Park Ranger/Naturalist

My County Parks; Hampton (IA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Uniform allowance

IPERS retirement plan

Health benefits

Job summary

My County Parks seeks a dedicated Parks Supervisor to oversee park grounds, facilities, and educational programs. You will manage reservations and lodge operations, supervise seasonal staff, and ensure safety and cleanliness across multiple sites.

You will also handle equipment maintenance, inventory control, and collaboration with public groups. Strong communication, planning, and foundational natural resources knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• High school diploma plus two years of college with study related to forestry, horticulture, natural resources, park maintenance or equivalent training.
• CDL and pesticide licenses required within six months; NWCG S130/S190 certification also required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee upkeep of park grounds, facilities, trails, restrooms, and equipment.
• Collect camping fees about 40% of the time.
• Plan and conduct educational/recreational programs for groups; provide hunter education instruction.
• Manage Maynes Grove Lodge including reservations and maintenance.
• Maintain and repair park equipment and tools.
• Monitor inventory of supplies and materials; restock as needed.
• Inspect grounds and facilities; report issues to authorities; maintain records.
• Schedule work and supervise seasonal staff; provide instruction on procedures.
• Assist with natural resource management activities such as prescribed burning, mowing, seeding.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Communication skills

Mathematical skills

Critical thinking

Leadership

Organizational skills

Education

High school diploma + 2 years college in forestry/natural resources

Commercial Driver’s license (CDL), pesticide applicator license, NWCG S130/S190

Tools

None

Job description

Under general direction of director, the purpose of this position is to oversee and maintain upkeep of the County’s parks, campgrounds, and day use areas. Responsible for natural resource educational programs and public recreational events.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain upkeep of park grounds and facilities such as restrooms, picnic sites and shelters and trails. Clean/clear walking, biking, and hiking trails, remove snow, clean fire rings, and pick up trash and ensure cleanliness and sanitation standards are maintained.
• Collect and process camping fees this duty is performed about 40% of the time
• Conduct educational/recreational programming for school and community groups of all ages. Provide instruction for hunter education courses. This duty is performed about 25% of the time.
• Manage Maynes Grove Lodge including handling reservations and maintenance. This duty is performed about 10% of the time.
• Maintain and repair equipment and hand tools. This duty is performed about 5% of the time.
• Maintain and monitor inventory of campground cleaning and janitorial supplies and picnic tables. This duty is performed about 5% of the time.
• Inspect grounds and facilities to ascertain need for repairs or maintenance. Report vandalism, fires, misuse of facilities, or other undesirable activities to the proper authorities. Maintain records and reports of activities and operations. This duty is performed about 5% of the time.
• Plan and prepare work schedules and assign seasonal workers to specific duties. Provide instructions on performing job duties and understanding and complying with policies and procedures. This duty is performed about 5% of the time.
• Assist with various natural resource management activities including prescribed burning, mowing, seeding, etc. This duty is performed about 5% of the time.
• Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty mentioned satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) plus two years of college with a study or courses related to forestry, horticulture, natural resources, park maintenance or any equivalent training, or combination of education and experience.

REQUIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES

1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ability to effectively communicate information and respond to questions in person-to-person and small group situations with customers, clients, the general public and other employees of the County. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and policy/procedure manuals. Develop and maintain constructive and cooperative working relationships with the public, other government entities, and members of the business community.

2. MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to prepare and interpret bar graphs.

3. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Ability to utilize common sense understanding in order to carry out written, oral or diagrammed instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving several known variables in situations of a routine nature.

4. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• General knowledge of operating power equipment associated with trail, park, and natural resource management.
• General knowledge of carpentry and general building construction.
• Provide customer service in the most cost effective and efficient manner.
• Demonstrate organizational skills related to scheduling workloads, time constraints, and deadlines.
• Ability to manage resources, obtain and see to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed.
• Demonstrate principles and practices of employee supervision, including selection, work planning, organization, performance review and evaluation, employee training and discipline.
• Develop skills in planning, organizing, supervising, reviewing, and evaluating the work of others.
• Training others in policies and procedures related to the work involved.
• Demonstrate safe working habits and knowledge of safety policies, procedures, and practices.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment, including calculator, computer, typewriter and telephone.
• Must be capable of regular and predictable attendance in order to perform assigned tasks and responsibilities.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Must hold/be able to obtain a Commercial Driver’s license, and commercial pesticide applicators license within six months of employment. Must obtain NWCG S130/S190 certification.

MENTAL DEMAND

Close mental demand. Operations requiring close and continuous attention for control of operations. Operations requiring intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization's administration and operations; also to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING

Directed. Supervisory and/or professional skills using structured practices or policies and directed as to execution and review. Interpolation of learned things in moderately varied situations where reasoning and decision-making are essential. Demonstrate flexibility in adjusting to changing circumstances such as: information, employee, and public needs.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORK OF OTHERS

Responsibility for work of others: Supervise seasonal or part-time staff.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Position requires frequent ability to stand, walking on uneven ground, climbing, balancing, kneeling, stooping, crouching or crawling, sit, reach with hands and arms, push and/or pull, climb or balance, and talk or hear.
• Position requires frequent use of hands to touch, handle, or feel. Frequent lifting equipment and supplies up to 50 pounds, occasional lifting up to 100 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Work is performed indoors and outdoors at various County facilities, including office and public settings. Usually, will be exposed to hot and cold temperatures and various outside weather conditions.
• Position requires the operation of power equipment, lawn care machinery such as hand and riding mowers, tractors, trimmers and weed cutters; hand tools such as chain saws, drills, hammers, measuring devices, and air-powered tools; tree shears, tree spades, and/or chippers. Employee may be regularly exposed to work near moving mechanical parts, risk of electrical shock.
• Work performed includes regular exposure to dirt, dust, fumes, unpleasant odors, and chemicals grounds maintenance, including pesticides, herbicides, and poisons.
• The noise level ranges from quiet to moderate.
• The typical schedule for this position is Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. May be required to work after hours, weekend, and/or holidays.

The physical demands and work environment described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions absent undue hardship. Franklin County retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position

Benefits- Paid vacation, accumulated separately sick leave, Uniform Allowance, IPERS and health benefits.

Franklin County is a E verifier Employer.

Franklin County participates in E-Verify, a federal program used to confirm the employment authorization of newly hired employees and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 submitted through the E-Verify system to confirm work authorization in the United States. All candidates who are offered a position with Franklin County must complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity on their first day of employment.

Frankin County encourages veterans, women, minorities, and person with disabilities to apply. We are a proud Equal Opportunity Employer and will not tolerate discrimination based on any protected status under the law.

Qualifications

Must hold or be able to obtain a commercial driver's license and commercial pesticide license within six months of employment. NWCG S-130/S-190 certification is also a requirement.