Parks Maintenance Worker

City of Wauwatosa; Wauwatosa (WI); On-site; USD 35,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

On-site fitness centers

Job summary

The City of Wauwatosa is seeking a Parks Maintenance Worker to perform manual and semi-skilled labor for park and greenspace maintenance. The role involves operating diverse municipal equipment and supporting park events, with a schedule that rotates weekly.

Starting pay is $25.17–$27.96/hour, with potential progression to $32.16/hour in 2026 based on performance; excellent benefits and on-site fitness facilities are part of the package.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate’s degree preferred in horticulture, urban forestry, or closely related field.
• Two years’ experience in manual or semi-skilled tasks and operation of heavy/medium duty trucks preferred.
• Prior trade work experience (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, custodial, masonry) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Operates a wide variety of municipal vehicles and equipment (front-end loader, street sweepers, lawn mowers, tractors, CDL snow equipment).
• Performs maintenance and janitorial work at parks facilities (buildings, grounds, play equipment, athletic fields).
• Sets up, takes down, and monitors park events and rentals.
• Performs manual or semi-skilled labor outdoors in any weather.
• Reports for overtime during public works emergencies.
• Performs snow and ice control on sidewalks and streets.”
• Updates digital work orders and GIS inventories in the field.
• Prunes, plants, waters, fertilizes, and maintains shrubs and turf.
• Leads seasonal employees in day-to-day operations.
• Maintains equipment including greasing, washing, fueling, winterizing.
• Assists forestry crews with tree pruning.

Skills

Manual labor

Customer service

Problem solving

Independent work

Leadership

Education

High School Diploma

Associate’s Degree in horticulture/urban forestry

Tools

CDL snow plowing

Front-end loader operation

Lawn mower operation

Job description

The City of Wauwatosa is much more than an employer! We are a team of professionals who strive to find new and better ways to improve our residents' experiences. We believe all of our employees are leaders and we place tremendous value in our most important resource, our people!

This Parks Maintenance Worker position performs manual labor and semi-skilled labor related to DPW operations to maintain Wauwatosa parks and greenspace, provides customer service and support to parks users, and operates a variety of tools and equipment related to assigned duties. Initially under close supervision, incumbents learn to perform assigned activities with detailed instructions as to specific procedures to be followed. Parks Maintenance Workers are expected to learn to operate a variety of equipment.

The hours for this position are 6:30 am-4:30 pm and the schedule is on a repeating rotation, as follows:

• Week A: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
• Week B: Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
• Week C: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Week D: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

The starting pay for this position is $25.17 - $27.96 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Further increases to the top of the salary band, which is $32.16 for 2026, will be based on performance.

The City of Wauwatosa provides an excellent benefits package, on-site fitness centers, meaningful work, and more!

These duties are primarily performed and are essential for this position. Employees are expected to be able to perform each of these job duties satisfactorily and successfully to be qualified for the position. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Operates a wide variety municipal vehicles and other construction/maintenance equipment, such as front-end loader, street sweepers, lawn mowers, articulated tractors and CDL snow plowing and anti-icing equipment.
• Performs maintenance and janitorial work at parks facilities: buildings, grounds, play equipment, athletic fields, etc.
• Sets-up, takes-down, and monitors park events and rentals.
• Performs manual labor or semi-skilled labor outdoors regardless of weather.
• Reports for overtime work as assigned during public works emergencies.
• Performs snow and ice control on sidewalks and streets both manually and with power equipment.
• Updates and completes digital work orders and GIS based inventories from the field.
• Prunes, sprays, cultivates, plants, transplants, waters, fertilizes, mulches, and removes shrubs and flowers.
• Mows, aerates, fertilizes, and sprays turf.
• Leads seasonal employees in the day to day operation and maintenance of the City’s parks and greenspace.
• Performs basic maintenance of equipment including greasing, washing, fueling and winterizing.
• Assists forestry crews with tree pruning operations, as needed.

Education and Experience Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate’s Degree in horticulture, urban forestry, or closely related field preferred.
• No experience required, but two years’ experience in the performance of manual or semi-skilled tasks and operation of heavy or medium duty trucks preferred.
• Prior experience in trade work (such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing custodial work, building maintenance, or masonry) preferred.

Licenses, Certifications, and Other Requirements

• A valid Wisconsin Driver’s License required at time of hire.
• Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) must be obtained within two months of hire and Class B CDL must be obtained within one year of hire. This time frame may be extended based on availability of internal training resources.
• Will be required to pass and maintain WDATCP pesticide category 3.0 Ornamental and Turf certification within six months of hire.

In order to perform the functions and responsibilities of the position the following knowledge, skills, and abilities are essential.

• General mechanical knowledge and ability to learn maintenance skills.
• Ability to apply proper construction and maintenance/repair methods or practices utilized in a municipal public works environment.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to provide good customer service and interact professionally with customers.
• Problem solving skills.
• Ability to report for emergency overtime assignments as required.

In evaluating candidates for this position, The City of Wauwatosa may consider a combination of education, training, and experience which provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and talk or hear. The employee is required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and climb into a truck many times per day. The employee must consistently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, 50 pounds frequently, and up to 80 pounds occasionally. The employee must be able to push and/or pull a cart weighing up to 200 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Must have the physical ability to operate all required equipment.

Must possess the physical stamina necessary to perform heavy manual labor for extended periods of time outdoors in variable weather conditions.

Work Environment

This position requires both indoor and outdoor work with infrequent exposure to weather extremes, asbestos, chemical substances, dust, fumes, noise, humidity, and odors. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.