Senior Laborer

City of Durham; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 43,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dedicated team committed to enhancing public spaces and maintaining the beauty of the City of Durham. This role offers the chance to work outdoors while engaging in meaningful landscape maintenance tasks. You will operate various equipment, perform essential maintenance duties, and contribute to the community's quality of life. Ideal candidates should have a passion for landscaping and a commitment to safety in outdoor environments. Enjoy a rewarding career where your efforts directly impact the community you serve.

Qualifications

• Two years of experience in landscaping or horticulture.
• Valid North Carolina Class C Driver's License required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain lawns and landscaped areas using various equipment.
• Perform snow and ice removal during dormant season.

Skills

Landscaping

Customer Service

Equipment Operation

Pesticide Application

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

Zero-turn Mowers

String Trimmers

Blowers

Edgers

Backpack Sprayers

Job description

Work. Serve. Thrive. With the City of Durham
Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.


TheGeneral Services Department's innovative, highly qualified, service-oriented individuals support the City we love. Building and maintaining city facilities and public spaces is what we do. Promoting our enviable quality of life and serving as a foundation of a healthy economy is why we do it. If you're interested in applying your unique skills to meaningful work while growing in your career, our team is for you!


Hiring Salary Range: $43,348.00 - $67,226.00
Work Hours/Days: Monday - Friday
6:30 am to 2:30 pm

Position devoted to maintaining and enhancing lawns, beds and landscaped areas along roadways and on City property through the performance of semi-skilled and skilled labor, the operation of light-duty equipment and power tools, application of seed, fertilizer, water and herbicides, plant installation and other duties related to the field of Landscape Maintenance and the management of snow, ice and litter. Incumbents may also assist with general maintenance tasks in addition to their primary assignment. In the growing season (March-November), duties are mostly limited to following an established operational routine. Decisions are limited primarily to carrying out assignments, operating tools and equipment and performing work efficiently to meet established standards and deadlines. In the dormant season (December-February), incumbents will participate in snow and ice removal, landscape bed, retaining wall, unit paver, and tree installation, mulching, turf improvement activities, tree and shrub pruning, skills training and litter collection.

An incumbent is responsible for participating in the work assigned to a crew, to include; performing technical work (mowing, edging, trimming, blowing, spraying), following care and custody protocols on equipment and vehicles; operating light-duty equipment and power tools; fueling equipment, and filling/rinsing and properly storing spray-units; maintaining assigned PPE and supplies; reporting daily work metrics to a supervisor (including pesticide logs); and performing related duties.

• Performs mowing operations including deployment of necessary equipment and gear, adheres to use of PPE and proper work zone setup in a roadside environment, performs mowing and litter collection operations as assigned; picks up litter along service area, operates zero-turn, walk behind and ride-behind mowers, hedge trimmers, blowers, edgers, string trimmers (“weed-eaters”), vehicle-mounted tank sprayers and backpack sprayers, and salt spreaders.
• Installs, irrigates and maintains shrub beds, flower beds and improved landscaped areas using fertilizers, mulch and post and pre-emergent herbicides.
• Performs technical work, service checks, and preventative maintenance on applicable equipment. Performs and documents care, and custody protocols associated with assigned gear; and operates light-duty equipment, power and hand tools.
• Gathers and reports information on work metrics to supervisor
• Provides customer service; responds to customer questions and concerns; understands and stays current on policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature and level as assigned.

• High School Diploma/equivalent.
• Two (2) years of operations and specialized maintenance experience in the field of landscaping, agriculture or applied horticulture.
• A valid North Carolina Class C Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record.
• Position critical to emergency operations and will report to work in spite of or because of an emergency or disaster event.

The City of Durham Encourages Diversity in the Workplace.

• Experience working in outdoor environments.
• Experience do you have in working outdoors in extreme conditions.
• Familiar in the care and custody and the safe operation of landscape equipment.
• Experience do you have in the care and maintenance of lawns and other landscape assets (shrubs, beds, gardens and trees)
• Valid NC Commercial Drivers’ License. with a satisfactory driving record.
• North Carolina Pesticide Applicator’s License.
• Education or coursework in landscaping or applied horticulture.
• Knowledge of plant, shrub and tree maintenance.
• Experience with commercial landscaping.
• Experience with riding lawn mowers.
• Experience do you have operating lawn equipment (string trimmers, edgers, blowers, etc.

How much experience do you have in working outdoors in extreme conditions (heat/cold) in proximity to vehicular traffic such as cars or construction equipment?

1. Some personal experience (yardwork and active hobbies), no traffic exposure or work zone safety training
2. Some professional experience (worked part-time/seasonal jobs in construction and/or landscape), minimal traffic exposure or work zone safety training

1. Extensive personal and some professional experience (gardening, landscaping) with work zone safety and traffic control protocols in place
2. Some professional experience (evenings/weekends, part-time/seasonal) with work zone safety and traffic control protocols in place
3. Extensive professional experience in outdoor work with work zone safety and traffic control protocols in place