General Description

POSTING TYPE: Open competitive
DEPARTMENT: Facilities Management
HOURS: Full-time

LOCATION: Various Parks throughout Dakota County
CLOSE DATE: 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2023

The Dakota County Parks system is a growing, thriving natural resource-based park system with over 1.7 million visitors annually. Our park system includes 6 parks, 5,500 acres of premiere park land and 32 miles of scenic regional greenways.

The Park Keeper I position are responsible for custodial work, routine and skilled maintenance, repair and construction of park buildings, grounds and facilities. Park Keepers may serve as the first point contact for park visitors needing assistance. Park Keeper I staff will clean and maintain the parks year round; in the winter months they are also responsible for snow removal and summer months for turf maintenance. Park Keeper I staff are required to work every other weekend and may be required to work nights and holidays as needed to cover shifts or special events in the Parks.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent, AND
• One year work experience in one or more of the following fields; natural resources, landscaping, custodial, grounds or building maintenance.

OR

• An equivalent combination of education and experience.

AND

• A valid driver's license and ability to obtain a Class A commercial driver's license within the first year of employment.

Preferred Education/Experience Beyond Minimum Qualifications:

• Must obtain a Class B Commercial driver's license within 6 months of employment.
• Completed training and/or degree focused on facility operations and maintenance, landscape design and maintenance, tree care and maintenance.
• Knowledge and ability to work on a computer to complete basic work tasks such as: create & send emails, open & modify word or excel documents, and perform basic internet searches. Basic to intermediate knowledge of Outlook, Excel, Word and the internet is helpful.

Duties & Responsibilities

These examples do not include all possible tasks in this work and do not limit the assignment of related tasks in any position of this classification. Regular attendance according to the position's management approved work schedule is required for all positions.

1. Maintains park buildings and structures performing work including: daily custodial duties, general upkeep, and miscellaneous repairs.
2. Maintains park grounds and facilities including work such as: custodial, mowing, fertilizing, over seeding, aerating, and hauling trash.
3. Perform snow removal on walkways, trails, and parking lots.
4.Proficiently and safely operate vehicles and equipment including; tractors, mowers, dump truck, truck trailer combination, skid steer loader, chainsaws, brush chipper, stump grinder, and UTV's.
5. Performs routine daily maintenance on vehicles, chain saws and light equipment.
6. Performs heavy manual labor.
7. May serve as a lead person over employees at the same job classification and/or temporary employees.
8. Assists with landscape projects performing work that includes seeding, planting, grading, restoration, building retaining walls and steps.
9. Assists with maintenance of trees by trimming, removing and transplanting.
10. Assist other departments with emergencies as assigned.
11. Assist park visitors and other County staff as needed or requested.
12. Perform other maintenance tasks as apparent, necessary or assigned.

Essential Functions: 1-10

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities and Work Environment

• Knowledge of practices, functions and procedures of grounds maintenance and construction activities.
• Ability and skill to operate vehicles and equipment of the department in a safe efficient manner.
• Ability and skill to make routine repairs and maintenance to park structures, vehicles and equipment.
• Ability to perform heavy manual labor tasks requiring strength and coordination.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, set priorities, and organize multiple work tasks.
• Ability to work in a team environment and take direction from team leaders.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge and ability to work on a computer to complete basic work tasks such as: create & send emails, open & modify word or excel documents, and perform basic internet searches.
• Basic to intermediate knowledge of Outlook, Excel, Word and the internet is desired.

Work Environment
Work is performed indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions and calls on the ability to perform strenuous physical tasks on a daily basis. The posture and movement requirement for this position are: sitting, walking, bending/stooping, twisting on a frequent basis and reaching forward and push/pulling of objects on a continuous basis. Position requires repetitive/constant bending of the arm and frequent grasping of hands. Work tasks require frequent lifting and carrying up to 24 pounds and occasional lifting up to 74 pounds. Driving is required for this position and staff must have the ability to use a variety of mowers, tractors, pickup trucks, UTV's, and boats.

Exposures may include, but are not limited to changing weather conditions, uneven and/or slippery surfaces, dust, dirt, oil, grease, solvents, fumes, noise and all hazards associated with an equipment repair shop. Position requires sensory demands of hearing, speech, near & far vision, tactile, and spatial perception. Equipment used but not limited to include: hand and power tools, shovels, sledgehammer, post hole diggers, weed whips, ladders, wheelbarrows, personal computer, personal safety equipment and any of a large list of light and heavy equipment.

Contact the Employee Relations Office (651-438-4435) if you are in need of a full report of physical and occupational demands of the Park Keeper position.

• Comprehensive and affordable medical, dental, vision, and other benefits
• Excellent work-life balance
• Generous paid time off (accrual rate starts at four weeks per year)
• Eleven paid holidays each year
• Pension with a generous employer contribution
• Ability to work from home some of the time

• You submit an online application that includes supplemental questions
• We assign you a score based on your qualifications
• Top scoring candidates are referred to the hiring manager for interview consideration
• We conduct background and reference checks before hiring