GARDENER II, DISTRICT (6-Month Contract)

City of Brampton; Brampton; On-site; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Gardener II for a 6-month contract. In this role, you will design and maintain beautiful gardens and landscapes in city parks, ensuring they thrive through expert care and management. You'll lead a team, diagnose plant issues, and manage budgets while working with a variety of tools and equipment. This opportunity not only allows you to apply your horticultural skills but also to engage with the community and enhance public spaces. If you have a passion for gardening and a commitment to excellence, this position is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• High school diploma plus 1 year in Landscape Technology or Horticulture.
• 2-4 years experience in horticulture or gardening environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain gardens, shrubs, and turf in city parks.
• Direct and train staff in horticultural practices and maintenance.

Skills

Customer Service

Communication Skills

Teamwork

Independent Work

Education

High School Graduation

Landscape Technology or Horticulture Science

Tools

Tractors

Mowers

Chainsaw

Brush Chipper

Irrigation Systems

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Description

JOB TITLE: GARDENER II, DISTRICT (6-Month Contract)

DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES
NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 8
JOB STATUS & DURATION: Temporary 6-months
HOURS OF WORK: 40 hour workweek / variable hours
LOCATION: Undefined
HOURLY RATE: $32.31 per hour
JOB TYPE: Union
POSTING DATE: December 09, 2024
CLOSING DATE: July 1, 2025

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Reporting to the Foreperson, Horticultural/Supervisor, Operations Facility, this position designs and maintains annual beds, shrubs and turf in assigned City Parks (maintains Park facilities). Directs students/temporary and full-time employees as assigned.

• Diagnoses flower, shrub, and turf problems and sprays as needed: selects required pesticide, calibrate required amounts and apply, ensuring safety.
• Designs, prepares, and maintains annual and shrub beds and planters, including selecting flowers/shrubs, laying topsoil, fertilizer, and developing a program of care. Plants, cultivates, prunes and fertilizes. Inspects beds and performs required maintenance; sprays with pesticides as needed.
• Directs assigned staff including assigning, scheduling, and verifying on-site work, providing training in horticultural practices and policies.
• Responsible for an individual budget for the year; estimating, selecting plants, ordering, receiving, reconciling material as well as ordering supplies and hard goods from vendors.
• Selection of trees and shrubs needed for replacement or new planting.
• Prunes, maintains, transplants trees; checks for damage/disease, potential hazards and risks, improvements in aesthetics, and provides general health management.
• Responds to on-site public requests, provides information.
• Maintains turf areas: cuts/mows, fertilizes, aerates, dethatches, irrigates, seeds, sods, applies top dressing and applies herbicides/pesticides.
• Inspect and maintain irrigation systems throughout the City.
• Interiorscaping for indoor plants; selects, purchases, designs, waters, fertilizes, repots, and applies pesticides.
• Adheres to Integrated Pest Management practices to control and eliminate pests, adapting and implementing methods as required.
• Prepare stock requirement for tender and provide input with regard to suppliers.
• Attend related seminars, trade shows and maintain certifications.
• Keeps abreast of industry trends and practices, researching new plants, equipment, materials, and methods.
• Operates tractors, mowers, chainsaw, brush chipper, water and spraying equipment, snow removal equipment, and hand tools. Maintains equipment/tools, and sets-up for Park projects. e.g. removes trees, plants or transplants/stakes.
• Maintains park areas including litter and debris pick-up, removing and replacing garbage cans, overpainting graffiti, checking Park buildings for cleanliness, etc.
• Repairs, assembles Park facilities, i.e. constructs or repairs planters, beds, fencing, signs, pathways, sports facilities (e.g. bleachers), etc.
• Provides advice to Foreperson and Landscape Architects regarding horticulture, maintenance routines, pathways, and other park planning matters.
• Liaise with industry professionals on projects and oversees work of contractors.
• Performs winter maintenance: operates equipment to clear snow from park walkways, bridges, outdoor ice rinks, etc. Salts and sands park areas; grooms ski trails.
• Inspects Park facilities/fixtures on an ongoing basis to identify required repairs, and to ensure public safety. Informs Foreperson of required work.
• Fulfils administrative duties as required; documenting inspections, completing work orders, preparing weekly planners, handling purchases.
• Maintain knowledge of applicable legislation, manuals, and established procedures related to Environment, Workplace Health and Safety, Vehicular Safety.
• Performs additional similar and related duties as assigned.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

• High school (Grade 12) graduation plus an additional program of up to one (1) year in Landscape Technology, Horticulture Science, or equivalent.
• Over two (2) years, up to and including four (4) years of experience in a horticulture, greens keeping or gardening environment.
• A valid, non-probationary Ontario Class D license with airbrake Z endorsement.
• Landscape Exterminator License.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills with an emphasis on customer service.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

NOTE: Preference will be given to students that have a permanent residency in Brampton.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Various tests and/or exams may be administered as part of the selection criteria.
• Alternate formats will be provided upon request.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

If this opportunity matches your interest and experience, please apply online by clicking the button above by July 1, 2025 and complete the attached questionnaire. We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The successful candidate(s) will be required, as a condition of employment, to execute a written employment agreement. A criminal record search will be required of the successful candidate to verify the absence of a criminal record for which a pardon has not been granted.

As part of the application process, applicants will be invited to complete a self-identification survey. The survey is voluntary. Participation in the survey will have no impact on hiring decisions. Should you wish to opt out of completing the survey, please select “prefer not to answer” as a response to each question. All information collected is confidential and will not be shared with the hiring manager. The surveys will be anonymized and will be kept separate from applicant or employee files, such that the individuals who completed the surveys will not be identifiable. The results of the survey will assist in the analysis of disaggregated metrics for organizational planning purposes and our commitment to advance and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. The City may use anonymized data to produce aggregate reports for internal or external use.

Please be advised, the City of Brampton uses email to communicate with their applicants for open job competitions. It is the applicant’s responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time-sensitive correspondence via email (i.e. testing bookings, interview dates), it is imperative that applicants check their email regularly. If we do not hear back from applicants, we will assume that you are no longer interested in the Job Competition and your application will be removed from the Competition.

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