Lead Parks Worker

City of New Berlin; New Berlin (WI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of New Berlin seeks a Lead Parks Worker to supervise and perform skilled maintenance on City properties including landscaping, trails, playgrounds, and shelter prep.

You will lead a crew, ensure safety, train staff, and coordinate with the public and city officials. This role requires leadership and strong communication while working outdoors in all weather.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma.
• Valid Wisconsin driver license; Class A CDL preferred or obtainable within 1 year.
• 5–6 years of experience in general landscaping.
• At least 1 year of lead or supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and participate in daily maintenance and repair of City-owned properties.
• Plan and schedule crew activities.
• Operate and maintain heavy equipment; manage inventory.
• Apply fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides per regulations; obtain certifications.
• Provide safety leadership and enforce PPE compliance.
• Liaise with the public and resolve complaints.
• Assist in budgeting, grants, and vendor coordination.
• Perform on-call duties and other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Safety regulations

Team coaching

Customer service

Manual labor

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Under general supervision from the Parks Supervisor, the Lead Parks Worker performs advanced skilled work, and leads a crew of staff responsible for the daily maintenance and repair of City-owned properties including general landscaping, trail maintenance, playgrounds, and shelter preparation. The role emphasizes leadership, safety compliance, quality control, and positive public interaction in a community-focused parks environment.

• Leads, supervises, and participates in daily maintenance and repair of City-owned properties, including general landscaping, trail maintenance, playground inspection and repair, and shelter preparation, and ensures work meets department standards and safety protocols.
• Trains, mentors, and assists with evaluation of crew members (full-time and seasonal staff); provides guidance on proper techniques, equipment use, and best practices.

• Plans and schedules assigned crew activities.

• Operates and maintains a variety of heavy and specialized equipment (tractors, loaders, mowers, aerators, sprayers, etc.); ensures equipment is serviced, cleaned, and stored properly; troubleshoots minor mechanical issues.
• Manages inventory of supplies, materials, and chemicals; orders as needed; tracks usage and prepares basic reports on maintenance activities, budgets, and project status.
• Applies fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides safely and in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations; holds or obtains required applicator certifications.

• Assists with forestry, athletic field maintenance, special event, or snow & ice removal as required, leads crew in emergency response or inclement weather preparations.

• Promotes safety protocols and enforces PPE use; participates in incident investigations and recommends improvements.
• Serves as a liaison with the public; provides courteous customer service, communicates playground & shelter closures to Parks Supervisor, and resolves complaints.
• Participates in planning for capital projects, or upgrades; may assist in budget recommendations, grant applications, or vendor coordination.

• Purchases supplies as required, under the direction of the Parks Supervisor.
• Performs routine inspections of play structures and repairs and maintains as needed.
• Collaborate with the City Forester to assess and address the horticultural and forestry needs within the parks, including necessary plantings and tree removals.
• Performs and/or assists in the planting, maintenance, and removal of trees, shrubs, flowers, and turf on all city greenspaces.
• Performs on-call duties as assigned and according to Division’s Standard Operating Procedure.
• Performs other duties as may be related or assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of computers for data entry, spread sheets and e-mail correspondence.
• Ability to organize, coach and motivate work crews.
• Knowledge of all applicable safety regulations.
• Ability to perform and instruct assigned personnel in various duties and assist the Supervisor in the overall direction of projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively, courteously and tactfully with staff, city officials and the public.
• Ability to perform moderate to heavy manual labor.
• Ability to withstand extreme weather conditions and working outdoors and inside structures.
• Ability to be available for emergencies that necessitate working at any time outside of normal work hours, and willingness to attend occasional meetings outside of normal work hours.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• High School Diploma.
• Valid Wisconsin driver's license (Class A CDL preferred or ability to obtain within 1 year)
• 5-6 years of experience in general landscaping.

• At least one (1) year of lead or supervisory experience (may be substituted with demonstrated leadership in a parks setting)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 3.0 pesticide certification is preferred but must be obtained within 1 year of hiring date.
• Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Certification is preferred but must be obtained within 1 year of hiring date.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Tasks involve standing for an extended period of time.
• Times where exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Task involves periods of time at a keyboard.

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions, including extreme heat and cold.

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS

• The task requires close visual acuity to perform various activities.
• The task requires oral communications ability.
• The task requires sound perception.