Park Assistant III

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off

CalPERS retirement plan

Job summary

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority seeks a Park Assistant III to perform skilled park maintenance across MRCA properties in the greater Los Angeles area. Responsibilities include maintenance of picnic grounds, restrooms, irrigation systems, trails, and site furnishings with emphasis on safety and efficiency.

The role requires the ability to work outdoors in all weather, follow instructions, and interact professionally with the public, volunteers, and staff.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Two years of experience in grounds maintenance, plant care, facility/building maintenance or related field.

Responsibilities

• Maintain picnic grounds and parking areas, including regular trash removal and graffiti removal.
• Clean and restock restrooms.
• Inspect irrigation systems and perform repairs.
• Maintain landscape and natural areas to reduce fire hazards and perform weed control.
• Install park amenities including benches, signs, fencing, landscaping, irrigation, and trails.
• Read maps and navigate through greater Los Angeles.

Skills

Outdoor work

Physical labor

Customer service

Independent work

Bilingual preference

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Two years grounds maintenance experience

Tools

Forklift Operator certification

Job description

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority is recruiting for a Park Assistant III to perform a variety of skilled park maintenance work. Specific tasks vary with location and include regular maintenance of picnic grounds, restrooms, and developed areas, trash removal, trail maintenance, plant care including mowing and brush removal, irrigation repair, fence repairs, assembly and installation of site furnishings and signs, and delivery of materials and equipment to job sites.

Our Park Assistants are the valued employees that keep MRCA parks clean and safe for visitors while also protecting the local wildlife and plants.

This position requires a responsible person who desires to work outdoors, has good judgement and is a self-starter. The individual must be able to interact in a friendly and professional way with the public, and must be able to make regular progress on tasks independently and alone.

This is skills-based physical labor work, in all weather conditions, for a person at an entry level or intermediate level. The work performed will support MRCA’s operation of nature parks within greater Los Angeles and other MRCA efforts related to public access, open space conservation, habitat restoration, and urban park development.

Duties

Park Assistant III positions exist in the Routes, Construction and Developed Resources Divisions and specific duties may include but are not limited to:

Duties for the Developed Resources division also include repairs to utility infrastructure, building repairs, and skilled gardening, and assistance during special events.

Duties for the Construction division also include building renovation (carpentry, electrical, plumbing), utility infrastructure repairs, and new construction of park amenities and irrigation systems.

Supervision

Depending on the division, the position may report to an Operations Manager, Deputy Division Chief or Division Chief. The position does not supervise other staff but may occasionally direct the work of volunteers, court crews, seasonal workers, volunteers, and youth crews. The employee may work independently or as part of a crew.

Essential Functions

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all 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.

• Maintain picnic grounds and parking areas, including regular trash removal and pickup and graffiti removal. Regular inspection of park sites to determine maintenance needs.
• Clean and restock restrooms.
• Inspect irrigation systems and perform repairs and adjustments as needed.
• Maintain landscape and natural areas to reduce fire hazards and perform weed control activities.
• Follow verbal and written directions.
• Apply pesticides and herbicides in accordance with applicable laws and regulations under the supervision of the pesticide manager.
• Make repair to hiking trails, stream crossings, and equestrian trails.
• Operate light equipment such as mowers, edgers, brush cutters and power tools, and perform minor mechanical repairs.
• Install various park amenities including benches, signs, fencing, landscaping, irrigation, and trails.
• Inspect drinking fountains and perform repairs as needed.
• Participate in agency emergency response.
• Assist in preparing and cleaning up for events as needed.
• Maintain good habits of answering and responding to incoming telephone calls and emails, and when communicating and providing customer service to citizens who seek assistance.
• Maintain positive relationships with coworkers and the public at large.
• Perform related duties as required.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to lift and carry items weighing up to 60 pounds for a distance up to 50 feet both indoors and outdoors; frequently operate heavy equipment, hand tools, light equipment and power tools; constantly work in outdoor weather conditions; frequently move about work sites; communicate and exchange information; observe and document site conditions; transport equipment and tools between vehicles and work sites on a daily basis; and occasionally ascend/descend a ladder to access areas of work.

Minimum Qualifications

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• Two (2) years of experience in grounds maintenance, plant care, facility/building maintenance or related field.

Training and Certification

• Must have a valid California driver’s license in good standing with a satisfactory driving record at the time of hire.
• Pesticide Handler certification (or ability to complete within 6 months).
• Basic First Aid and CPR certification (or ability to complete within 6 months).
• Forklift Operator / heavy equipment certification (or ability to complete within 6 months).

Knowledge of

• Safe working practices, Cal-OSHA requirements.
• Automatic Irrigation systems.
• Pesticide and herbicide application.
• Proper tool care and storage.
• Basic proficiency in email and Office 365, or ability to learn.
• Regulatory requirements, or ability to learn.
• Bilingual skills in English and another locally common language, such as Spanish, Korean, Farsi, Chinese, Armenian, Yiddish, or Tagalog is highly desired.

Ability to

• Maintain a safe and clean working environment.
• Consistently follow procedures.
• Prioritize varying tasks and projects.
• Work in all weather conditions. Perform demanding labor on multiple consecutive days outdoors in hot weather.
• Revise work approach to address changed conditions.
• Complete projects and follow oral and written directions.
• Learn technical material.
• Work independently and with others.
• Complete the MRCA Wildland Fire Academy, if desired by the employee.
• Read maps and navigate through greater Los Angeles in both urban developed and undeveloped open space areas.

Competencies

• Effective oral English language skills. Not required to be a native English speaker, but fluency in English will be required.
• Follow safety procedures and utilize/wear protective equipment as needed.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the course of work including the general public.

This job announcement is not intended to, and does not, create an employment contract of any kind and does not create any express or implied contractual obligations. Employment at MRCA is at-will without exception. The employee and MRCA may terminate employment at any time with or without advance notice and with or without cause.

Any provision contained in this job announcement may be modified or revoked at any time without notice.

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority offers a comprehensive benefits package to meet the needs of our employees and their families.

Many benefits become available to employees working at least a half-time schedule, but eligibility varies depending on the category of employment and how long the employee has worked for MRCA. New employees will be notified of available benefits at the time of hire, which may vary from what is generally described here.

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

MRCA offers multiple choices of insurance plans, including HMO, PPO, and low-cost options, with MRCA paying a portion of the costs for eligible employees. Plans are available to cover employee’s children and spouses. In some cases, plans may be available at no cost to the employee.

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Holidays. MRCA observes 12 paid holidays each year for eligible employees. This includes one personal holiday taken at employee’s discretion.

Vacation. Eligible employees can earn up to 96 hours per year of paid vacation leave. Vacation accruals increase after employees have worked for 3 years, and again at 10 years of service.

Sick Leave. Eligible employees can earn up to 96 hours per year of paid vacation leave. Some categories of employee may earn up to 3 days per year.

Other. Eligible MRCA employees may be entitled to paid leave for Bereavement, Jury Duty, Witness Duty, and Voting.

Retirement Plan

MRCA employees are members of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) which offers a defined retirement benefit plan. Pension payments under this program are determined by a set formula that factors in years of service, age, and final compensation. Depending on certain eligibility rules, benefits may include payments to employees’ survivors and beneficiaries and are payable for life. Learn more about CalPERS here (https://www.calpers.ca.gov/).

Deferred Compensation:

MRCA employees have the option to contribute to a 457(b) plan for their retirement savings (similar to a 401(k)). Employees can contribute a portion of their wages, up to the IRS limits, into an investment account, and MRCA will contribute matching funds up to 6.2%.

Flexible Spending Accounts

FSA accounts as a way to convert taxable pay dollars into tax-free benefit dollars that employees can use to pay certain eligible expenses. FSA contributions are deducted from the employee’s paycheck and reimbursed back to the employee depending on the program. Because the contributions are made before taxes are withheld, they are not subject to federal income tax and, in most cases, state and local income taxes. The MRCA offers two types of FSA accounts:

• Health Care Spending Account: to pay for qualified health care expenses not covered by medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Dependent Care Spending Account: to pay for certain eligible child and dependent care expenses.

Life Insurance

MRCA employees are provided a life insurance benefit as part of their medical/dental plans.

Employee Assistance Program

The MRCA provides all employees access to free professional counseling, including mental health services, through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP provides confidential counseling to help employees address various issues that affect daily life such as stress, family or marital conflict, financial services, legal services, alcohol and drug issues, and depression.