Landscape Services Maintenance Technician

Position Description

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

Hiring Range: $52,222.00 to $69,975.00 Annual

Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00 am to 2:30 pm

The General 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!

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; 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.

Duties/Responsibilities

• 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.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalent (GED, HiSet, TASC)
• Two years of operations and specialized maintenance experience in the field of Landscaping, agriculture, or applied horticulture.

Certifications/Licenses

• A valid North Carolina Class C Driver’s License with a satisfactory driving record is required for traffic control, transportation, facilities maintenance, or labor work assignments that include driving between multiple facilities and/or locations to perform work or transfer equipment.
• A valid North Carolina Pesticide Applicator’s License.
• Incumbents must complete job related and/or safety training based on assignment, such as (but not limited to), forklift operation, lock out/tag out, confined space entry, ladder safety, IMSA signs and marking level 1 certification, work zone safety, respirator and emergency evacuation training.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Two (2) years of experience working in outdoor environments.
• MUTCD Roadside Environmental Safety Certification
• Education or coursework in Landscaping or applied horticulture.
• Knowledge of plant, shrub, and tree maintenance.
• A valid North Carolina Commercial Driver’s License (B or A) with a satisfactory driving record.

Benefits – General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman's Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan

Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service

01

Where did you first hear about this opportunity?

• City of Durham Website
• Walk in
• Job fair
• Employee referral
• Professional organization ***Please list the organization in "other" box below***
• Internet posting ***Please list the specific web site in the "other" box below***
• Craig's List
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• GlassDoor
• governmentjobs.com
• Monster.com
• Indeed.com
• Employment Security Commission
• Magazine/Newspaper
• Other

02

If you listed "other" above please give specific web site, organization, or publication.

03

Please select your highest level of COMPLETED education.

• Less than a High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
• High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
• Associates Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• Doctoral Degree (PhD, Juris Doctorate)

04

Do you have a valid North Carolina Pesticide Applicator’s License

• Yes
• No

05

How many years of operations and specialized maintenance experience in the field of Landscaping, agriculture, applied horticulture, or related experience do you have?

• No related experience
• Less than 1 year of related experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of related experience
• 2 years but less than 4 years of related experience
• 4 or more years of related experience

06

Do you have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license? (If you have a valid license from a State other than North Carolina, you must be willing and able to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days of hire).

• I have a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license.
• I have a valid license from another State and I am willing to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days.
• I do not have a valid, unrestricted driver's license.

07

How much experience do you have in the care and maintenance of lawns and other landscape assets (shrubs, beds, gardens and trees)?

• No experience
• Some personal experience (Own yard, doing chores as a kid).
• Extensive personal experience (gardening, landscaping, hobby).
• Some professional experience (evenings/weekends, part-time/seasonal).
• Extensive professional experience

08

How familiar are you in the care and custody and the safe operation of landscape equipment such as mowers, edgers, hedge trimmers, string trimmers, sprayers, chainsaws, brush cutters and pumps/sprayers?

• No familiarity
• Familiar with retail grade equipment doing yardwork
• Familiar with professional grade equipment in multiple settings
• Familiar with running professional equipment in commercial settings
• Familiar with running and maintaining professional equipment

09

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?

• Some personal experience (yardwork and active hobbies), no traffic exposure or work zone safety training
• Some professional experience (worked part-time/seasonal jobs in construction and/or landscape), minimal traffic exposure or work zone safety training
• Extensive personal and some professional experience (gardening, landscaping) with work zone safety and traffic control protocols in place
• Some professional experience (evenings/weekends, part-time/seasonal) with work zone safety and traffic control protocols in place
• Extensive professional experience in outdoor work with work zone safety and traffic control protocols in place

10

How many years of experience working in outdoor environments do you have?

• No related experience
• Less than 1 year of related experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of related experience
• 2 years but less than 4 years of related experience
• 4 or more years of related experience

11

This position is critical to emergency operations and will report to work in spite of or because of an emergency or disaster event. Do you understand this statement and agree to adhere to this job requirement?

• Yes
• No

12

Do you have knowledge of plant, shrub, and tree maintenance?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question