibits, moving and lifting of heavy equipment, tables, and chairs, setting up barricades and other temporary traffic control devices, providing flagging services and cleaning up at the end of events.

Assists in moving and storing office equipment and cleaning and maintaining buildings and facilities.

Ensures Park facilities are properly secured after normal hours and responds to emergencies and disasters.  Enforces compliance with building rules and regulations.

Participates as a member of a trained, professional prescribed burn team.

Participates as a member of a trained exotic pest plant control team.

Diagnoses weed and pest problems within City landscapes and performs corrective measures.

Prepares and or enters work orders.

Performs skilled cemetery site location work including, but not limited to, locating gravesites using maps, diagrams, surveys, posts, and probe and assessing area relative to obstacles and safety such as tree limbs, vegetation, monuments and irrigation.

Performs skilled pre- and post-burial site work including, but not limited to, operating backhoe and dump truck to open grave, assisting vault company with vault installation and setup, directing funeral procession to site and operating frontend loader to close grave and recondition site.

Assists Cemetery Coordinator with general inquiries directed to the office, lot sales, diagramming lots, and genealogy requests.  Research cemetery ownership and perpetual care records relative to burials and schedules services as necessary, ensures payment for services, ensures all ownership and authorization processes are properly completed and obtains official documents.  Prepares daily work reports and visitor reports in a timely manner.

Trains employees in cemetery field operations including rules and regulations, map reading and grave location procedures, equipment usage and methods of safe and efficient operations.

Attends work on continuous and regular basis.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Completion of high school or possession of an acceptable equivalency diploma, and three or more years experience in laboring work, with at least two years as a lead worker or supervisor including the use of hand and power tools and motorized equipment including trucks, trailers, mowers and tractors, equipment maintenance, repair and construction work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience which provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATES

Depending on area of assignment:

A valid Florida Driver License is required, a class A or B CDL may be required at time of appointment or within 3 months of hire depending on job assignment and work location.*

May be required to obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certifications.

May be required to obtain and maintain certifications for: S:190/S-130, I-100 and Standards of Survival, and other specialized prescribed fire courses.

May be required to obtain Sawyer Certification, Natural Areas Weed Management Certification or other training required to conduct natural resource management maintenance.

May be required to obtain State of Florida Dept. of Corrections Inmate Training certification within 6 months of employment.

*Information on whether or not a CDL license and which class: A, B, or C is required, will be provided by the hiring department based on their specific needs.

 

 

Equal Opportunity

The City of Gainesville is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in hiring. Minorities, women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Individuals with a disability, who require special accommodations during the selection process, should notify the Human Resources Department at 352-334-5077 or TDD/TTY at 352-334-2292.

Veterans’ Preference

Veterans are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ Preference ensures that veterans and eligible persons are given consideration at each step of the selection process. However, preference does not guarantee that a veteran or other eligible person will be the candidate selected to fill the position. Section 295.07, Florida Statutes (F.S.) specifies who is eligible for Veterans’ Preference. State of Florida residency is not required for Veterans’ Preference.

If you are unable to apply online due to a disability, contact recruiting at [email protected] or by calling 352-334-5077.