Maintenance Worker - Seasonal

City-of-Salem,-Oregon; Salem (OR); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Salem is seeking a Maintenance Worker for a seasonal assignment up to six months from date of hire. You will help keep our city running by maintaining public spaces, repairing infrastructure, and ensuring safety for everyone, including planting trees, repairing roads, and keeping work areas clean and safe.

This outdoor role offers hands-on experience with tools and equipment, a supportive crew, and opportunities to grow your maintenance skills.

Qualifications

• Pre-employment background check may be required
• High school diploma or GED preferred
• Some general maintenance, repair, grounds keeping or related manual labor experience preferred
• Oregon Driver License or CDL may be required; CDL eligible pay differential of $3.00 per hour and drug test will be required

Responsibilities

• Get Your Hands Dirty: Dig ditches, plant trees, and move materials using tools like shovels and wheelbarrows.
• Keep Things Safe: Set up and remove traffic signs, cones, and barriers; may flag traffic to protect public safety.
• Build and Repair: Perform basic painting, carpentry, cement, and asphalt work to maintain city infrastructure.
• Handle Heavy Lifting: Load/unload materials; assist in moving heavy boxes, equipment or large objects.
• Maintain Landscapes: Mow lawns, rake leaves, sweep walkways, trim hedges, remove debris.
• Clean and Organize: Clean tools/equipment and leave worksite tidy and safe for use.
• Operate Tools and Equipment: Use power/hand tools and possibly heavy equipment; haul materials to and from worksites

Job description

This position is for a seasonal assignment limited up to six months from date of hire.

Make an impact:

Join our team as a Maintenance Worker and help keep our city running smoothly! Your work will directly improve our community by maintaining public spaces, repairing infrastructure, and ensuring safety for everyone. Whether you're planting trees, repairing roads, or keeping work areas clean and safe, your contributions will make a real difference every day.

Learn and grow:

This position is a great opportunity to develop new skills while working outdoors. You'll gain hands‑on experience with tools, equipment, and maintenance techniques. Work alongside a supportive team, learn from experienced crew members, and take pride in the work you accomplish. If you're ready to grow your abilities and take on new challenges, this is the job for you!

What you will do:

• Get Your Hands Dirty: Use tools like shovels and wheelbarrows to dig ditches, plant trees, and move materials such as dirt, seed, fertilizer, or bark dust.
• Keep Things Safe: Set up and remove traffic signs, cones, and barriers to protect work zones. You may also flag traffic to ensure public safety.
• Build and Repair: Perform basic painting, carpentry, cement, and asphalt work to repair and maintain city infrastructure.
• Handle Heavy Lifting: Load and unload materials from trucks and vans, and assist in moving heavy boxes, equipment, or large, bulky objects.
• Maintain Landscapes: Mow lawns, rake leaves, sweep walkways, trim hedges, and remove debris to keep public spaces clean and inviting.
• Clean and Organize: After completing a job, clean tools and equipment, return them to their proper locations, and ensure the worksite is left tidy, safe, and ready for use.
• Operate Tools and Equipment: Use power tools, hand tools, and occasionally heavy equipment to complete tasks efficiently. You may operate vehicles or equipment to haul materials like concrete or asphalt to and from worksites.

Additional information on job responsibilities:

• Lift and move objects weighing up to 100 pounds occasionally, 50 pounds frequently, and 20 pounds constantly.
• Perform tasks that involve climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, sitting, pushing, and grasping.
• Use your hands and arms for repetitive motions and communicate effectively through speech and hearing.
• Rely on visual acuity to operate tools, vehicles, and equipment safely and accurately.
• Work outdoors in various weather conditions, adapting to environmental challenges while staying focused on safety and quality.

What are the minimum qualifications:

• Must pass the pre‑employment background check, and a physical exam depending on area of assignment.
• High school graduate or GED preferred. Some general maintenance, repair, grounds keeping, construction trade or other related manual labor experience is preferred.
• Some positions may require an Oregon Driver License or Commercial Driving License (CDL) and meet the City of Salem's driving standards. Positions that require a CDL will be eligible to receive a $3.00 per hour pay differential and will be required to pass a drug test (including marijuana).

The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials.

Learn more about Equal Pay.

About us:

The City of Salem is the second largest City in the State of Oregon, located in the heart of Willamette Valley, and is the capital city of Oregon with a population over 170,000. Centrally located, Salem is 47 miles south of Portland and an hour from the Cascade Mountains to the east and an hour from the ocean beaches to the west. Salem is an exceptional community for living and working with exciting new and comfortable well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings.

A full‑service City, Salem has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community and Urban Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City has five labor unions and employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members. The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Urban Development department.

The Public Works Department values employees and their professional development. If you are someone that takes pride in collaborating on innovative ideas, proactively responding to community needs, and being a good environmental and financial steward, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety, and welfare of our community, including our team!

The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Urban Development department.

Where can I find out more about the position?

Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Maintenance Worker or view by clicking here.