Park Attendant

Effingham County Board of Commissioners; Springfield (GA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Effingham County Board of Commissioners is seeking a part-time Park Attendant to keep county parks safe, clean, and welcoming. You will assist visitors, monitor facilities and events, perform routine inspections, and promptly report safety or maintenance concerns.

Work is outdoors with regular night and weekend shifts; holidays and special events may be required. Primary duties include patrolling park areas, greeting visitors, enforcing rules non-violently, and documenting incidents.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Six months of related experience preferred.
• Valid Georgia driver's license preferred if operating County vehicles.
• Ability and willingness to work a part-time schedule including nights and weekends.
• Any required background checks or screenings must be job-related and consistent with policy.

Responsibilities

• Walks through assigned park areas to observe conditions and report concerns.
• Greet visitors and answer routine questions.
• Monitor activities and assist with events and setup.
• Provide calm rule reminders and escalate when needed.
• Complete logs, checklists, incident notes, and maintenance requests.
• Perform custodial tasks such as litter removal and restroom upkeep.
• Operate tools or equipment only if trained and authorized.
• FollowCounty safety practices and PPE requirements.

Skills

Park operations awareness

Public communication

Safety awareness

Basic math

Independence & judgment

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED preferred

Tools

Radios

Mobile work-order systems

Basic computer applications

Job description

The part‑time Park Attendant supports safe, clean, orderly, and welcoming County parks by assisting visitors, monitoring facilities and activities, completing routine inspections and upkeep, supporting athletic and community events, and promptly reporting safety, maintenance, or conduct concerns. Work is performed primarily outdoors. Regular night and weekend work is required. Holiday and special‑event assignments may also be required.

Essential Functions:

• Walks through assigned park areas, facilities, parking areas, restrooms, playgrounds, trails, athletic fields, pavilions, and common areas to observe conditions, identify hazards, discourage misuse through visible presence, and report concerns.
• Greets visitors, answers routine questions, provides approved information about park rules, hours, reservations, amenities, and facility use, and refers complaints or complex questions to the Park Coordinator or Parks and Landscape Director.
• Monitors park activity, athletic events, rentals, and community programs; assists with opening, setup, closing, and cleanup; and promptly reports operational issues.
• Provides calm, respectful reminders about posted park rules when safe and appropriate; does not physically intervene or represent the position as law enforcement; and immediately seeks assistance from the Park Coordinator, Parks and Landscape Director, emergency responders, or law enforcement when escalation is needed.
• Completes assigned visual checklists for playgrounds, athletic areas, restrooms, picnic areas, gates, signs, lighting, fences, fields, and equipment and promptly reports damage, unsafe conditions, repairs, vandalism, or supply needs.
• Performs routine park and facility upkeep, including litter removal, trash collection, restroom cleaning and restocking, sweeping, blowing walkways, cleaning bleachers or dugouts, and other minor custodial tasks.
• Assists with athletic field and facility preparation, including dragging, marking, or painting fields; setting up or taking down equipment; arranging spaces for games, practices, rentals, or community programs; and returning facilities to usable condition.
• Provides access to first‑aid supplies when appropriate, contacts emergency responders when directed or immediately necessary, protects the immediate area from further risk when safe to do so, and documents incidents according to County procedures.
• Operates approved utility carts, hand tools, power tools, small equipment, or County vehicles only when trained and authorized; performs basic cleaning and inspection; and reports equipment concerns.
• Completes assigned logs, checklists, incident notes, supply requests, time records, and other basic documentation using paper forms, radios, mobile devices, computers, or other assigned systems.
• Follows County safety practices, department procedures, posted rules, equipment instructions, chemical safety requirements, and personal protective equipment requirements.
• Performs related duties as assigned. Related duties are intended to be reasonable extensions of the essential job functions and should not substantially change the nature of the position.

Non‑Essential / Secondary Duties

• May assist other Parks and Landscape staff with seasonal maintenance, special projects, inventory, supply pickup, storm preparation, or post‑event cleanup.
• May assist temporary, seasonal, or volunteer workers with routine assigned tasks but has no supervisory authority.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of basic park, facility, custodial, athletic field, and grounds maintenance practices.
• Knowledge of safe operation and routine care of hand tools, power tools, small equipment, vehicles, and assigned park maintenance equipment.
• Knowledge of basic workplace safety practices, hazard recognition, PPE use, and procedures for reporting maintenance or safety concerns.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with park visitors, coworkers, supervisors, vendors, program participants, and the general public.
• Ability to provide calm, respectful, and firm rule‑compliance reminders and to recognize when a matter should be escalated.
• Ability to read and follow written instructions, posted procedures, safety labels, work orders, schedules, maps, and basic maintenance documentation.
• Ability to complete basic written or electronic records, checklists, incident notes, and supply or maintenance requests.
• Ability to perform basic math needed for time records, supply counts, field measurements, and routine work documentation.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks while exercising sound judgment and seeking guidance when situations exceed established procedures.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and contribute to a safe and welcoming public environment.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Attributes and Qualification Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED preferred; equivalent education, training, or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.
• Six months of experience in parks, recreation, groundskeeping, facility maintenance, custodial work, event support, customer service, or a closely related field preferred.
• Valid Georgia driver’s license, or ability to obtain one within the timeframe established by the County, if assigned to operate County vehicles. Must meet County motor vehicle and insurability requirements for assigned driving duties.
• Ability and willingness to work a part‑time schedule that regularly includes nights and weekends. Holiday and special‑event assignments may also be required.
• Any required background, driving, or other pre‑employment screening must be job‑related, consistent with County policy, and administered consistently for similarly situated positions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current First Aid, CPR, or AED certification, or ability to obtain within the timeframe established by the department.
• Experience working in a public‑sector park, recreation, athletic facility, grounds maintenance, or public‑facing field operations environment.
• Experience using radios, mobile work‑order systems, basic computer applications, or electronic incident/documentation tools.
• Familiarity with playground safety checks, athletic field preparation, event setup, restroom/restock procedures, and visitor‑service expectations.
• Bilingual communication skills may be preferred when supported by operational need.

Performance Aptitudes

• Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. This includes discretion in determining data classification and referencing such analysis to established standards to recognize actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.

Human Interaction

• Requires the ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization:
• Requires the ability to operate, maneuver, and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Requires utilizing various references, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude

• Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include the ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; may consist of the ability to compute discount, interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion; may consist of the ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.

Functional Reasoning

• Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Situational Reasoning

• Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in situations involving evaluating information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

ADA Compliance

Physical Ability:

• Tasks require moderate physical effort, including prolonged walking and standing; climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, pushing, and pulling; and lifting or carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds, with assistance when appropriate.

Sensory Requirements:

• Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate visual cues or signals, and some require the ability to communicate orally.
• Performance of essential functions occurs primarily outdoors and may require exposure to dirt, dust, pollen, insects, cleaning products, wetness, humidity, temperature extremes, inclement weather, noise, and traffic or equipment hazards. Appropriate personal protective equipment must be used as required.

** To comply with regulations by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the duties' purpose and result rather than how they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removing that function would fundamentally change the job.