PARKS MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPE FOREMAN

Job Summary

The Park Maintenance Landscape Foreman is responsible for performing general and landscape maintenance for the Park District. General and landscape maintenance consists of, but is not limited to the care, repair and replacement of landscaping, turf, trees, shrubs, perennials, natural areas (including woodlands, ponds, wetlands, prairies), buildings, pathways, parking lots, bridges, signage, vehicles, and equipment. A person in this role will also assist the Parks management team with overseeing assigned full-time staff and seasonal staff tasks, implementation of any specific maintenance and construction projects, as assigned. The approved wage range for this role is $24.04-36.06. The targeted hiring range is $26.44 - $31.25.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily and demonstrate the District’s core competencies consisting of financial accountability, integrity/ethics, job knowledge, interpersonal skills, policies & procedures compliance, work quality, risk management/safety, District / Department vision and values, adaptability/flexibility, dependability, teamwork, and productivity.

Essential Duties

• Operate assigned Park District vehicles and motorized equipment.
• Operate power equipment including but not limited to mowers (walk behind and riding mowers comparable to a 5900 Toro mower), string trimmers, hedge trimmers, rotovators, sod cutters, chain saws, pole saws, blowers, pressure washers, and other miscellaneous power equipment as directed.
• Operate landscape/garden and maintenance hand tools/equipment including but not limited to: wheelbarrows, shovels, picks, axes, hoes, cultivators, post hole diggers, rakes, pruners, loppers, shears, hand saws, augers, brooms, water hoses, etc. as needed to complete the job/task and/or as directed.
• Apply seed, fertilizers and herbicides, as required and assigned.
• Conduct pond maintenance including shoreline and aquatic vegetation.
• Perform general horticultural practice for plant material including: maintenance, installation and removal.
• Operate tractors and riding/walk-behind mowers to mow and trim turf.
• Perform general maintenance functions as assigned for parks, buildings, facilities, and park site furnishings/equipment.
• Oversee full-time, part-time seasonal workers, and special work crews as assigned.
• Generate new ideas to improve maintenance operational efficiencies, reduce maintenance costs, improve safety and improve access to parks and recreation services.
• Develop and exercise safe work habits to prevent injuries and conserve material resources.
• Work as a team player with co-workers and in conjunction with other departments.
• Visually inspect and remove all safety hazards, garbage and refuse materials from parks and playgrounds, regardless of assigned task. If unable to do so, immediately notify supervisor of conditions.
• Obey the practical safety rules, regulations, and procedures established by the loss control program that is pertinent to the activities conducted by the department.
• Wear required personal protective equipment (ear plugs, safety glasses, gloves, clothing, etc.).
• Participate in the setting up, operation and taking down and other maintenance duties of special events as assigned. Please note, these special events can include assignment of shifts on weekends, evenings and holidays.
• Promptly report accidents and injuries occurring within the course of employment, no matter how minor to the supervisor.
• Promptly report all unsafe actions, practices, or conditions observed to the supervisor.

A full job description is available upon request.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and demonstrate the competencies listed above in addition to the following:

• Basic understanding of tools, turf, and equipment maintenance.
• Ability to administer all functions of park operations as required by the Superintendent of Parks and the Parks Operations Manager and other supervisors as assigned.
• Knowledge of and the ability to maintain and care for turf, trees, plant material, buildings (interior & exterior components/systems), vehicles, equipment, and the repair of same.
• Ability to follow directions once a job is assigned and the ability to work with limited daily supervision.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to manage seasonal part-time department employees.
• Ability to operate heavy equipment including, but not limited to: tractors, end loaders, skid steer, backhoe and large mowers.
• Ability to observe, rectify and/or report safety hazards.
• Ability to interact positively and effectively with residents, cooperating agencies, and Park District employees.
• Ability to read, understand, remember, and interpret routine documents such as safety rules, equipment operating instructions, etc. as well as communicate information therein.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondences and to speak effectively before groups of participants or employees of organization.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
• Ability to identify and respond quickly to emergency situations.
• Ability to effectively problem solve and adapt to change.
• Ability to utilize smart phones and computers daily to update task assignments as well as respond to outlook emails and calendar invites.
• Willingness and ability to consistently perform rotational on-call shifts with other full-time maintenance staff as well as on assigned snow team and special event assignments.
• Willingness and ability to volunteer and/or fulfill supervisor directives for paid overtime shifts as additional maintenance needs arise.

Education & Training

• Minimum of a high school degree or equivalent required.
• Certificate and/or experience of landscape maintenance of trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and/or native plant material preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Obtain and maintain a State of Illinois Class C License within 6 months of hire.
• Obtain and maintain a State of Illinois Pesticide Operator’s License within 12 months of hire.
• Complete Chicago Wilderness Prescribed Burn Crew Member Training within 12 months of hire.
• Complete District required on-line pruning classes and arboriculture planting class offered through ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) within 12 months of hire.
• Complete chainsaw training classes and brush chipper safety class offered through PDRMA (Park District Risk Management Agency) within 12 months of hire, and retake every three years.
• Obtain and maintain first-aid certification.
• Obtain and maintain adult CPR/AED certification.