Park Maintenance Technician

State of South Dakota; Lake City (SD); On-site; USD 27,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

State of South Dakota Game Fish & Parks seeks a Park Maintenance Technician for Fort Sisseton Historic State Park in Lake City, SD. The role leads facility maintenance, develops and directs seasonal staff, and ensures safe, clean parks facilities year-round.

You’ll handle electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and grounds work across diverse park structures and trails. Responsibilities include supervising staff, maintaining equipment, preparing facilities for winter storage and spring reactivation,

Job description

Job ID: 36960

Agency: Game Fish & Parks

Location: Lake City, SD (Fort Sisseton State Park)

Salary: $19.74 - $23.49/hr, depending on qualifications

Pay Grade: F

Closing Date: 08/25/2026

The Park Maintenance Technician at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, is one of the 10 permanent staff of District 1. District 1 consists of 4 parks: Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, Roy Lake State Park, Sica Hollow State Park and Pickerel Lake State Recreation Area; 7 Lakeside Use Ares; 12 Public Water Access Areas. These areas provide year round recreational opportunities and facilities for the public such as camping, lodging, historical interpretation, programing, picnicking, beach going, boating, fishing, hunting, multi-use trails, and disc golf. Fort Sisseton Historical State Park also is highly active with programs and festivals that highlight the historic and cultural aspects of the location along with programs that incorporate the local arts, outdoor field recreational sports instruction, and other state sponsored initiatives, held through out the year. The focus of the Technician at Fort Sisseton will be to lead and manage the building and grounds and help facilitate the events of Fort Sisseton Historic State Park. Fort Sisseton will be the reporting duty station.

Duties Of The Park Maintenance Technician Will Include

Assuming the lead role on facility maintenance and management of all current facilities at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park. This position will assist with maintaining: historic structures and grounds, comfort stations, park shop buildings, cold storage buildings, park offices, camping cabins, campsites, playgrounds, dump stations, vault toilets, picnic shelters, and many other facilities. Specific duties include, but are not limited to: electrical work, plumbing work, carpentry, construction, and concrete work. The position will be directing and inspecting work for seasonal staff to ensure facilities are clean, sanitized, and available for the public. They will also maintain cleaning equipment and chemicals, inspect facilities for safe and proper operation, and maintain accessibility. This position will also prepare facilities for safe winter storage and be responsible for turning the facility back on in the spring. This position will need to know how to operate, perform maintenance, diagnose, and make repairs on mowers, tractors, skid steers, trailers, sprayers, UTV's, golf carts, small equipment/small engines, and various implement attachments. The Park Maintenance Technician will be responsible for keeping accurate service records and logs for all repairs and service performed on equipment. The position will also assist with the construction and maintenance of hiking & multi-use trails; turf and grounds maintenance; campsite maintenance; tree care including planting, pruning, maintenance, & removal; landscaping; construction projects; perform herbicide and insecticide applications to control weeds and insects; snow removal; fencing; signing; and operating specialized equipment and power tools to effectively and efficiently complete projects mentioned above. Position will act as a lead worker for seasonal and volunteer staff, while maintaining daily park operations and maintenance tasks. Position will assist in making sure staff are orientated, adequately trained, properly supervised, given proper feedback, meeting safety standards, and completing duties as assigned. Position will also create and maintain a positive working environment for all staff. Position will assist district permanent staff with preparation of vehicle & equipment reports, Fleet and Travel work orders, weed spraying records, electrical maintenance repair records, and maintaining Material Safety Data Sheets. This position will complete safety inspections, monthly service inspections on lift stations, and regular inspections of geothermal systems. The incumbent must be able to work outdoors in all types of weather and conditions. Must be able to do manual labor including heavy lifting and strenuous physical activity at times. This is a full time position with Game Fish & Parks. For more information on Game Fish & Parks, please visit https://gfp.sd.gov/.

Licenses And Certifications

Valid drivers license required.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

A background in maintenance fields with knowledge and experience in grounds maintenance, equipment maintenance, plumbing, electrical, welding, and carpentry along with the desire to accomplish these tasks to a high standard, safely, and responsibly.

Knowledge Of

• operation, maintenance, and repair of tractors, skid steers, loaders, implement attachments, large commercial mowers, weed eaters, chain saws, and other specialized equipment;
• different diagnostic and repair methods for a wide variety of vehicles and equipment;
• safe operating guidelines for equipment;
• herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides; methods and rates of application; safe use and handling practices, and proper operation of spraying equipment;
• seed and fertilizers;
• janitorial and sanitation procedures, chemicals, materials, and supplies;
• fence building;
• landscaping;
• carpentry, plumbing, painting, and electrical repair;
• record keeping and report writing;
• supervising and directing work crews.

Skill To

• work outdoors in all weather conditions and a wide variety of terrain and water;
• lead crews as well as perform as part of a crew;
• operate a diversity of machinery, equipment, and tools;
• perform hard physical labor and lift heavy objects;
• be diligent to keep historical correct objectives with maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

Ability To

• ability communicate and work with the park manager, district supervisor, and district foremen to facilitate park needs and projects;
• operate a variety of vehicles and equipment;
• operate vehicles with manual transmissions;
• operate boats with outboard motors;
• use a variety of hand tools;
• provide on the job training to assigned employees;
• assign tasks to others;
• organize and complete assigned projects;
• communicate effectively with park users, co-workers, general public, and stakeholders;
• perform basic maintenance and custodial work such as replacing light fixtures, basic plumbing, and painting;
• read, follow, and communicate both verbal and written instructions.

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

"An Equal Opportunity Employer"