Landscaping Worker

Starting Pay: $20.40-22.20/hour

I. Purpose of Job

Maintains all natural and ornamental landscape areas on park property. Work involves growing and maintaining lawns, flowers, shrubs, trails and trees as well as executing the beautification plan for the parks using good horticultural practices and project landscaping practices

Must be able to work holidays, weekends and nights during special events.

II. Essential Job Duties

A. Maintaining park landscapes

• Assists in creating bedding and landscape plans; determines planting scheme, selects and purchases plants, bulbs, purchases seeds; sows, transplants, waters, and fertilizes plants, computes, orders, and makes substitutions for all required quantities of plants, seeds, and other materials and equipment required to perform the work.
• Oversees growing and maintenance of a wide variety of plants and performs a wide range of gardening work, such as using proper pruning techniques on trees and shrubs, when needed, applying fertilizers and pesticides, installing new ornamental and seasonal color beds, correcting drainage and other erosion issues, and applying mulches as needed.

B. Maintains and transports equipment

• Performs general inspection of all equipment including fluids, belts, and other moving parts before using.
• Performs general maintenance of equipment including cleaning, greasing, and blade sharpening, and performing minor repairs.
• Cleans and maintains all equipment and work areas.
• Loads and unloads all equipment for transportation to worksites.

C. Urban Forestry

• Maintains park trees; assists with the pruning and/or removal of park trees. Uses an aerial lift truck to perform necessary maintenance. Will at times be under the supervision of the City Arborist.

III. Other Job Duties

Performs other job duties as assigned, including:

• Assists with preparing parks for special events.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities to assist other employees in the department as required.

IV. Primary Job Challenges

Primary challenges of this position include understanding horticultural practices and being able to work with and maintain a wide variety of plants and landscapes.

V. Equipment Operated

Operates and maintains back pack blowers, chainsaws, bed edgers, string trimmers, skid steerers, aerators, tractors, tree chippers, tillers, ATVs and augers.

VI. Key Competencies Required

• Job Content Knowledge

Has general knowledge of policies, procedures, and activities of the City, landscape and construction practices as they pertain to the performance of duties related to this position. Is able to determine and decide upon procedures to be implemented in maintaining safety codes and standards. Knows how to determine and ensure the safety of work sites. Is skilled in the operation of a variety of equipment utilized in the performance of assigned duties. Is knowledgeable of the language and terminology used within the department.

• Language Skills: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out multi-step instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems by choosing from several known choices with frequent reliance on how problems were dealt with before.
• Teamwork: Develops constructive and cooperative working relationships with others. Encourages others to express their ideas and opinions. Provides input into identifying and solving problems. Anticipates need of others for information about job tasks and work environment and provides it to them in a timely manner. Willingly assists others with job tasks when appropriate.

VII. Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Demands: Performance of the essential duties of this job requires the incumbent to:

• Regularly stand.
• Regularly walk.
• Occasionally sit.
• Regularly use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• Regularly reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently climb or balance.
• Frequently stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Frequently talk or hear.
• Occasionally taste or smell.
• Regularly lift up to 10 pounds.
• Frequently lift up to 50 pounds.
• Occasionally lift up to 100 pounds.

Work Environment: Performance of the essential duties of this job requires:

• Frequent Work near moving mechanical parts
• Occasionally work in high, precarious places
• Occasional exposure to fumes or airborne particles
• Occasional exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals
• Regular exposure to outdoor weather conditions
• Occasional exposure to vibration.

The work environment is loud (examples: metal can manufacturing department, large earth-moving equipment).

VIII. Qualifications

Education and Experience: The required knowledge, skill, and abilities to satisfactorily perform job duties are normally acquired through obtaining a one year certificate from college or technical school or six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Certifications/Licenses:

A Tennessee Department of Agriculture Certified Pesticide Applicators License for C03 is required for this job. (Must be obtained within 1 year)

TN Driver’s license