Maintenance Aide

City of Paramount; Paramount (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Paramount is seeking a Maintenance Aide to perform landscape, facilities, roads, and water maintenance across City facilities and parks. You will use hand tools and light equipment to complete assigned tasks, read meters, and assist with customer service.

No prior experience is required, and a High school diploma is required, with a valid California Driver License. This role supports multiple work areas and promotes a safe, efficient public-works environment.

Qualifications

• No previous experience is required; some related landscape, facilities or roads work is desirable.
• High school graduation or equivalent is required.
• Valid Class C California Driver License with acceptable driving record.

Responsibilities

• Perform unskilled and semi-skilled maintenance duties across landscape, facilities, roads and water maintenance.
• Operate manual tools and light to mid-weight equipment as assigned.
• Read meters, respond to customer inquiries, and assist with basic water service tasks.
• Inspect and repair minor systems and assist with routine upkeep.

Skills

Tool handling

Equipment operation

Safety awareness

Reading measurements

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Lawnmowers

Street sweepers

Concrete grinders

Power tools

Job description

THE CITY

Located in the gateway to the Los Angeles metropolis, the City of Paramount offers secure quality of life to its residents and a business-friendly attitude that has created a growing retail and services sector, with a thriving Downtown.

Paramount's government is a stable, innovative, and financially conservative organization, and the City has continually invested in its infrastructure and emphasized code enforcement and assistance programs to help residents and businesses upgrade and maintain their properties. For these reasons, the City has a distinctive appearance that appeals to current and potential residents.

For its employees, Paramount offers a family-friendly organization that places emphasis on lifework balance and flexibility. City leadership highly values the input and impact of each employee. Rather than work from the top-down, Paramount chooses collaboration, fostering a professional, respectful, and fulfilling work environment.

CITY GOVERNMENT

The City of Paramount is operated by 6 departments: Administrative Services; Planning; Public Safety; Public Works; Community Services, and Finance.

With an operating budget of $50.4M, City population of 52,000, and covering 4.8 square miles, the City of Paramount is dedicated to providing fiscally responsible services that maintain a vibrant community that is Safe, Healthy, and Attractive! We value respect and ethical behaviors, adaptability, service excellence, and accountability. The City promotes innovation through teamwork, and providing effective, inclusive, and transparent public information and engagement.

The Position

Under direction, the Maintenance Aide will perform a variety of unskilled and semi-skilled duties pertaining to City landscape, facilities, roads and water maintenance and repair, and/or the provision of water customer support services. The Maintenance Aide will use and operate manual tools as well as light and mid-weight equipment to complete assignments; and perform other related duties as assigned.

• Perform unskilled and semi-skilled maintenance duties which, depending on assignment, may include some or all of the following:

Landscape maintenance duties:

• Trim, remove, plant and prune trees using manual tools and motorized equipment, including a lift bucket when necessary; grind stumps using a stump grinder; prune and trim bushes and other shrubbery.
• Remove weeds; mow, cultivate, plant, fertilize and irrigate lawns and flower beds; apply pesticides as directed.
• Repair minor irrigation line and system problems; replace sprinkler heads; turn on/off valves to make repairs.
• Pick up trash and debris in parks and other landscaped areas; empty trash containers; clean up vacated homeless encampments.
• Perform a variety of duties related to the maintenance and care of assigned sports fields.
• Inspect playground equipment and play areas; perform repairs as necessary.

Facilities maintenance duties:

• Perform routine building repairs as needed; assist skilled maintenance staff with various carpentry, plumbing, electrical and other skilled maintenance projects; assist with routine repairs to roofs, fences, walls, doors and floors; paint interior and exteriors.
• Open parks; clean park and other building restrooms; stock materials and supplies.
• Clean walls, sidewalks, floors and other surfaces of buildings; remove graffiti.
• Build concrete forms and pour and finish concrete.
• Replace light bulbs, outlets, switches, ballasts and broken light fixtures.
• Unclog toilets and drains.
• Maintain pools and water fountains; check PH levels and add chlorine as necessary.
• Pick-up and dispose of large/bulky items throughout the City.

Roads maintenance duties:

• Assist with the repair of streets, sidewalks and road-related surfaces.
• Control traffic; close lanes with traffic cones and street signs.
• Replace damaged signs and signposts.
• Mix patch materials and fill in open gaps in cement sidewalks and other surfaces.
• Inspect a street sweeper machine to verify proper functionality; operate a street sweeper machine to clean streets.
• Clear debris from storm drains using hand tools, such as rakes and shovels.
• Grind bumps and ridges in concrete using a concrete grinder.
• Remove tree branches that block the public’s view of signs or other important sights.

Water facility maintenance and customer service duties:

• Read and record residential and commercial water meters to determine water usage.
• Provide customer service by responding to inquiries from residents and other customers.
• Assist with basic water service installations and repairs, including main lines, service lines, fire hydrants, meters and other fixtures associated with water infrastructure.
• Assist with emergency repairs of broken lines and services.
• Operate valves and fire hydrants; assist with hydrant and main line valve maintenance programs.
• Dig ditches and holes using manual and/or power equipment.
• Transport tools, personnel and equipment to and from job sites.

Other miscellaneous maintenance duties:

• Operate and maintain a variety of maintenance equipment and hand and power tools; install and perform minor repairs on equipment as needed.
• Operate a lift bucket to install or remove banners, signs, flags, holiday decorations and other items.
• Erect barricades around construction sites.
• Break up damaged sidewalks and other paved areas and assist in repair.
• Wash vehicles.
• Ensure proper disposal of chemicals.
• Perform inventory control of assigned equipment and supplies.
• Assist with City events by moving equipment and furniture, constructing/setting up stages and audio equipment, cleaning up after the event, etc.
• Perform special projects as required.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination of education, training, and work experience that demonstrates possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform in the position may be qualifying. A typical combination is as follows:

Experience

No previous experience is required. Some experience related to landscape, facilities or roads is desirable.

Education

High school graduation or equivalent is required.

License or Certificate

Valid Class C California Driver License and acceptable driving record.

Knowledge of

• The names and uses of basic tools and equipment for landscape, facility, road and water maintenance activities.
• Operational characteristics of maintenance and construction equipment and tools used in the area of work assigned.
• General mechanical principles applicable to manual labor maintenance work.
• Occupational hazards and safety practices applicable to strenuous physical work done in outdoor settings.
• Basic laws, codes, rules and regulations applicable to area of assignment.
• Basic mathematics needed to take measurements and calculate volumes and fractions.
• Basic record-keeping techniques.

Skill to

• Safely use manual tools, such as rakes, shovels, picks, sledge and other hammers, drills and saws.
• Safely operate small power equipment and machinery, such as chain saws, rototillers, lawnmowers, aerators, hedgers, spreaders, grinders and jackhammers.
• Safely operate one or more types of vehicles if required by assignments.
• Safely operate light and mid-weight equipment, such as dump trucks, lift buckets and street sweepers.
• Read and understand instruction manuals and safety information pertaining to tools, materials and supplies used in the performance of assigned duties.

Ability to

• Accurately follow oral and written instructions.
• Identify potential hazards or safety issues that arise during work activities and know when to advise a supervisor that additional expertise is required.
• Work effectively under pressure and in emergency conditions.
• Measure distances accurately; determine volumes and percentages needed to make solutions and apply fertilizers, seed and other materials.
• Prepare routine reports and records.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.

Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment:

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is primarily performed in an outdoor setting and requires: physical ability to travel to different sites; vision to see and conduct self safely around power tools and machinery; hearing and speech to communicate in person and over telephone; frequent bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing and pulling while performing duties; ability to lift, carry, push and pull materials and objects weighing up to 30 pounds.

Environmental Elements

Primary duties require working from heights, below ground or in cramped or restrictive locations; some exposure to general hazards associated with maintenance activities, including chemicals, fumes, gases and odors; may require interaction with upset staff and/or public and private representatives and contractors in interpreting and enforcing departmental and City policies and procedures.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Completed application and resume must be submitted by the filing deadline listed above. Application packets will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in the job announcement. Possession of the minimum qualifications does not ensure an invitation to the recruitment process. The selection process will include an oral interview and may include other testing processes designed to predict successful job performance.

Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position. Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration. Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application.

Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process as you will not receive communications by any other method.

Emergency Disaster Worker

City employees are registered as Emergency Disaster Workers and must take an oath. In the event of a declared emergency, City employees shall initially remain at work, if recalled, shall report to work after completing critical personal and family emergency responsibilities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Paramount is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

If you require reasonable accommodation during the examination components due to a qualified disability, you must inform the Human Resources Division at [phone] at least 5 days in advance of testing date.