Temporary – Maintenance Worker – Potter Park Zoo

Ingham County; Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 21,000 - 29,000; Part time

Job summary

Ingham County in Lansing, Michigan, seeks a part-time Maintenance Worker to perform routine grounds and building upkeep, assist in light construction, and help with landscape projects. The role is seasonal/temporary, up to 29 hours per week, with varied shifts including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

You will work under supervision, complete work orders, support volunteers, and help ensure clean facilities and a positive visitor experience at the zoo and park grounds.

Qualifications

• Experience in grounds maintenance and customer service preferred.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must have valid Michigan driver’s license.
• CPR training and zoo trainings required.
• Ability to work days, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must pass medical physical and background check.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Completes work orders including landscaping and ground maintenance.
• Ensures pavilions are clean and ready for rental.
• Delivers maintenance cleaning supplies to various departments.
• Works with zoo volunteers and seasonal maintenance employees.
• Assists in training seasonal maintenance employees.
• Assists full-time maintenance employees with work orders.
• Reports progress of work assignments in writing and verbally.
• Promotes positive visitor experience through upkeep of visitor areas.
• Interacts with zoo visitors and answers questions.
• Participates in safety drills and emergency procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Adheres to HIPAA and privacy standards.
• During health emergencies, may perform related duties.
• Multitask and meet deadlines.
• Dependable and regular attendance.
• Handle stressful situations.

Skills

Customer service

Clear communication

Multitask

Safety awareness

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

**Applications are accepted until there are sufficient numbers of qualified applications or qualified candidate has been identified. The position could possibly close at any time.***

Under the supervision of the Maintenance Supervisor and Maintenance I/II/III performs routine maintenance on zoo and park grounds, buildings and equipment, landscape and garden installation and maintenance. May also perform light construction. Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with visitors and provide assistance to visitors as required promoting positive visitor experience. This position is for up to 29 hours per week.

1. Completes work orders as assigned including landscaping and ground maintenance including painting, mowing, planting, weeding, mulching, snow, brush, and leaf removal, light construction, will assist with trash removal, cleaning bathrooms, etc. as needed.
2. Ensures pavilions are clean and ready for rental.
3. Delivers maintenance cleaning supplies to various departments as needed.
4. Works with zoo volunteers and seasonal maintenance employees.
5. Assists in the training of seasonal maintenance employees.
6. Assists full time maintenance employees with work order projects as assigned.
7. Reports progress of work assignments through written and verbal communication.
8. Promotes positive visitor experience through the upkeep of general cleanliness in zoo visitor areas.
9. Interacts with zoo visitors in a positive manner, answers zoo related questions, is available for assistance at all times.
10. Participates in all safety drills, stay’s current in knowledge of all zoo emergency procedures, and assists in emergency situations as trained and directed.

Other Functions:

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Must adhere to departmental standards in regard to HIPAA and other privacy issues.
• During a public health emergency, the employee may be required to perform duties similar to, but not limited, to those in his/her job description.
• Must adhere to departmental standards in regard to confidentiality and other privacy issues.
• Ability to meet deadlines in a timely manner, change focus on projects as needed and multitask.
• Dependable and regular attendance required.
• Ability to handle stressful situations on an occasional basis.

(An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the above tasks. These examples do not include all of the tasks which the employee may be expected to perform.)

Education:

A minimum of a High School Diploma or G.E.D required.

Experience:

A minimum of one (1) year experience in grounds maintenance and customer service experience or related field is required.

Other Requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must have a valid Michigan driver’s license with an exceptional driving record.
• Must complete CPR training and other Zoo offered trainings.
• Must be able to work days, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must be able to pass a medical physical and background check.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Demonstrates effective communication skills by engaging, interacting, and working with all individuals to ensure clarity and understanding in all interactions.

(The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria)

Working Conditions:

• This position works in both an indoor and outdoor environment. While indoors, there is no planned exposure to notable lights, noises, odors, temperatures, or weather conditions. While outdoors, exposure to lights, noises, odors, temperatures, or weather conditions cannot be controlled and may be extreme.
• This position operates a variety of vehicles including cars, trucks, tractors, forklifts, cranes, hoists, bucket trucks, etc.
• This position operates non-powered hand tools such as utility knives, hammers, pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, chisels, saws, etc.
• This position operates power hand tools such as drills, sanders, grinders, staple guns, chainsaws, air compressors, mowers, etc.
• This position is exposed to variety of hazards such as traffic, moving vehicles, moving mechanical parts, electrical current, slippery surfaces, chemicals, cleaning solutions, oils, hazardous materials, etc.
• This position is exposed to air quality conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases, poor ventilation, etc.
• This position is exposed to noise levels which require shouting in order to be heard.
• This position is exposed to vibrations and oscillating movements.
• This position is exposed to communicable diseases, blood, other body fluids, etc.
• This position is provided, and required to use, Personal Protection Equipment to minimize the risks associated with the working conditions listed above.

Physical Requirements:

• This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, traverse, climb, balance, twist, bend, stoop/crouch, squat, kneel, crawl, lift, carry, push, pull, reach, grasp, handle, pinch, type, endure repetitive movements of the wrists, hands, or fingers.
• This position’s physical requirements require continuous stamina in sitting, standing, walking, climbing, balancing, twisting, bending, stooping/crouching, squatting, kneeling, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and reaching.
• This position performs heavy work requiring the ability to exert more than 50 pounds of force in the physical requirements above.
• This position primarily requires medium visual acuity to perform tasks at arm’s reach such as operating machinery, operating vehicles, or heavy equipment, performing cleaning tasks, etc.
• This position requires the ability to communicate and respond to inquiries both in person and over the phone.
• This position requires the ability to operate a PC/laptop and to enter and retrieve information from a computer.
• This position requires the ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress.

(This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the requirements listed above.)

(Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements.)

Temporary/Seasonal

$18.00 per hour

September 2026