Vegetation Management Aide

Two positions are available for the summer of 2025. The positions offer opportunities to assist in implementing Story County's Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management program. Major emphasis is on native vegetation management, reconstruction, and restoration of roadsides, prairie remnants, open ditches, and natural areas. Assigned tasks will also utilize the latest trends in natural resource and vegetation management focusing on prairie establishment and invasive plant control. These positions start May 19, 2025 (one position can begin earlier if available) and end approximately August 22, 2025. Extended employment opportunities may be available for qualified candidates.

Story County will be accepting applications for Vegetation Management Aide positions until filled.  Duties include, but are not limited to: planting native vegetation, conducting prescribed burns, controlling brush, mowing, and applying herbicide. Other tasks include harvesting, cleaning, and mixing prairie seed; maintaining tools, equipment, and facilities. Additional duties include documenting, mapping, and assessing projects utilizing ArcMap GIS software. Various types of equipment utilized in these operations include: tractors, trucks/trailers, UTVs, boom mowers, hydroseeders, chemical sprayers, chainsaws, and other related equipment.

Vegetation management aides must maintain working relationships with the public, other conservation units, and secondary roads personnel. Opportunities will be available for staff to attend workshops and seminars as assigned.

Hours will average 40 hours per week. The standard work week is Monday-Friday. Work hours may vary depending on weather conditions and some evening or early morning work may be necessary.Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a current, valid driver's license. Applicants with wild land fire training preferred. Applicants must have the ability to obtain a category 6 pesticide applicator certification within the first two weeks of employment. Opportunities to obtain additional pesticide certifications may exist.

Employees will undergo post-offer, pre-employment background checks and drug screening.

Mandatory safety training is scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025.
This work requires the regular exertion of up to 25 pounds of force, frequent exertion of up to 50 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 100 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires standing, walking, sitting, climbing or balancing and lifting and occasionally requires stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, tasting or smelling and pushing or pulling; work requires distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, using of measuring devices, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work regularly requires working near moving mechanical parts and exposure to outdoor weather conditions, frequently requires working in high, precarious places, exposure to fumes or airborne particles and exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals and occasionally requires exposure to vibration exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment; work is generally in a loud noise location (e.g. grounds maintenance, heavy traffic).

Salary : $15