Landscape & Irrigation Maintenance Worker

Santee Cooper; Santee (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Santee seeks a Grounds Maintenance position to perform landscape upkeep and irrigation repairs for parks, playgrounds and public facilities. You will operate park maintenance equipment, maintain turf, shrubs and trees, and respond to public inquiries with professionalism.

Qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent and at least 1 year of irrigation/landscape experience; specialized irrigation training is highly desirable, with a requirement to obtain Reclaimed Water

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• One year of recent, entry-level irrigation and landscape work experience preferred.
• Specialized training in irrigation system maintenance and installation is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Perform a variety of semi-skilled and skilled grounds, gardening and turf maintenance tasks.
• Mow, edge, trim, weed, water landscapes, and maintain irrigation systems.
• Repair sprinkler heads, lines, and water breaks; adjust timers and controllers.

Skills

Basic landscape maintenance

Irrigation systems knowledge

Grounds maintenance

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Calsense Irrigation systems

Job description

The Position

Under general direction of an assigned supervisor, incumbents will work independently performing a variety of semi-skilled and skilled tasks related to landscape maintenance and repair of irrigation equipment; operate a variety of park maintenance equipment and to participate in the beautification of parks, playground, and public facilities. May perform other tasks as assigned to a maintenance crew and performs other related duties as required.

Representative Duties

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Performs a variety of semi-skilled and skilled grounds, gardening and turf maintenance duties involved in the development, maintenance, and repair of landscaped areas, parks, playgrounds, and public facilities;
• Performs routine maintenance duties such as mowing and edging grass, operating a weed eater, blowing leaves on sidewalks and parking lots, removing and trimming shrubbery, raking leaves and debris, and removing graffiti/vandalism;
• Performs a variety of duties in the maintenance and repair of irrigation systems; adjusts and maintains timers and controllers; repair sprinkler heads and lines; locates and repairs water breaks; as required;
• Plants, waters and maintains landscaped areas consisting of turf, bushes, trees, flowers, and shrubs; trim and prune bushes, trees and shrubs; water, mow, weed, renovate, and fertilize lawns;
• Identifies turf, shrub, and tree diseases, parasites and other problems;
• Performs maintenance and repairs on various equipment including playground equipment, picnic tables, gates, fences, and tree stakes;
• Performs routine maintenance and repair activities for park facilities; cleans restrooms and stocks materials and supplies; assists in building repairs including carpentry, painting and plumbing repairs;
• Performs general grounds cleaning; cleans and maintains assigned areas; picks up and discards trash and litter;
• Responds to public inquiries in a courteous manner; provides information within the area of assignment; resolve complaints in an efficient and timely manner;
• Operates and maintains a variety of landscaping equipment including sprayers, edgers, blowers, hedge trimmers, weed eaters and related equipment; and
• Performs related duties as required.

For the complete job description, please go to the City of Santee's website at www.cityofsanteeca.gov

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this classification. An example would be:

Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent, and; Experience: One (1) year of recent, entry-level experience performing simple irrigation and landscape work.

• Completion of specialized training in the maintenance, repair, and installation of manual and automatic irrigation systems is highly desirable.
• Supplemental course work in Ornamental Horticulture or a related field is highly desirable.
• Experience with Calsense Irrigation systems is highly desirable.

"Recent" experience is defined as relevant experience in the last five (5) years.

EVALUATION PROCESS

First review of applications may take place the week of October 5, 2026

This job Interested applicants must submit an online application and a completed supplemental questionnaire. Candidates whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the City will be invited to participate in the examination process for this position which may consist of any or all of the following components: Appraisal interview, a written exercise, or a practical skills assessment.

PANEL INTERVIEW

Tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026

SELECTION INTERVIEW

TBD

The City may change this interview date at its discretion due to departmental staffing and operational needs.

Special Requirements

Reclaimed Water Site Supervisor Certification is required within six months of employment.

The applicant selected will be subject to a criminal history investigation through the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and a thorough background check. A waiver for reference and background information must be completed.

Possession of, or ability to obtain, a Class C California driver's license at time of appointment. A safe driving record is required and must be maintained during period of employment. If selected for this position, a copy of your DMV driving record must be presented prior to the first day of employment. The applicant selected will be given a conditional offer of employment pending the outcome of a post-offer physical.

City of Santee employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

This position will be required to comply with the City's Stand-by/Call-Back policy and requires the individual to be available on a rotating basis to carry the duty pager and work after hours on weekends and holidays.

If I am selected for the position, I understand that I will be required to complete the Reclaimed Water Site Supervisor Certification within six months of the date of hire.