Park Specialist II

King County, WA; Renton (WA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Retirement plan

Holidays

Flexible schedule

Telecommuting options

Job summary

King County Parks seeks a Park Specialist II to maintain parks, trails, athletic fields, and facilities, ensuring safety and cleanliness for residents and visitors.

This outdoor, full-time role involves working in varied weather across multiple locations, supervising seasonal staff, and operating power equipment while staying compliant with safety and pesticide requirements as applicable.

Qualifications

• 24 months of full-time park maintenance experience.
• Knowledge of landscaping, groundskeeping, and facility management.
• Ability to work well with coworkers and diverse customers.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain parks, trails, fields, play areas, restrooms, and shelters; perform landscaping and minor repairs.
• Support ecological health by removing invasive species and restoring habitats.
• Lead seasonal staff and volunteers to support operations and improvements.
• Safely operate mowers, tractors, chainsaws, and other park maintenance equipment.
• Provide excellent customer service and share park rules with visitors.

Skills

Park maintenance experience

Trail maintenance

Equipment operation

Team communication

Job description

Summary

King County Parks is excited to announce we are seeking dedicated and skilled individuals to join our expanding Operations Team as Park Specialist IIs. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the Parks’ mission to steward and enhance parks for the residents and visitors of King County.

About The Role

As a Park Specialist II, you will play a vital role in maintaining the quality and safety of our parks by performing a wide range of maintenance tasks. Your work will support the upkeep of grounds, facilities, athletic fields, trails, and natural resource areas—helping ensure that our parks remain clean, safe, and welcoming for all.

This is an outdoor position that requires working in all weather conditions. We currently have multiple vacancies across various locations in King County.

In addition to the current openings, this recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to fill future Term Limited Temporary (TLT) and Career Service Parks Specialist II vacancies within the Parks Division over the next six months.

About The Team

King County Parks’ mission is to steward, enhance and acquire parks to inspire healthy communities, and with 205 parks, 32,000 acres of open space, 215 miles of backcountry trail, and 175 miles of regional trails, King County Parks offers close-to-home recreational experiences for everyone.

The Operations Team is made up of approximately 180 full-time staff and over 100 temporary employees, all supporting a wide range of services that provide meaningful experiences at every level of the organization.

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice

King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a Parks Specialist II you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

Discover More About the Parks Division

Visit our website and check us out at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.

Job Duties

What You Will Be Doing

• Park and Facility Maintenance: Perform a variety of tasks to maintain parks, trails, athletic fields, play areas, restrooms, and picnic shelters, including landscaping, mowing, pruning, and minor repairs to park infrastructure and furnishings.
• Natural Resource Stewardship: Support ecological health by removing invasive species, planting native vegetation, restoring habitats, and maintaining backcountry and hiking trails. NOTE: When spraying pesticides, PSIIs must maintain a WA State Public Pesticide Applicator’s License.
• Project and Team Coordination: Lead and coordinate work efforts for seasonal staff, volunteers, and community groups to support park operations and improvement projects.
• Equipment Operation and Maintenance: Safely operate and maintain a variety of vehicles and tools, such as mowers, tractors, chainsaws, and other power equipment used in park maintenance and construction.
• Public Engagement and Safety: Provide excellent customer service to park users, ensure visitor safety, share park rules and information, and maintain appropriate certifications for tasks such as pesticide application.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

24 months of full-time park maintenance experience or similar with demonstrated skills, ability and/or knowledge in the following areas:

• Park maintenance operations and procedures, including trail maintenance and construction, landscaping, groundskeeping, and facility management.
• Knowledge of building, crafts, and mechanical trades, along with the skills to perform minor repairs.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with all co-workers, supervisors, and diverse customer base, fostering a collaborative work environment and effectively managing challenging situations.
• Skilled in communicating clearly and respectfully in both verbal and written forms, with a strong ability to understand and follow instructions while effectively prioritizing work tasks.

Physical Requirements. Candidates Must Be Able To

• Use power tools and operate equipment on a continuous basis.
• Perform heavy physical labor with weights up to 50 pounds.
• Work on uneven slopes, surfaces, grades and terrain in inclement weather and other adverse conditions.
• Work at ground level, at roof-top heights, and at all levels in-between.

NOTE: An offer of employment will be contingent upon successfully passing a pre-employment physical.

Workplace Exposures

This position requires the ability to work inside/outside in heat/cold, wet/humid, inclement weather while at various heights and/or within confined spaces, at all Parks facilities and other adverse conditions such as high-volume noise, dust and heavy traffic.

Competencies You Bring

• Customer Focus: Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer-centric solutions.
• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Values Differences: Recognizes the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Action Oriented: Make decisions on the fly in the field and take on new tasks and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Instills Trust: Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

Required Licenses

• Possession of a valid Washington State Driver's license at the time of appointment.
• Some positions may require obtaining a Class A CDL and/or a spray license within 90 days of hire (some on-site training may be available).

It Would Be Great If You Also Bring

Basic computer skills, for creating reports, documenting time, materials, and asset management (additional training will be provided).

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions

• Work Location: This position reports to various locations throughout King County.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: Service Employees International Union, Local 925

Successful candidates will be required to complete a professional reference check, criminal background check, driving record review, and pass a pre-employment physical.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Crystal Yost at [e-mail].

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment based on citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

Benefits

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page.

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.