Parks/Facility Laborer

The Itasca Park District Parks Team is looking for a positive, fun, driven candidate that wants to expand and grow their experience within the Illinois Park District Park/Facility Maintenance Field!  Come join our Team at the Itasca Park District that provides a great work environment, benefits and room to grow!  Please see below for the qualifications we are looking for!

Itasca is a 9,200 resident community, west of Chicago. It is governed by a 5 member Board of Commissioners and employs 15 Full -Time and over 250 Part-Time Employees, with a $5.8M budget. The District is a 3X Gold Medal Award Winning Agency and boasts 144 acres of parks, 8 playgrounds, nature center, bird sanctuary, athletic fields, waterpark, museum and 40,000 sqft, Recreation & Fitness Center. Annually, 76,300 participate in programs and events; 300,000 visit parks; and 370,000 visit the Recreation Center.

The District is committed to the future by being innovative, proactive and evolving; while remaining inspired by the communities’ past. This is reflected in district led projects; including, redevelopment of the Ray Franzen Bird Sanctuary; preservation and restoration of the oldest publicly owned building in the community…. The Itasca Train Depot; and the most recent $5M Itasca Rec Center Addition. The district is a leader among local taxing bodies, businesses and community groups; looked to for creative ways to work together for the benefit of the community. Through over 20 intergovernmental agreements and 50 public-private partnerships/sponsorship, the District has provided the community cost and energy savings, improved quality of life and wellness, and improved access to all.

Position Focus:

The Parks Laborer is responsible for the maintenance and landscaping of the District’s Park System.  The Parks Laborer is responsible for performing the essential and marginal functions as outlined in this description.  The Parks Laborer is a full-time hourly employee. 

Qualifications:

·         Applicant must be 18 years or older.  

·         A minimum of high school diploma or GED Certificate, but a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and/or a minimum of five years of progressive park operation work experience in the park and pool industry is Preferred.  

·         The individual must have knowledge of general park maintenance, including, but not limited to mowing, fertilizing, seeding, weed control; athletic field maintenance, baseball field maintenance, landscaping, construction of playgrounds, winter maintenance (i.e. snow plowing and snow removal), holiday/seasonal decorations and lights, hanging banners, and operations of vehicles and tools. 

·         Pool maintenance experience is desired.  

·         The individual should possess friendly and effective interpersonal, written, verbal and telephone communication skills. 

·         The individual should have the ability to plan, organize, supervise and lead part-time staff. 

·         The individual will be expected to obtain First Aid/CPR/AED certification, Pesticide Operator license required, or acquired within 6 months of hire.

·         Carpentry, concrete and electrical experience preferred.

·         Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) and Certified Pool Operator (CPO) certifications preferred.

·          Have a valid Illinois class “C” driver’s license or acquire within 6 months of hire.  

·         Other certifications may be required as deemed necessary.

General work hours are a minimum of 40 hours a week.  General work hours take place Monday through Friday, with some evening and weekend hours due to the nature of special events, meetings and under the direction of the Superintendent of Buildings & Parks.  7:00am-3:30pm Monday through Friday           

·         Communicate with the Superintendent of Buildings & Parks on issues and activities related to the park systems to ensure effective operations of the District.

·         Attend department meetings and communicate effectively the current events and needs of the Park Department.  

·         Maintain the turf of park district lawns; including but not limited to mowing, fertilizing, seeding, weed control and trash removal.

·         Landscaping of park district properties.  This includes, but is not limited to soil grading and preparation, tree plantings, tree trimming, tree watering, mulching and flower bed maintenance.  

·         Repair Park District equipment and vehicles as needed.

·         Assists with the maintenance at the districts water park facility, Depot Museum, and Nature Center.

·         Provide winter maintenance of park properties, including snow removal, salting, and ice rink maintenance.  

·         Prepare, propose, review and maintain the policies and procedures illustrated in the District procedure manual with respect to the effective operations of the Maintenance Departments and Safety Program.

 

 

The Parks Laborer must be able to work under the supervision of the Superintendent of Buildings & Parks.  The Parks Laborer may also feel pressure from having to meet deadlines.  The Park Laborer must be highly organized and can prioritize projects and handle several projects at the same time.

 

Parks Laborer must have the ability to present ideas and recommendations in a clear and concise manner both orally and in writing.  The Park Laborer must exhibit good problem-solving skills and good judgment in keeping with the mission of the park district.  Also, the person must possess good safety awareness and judgment, while maintaining control of situations.

 

This person must be able to stand for long stretches of time and be able to operate all Park District trucks and equipment.  Also, this person must have the ability to inspect facilities and program space. The individual may be required to work during various weather conditions, including hot and cold temperatures as well as rain and snow.

To view a full list of benefits, click here.

To apply please use this link.