Park Maintenance Specialist I/II

Park Maintenance Specialist I/II

Salary

$26.05 - $39.37 Hourly

Location

City of Thornton; Municipal Shops Complex, CO

Job Type

Regular Full-Time

Job Number

26304

Department

Parks & Recreation

Division

Parks

Opening Date

10/27/2026

Closing Date

11/10/2026 5:00 PM Mountain

FLSA

Non-Exempt

WORK HOURS

SEE BELOW

PROBATION

One year (if not currently a certified City of Thornton employee)

STATUS 2

FLSA NON-EXEMPT/CAREER SERVICE INCLUDED

BENEFITS

SEE BENEFITS TAB

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Under specified supervision, performs a variety of duties maintaining parks, open space, trails, municipal grounds, rights-of-way, medians, and roundabouts; or a variety of arboricultural duties to include the care and maintenance of trees, shrubs and/or flowers.

Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the lower level or, when filled from the outside, require previous and directly related experience.

Park Maintenance Specialist I:

Under general supervision, incumbents assigned to this class are expected to perform the full range of work assigned to this class and to work with independence and initiative.

Park Maintenance Specialist II:

Under direction incumbents work independently, exercising judgment and initiative. Incumbents may train employees on duties and safety practices, and lead a crew in the absence of a crew leader or supervisor.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

(Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following tasks, knowledge, skills and other characteristics. The list of tasks is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY, and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions in this class.)

Performs park maintenance duties including various combinations of the following: waters, mows, weeds, trims, renovates, and fertilizes turf areas; plants, waters, edges, prunes, and removes trees, shrubs, bushes, and flowers; clears snow, leaves, and debris from rights-of-way, sidewalks, sports fields and courts; empties trash receptacles and transports rubbish to landfill.

Performs maintenance on the ball fields including repairing batter boxes and pitching mound areas, removes litter, sweeps dugouts, cleans bleachers and dugouts; performs infield maintenance including blowing off turf area bordering the infield, hand raking perimeter, edges, scarify, nail drags and safety drags infield; transports equipment.

Performs conversions for the Naturally Thornton program. This includes removal of bluegrass, preparing a new seedbed, reseeding the area, mowing, modifying irrigation systems and keeping the area weed free throughout the establishment period.

Maintain the city's open space areas such as waterways, lakes, trail corridors and other undeveloped properties. Some of the tasks include noxious weed identification and control, invasive tree and shrub control, trail maintenance, amenity maintenance, monitoring wildlife and fish issues and litter control.

Operates and maintains equipment necessary to complete the duties required for the position.

Inspects and repairs park equipment and facilities, such as playground equipment, picnic tables, and grills.

Responds to requests, concerns and inquiries from the public and City staff.

Maintains and repairs computerized park irrigation system, changing and adjusting sprinkler heads, maintaining controllers, and assisting in the installation and major maintenance of irrigation plumbing.

Maintains trees, shrubs, and beds throughout the City by watering, pruning, trimming, planting, removing, weeding and chipping. Identifies and coordinates the pruning and removal of high-risk trees and shrubs on public and private property.

Maintains landscape throughout the City pertaining to major medians, rights-of-ways (ROW) and roundabouts by watering, planting, pruning, weeding and enhancing hardscapes.

Selects, purchases, plants, prunes, and removes trees and other plant materials.

Examines and identifies various trees or landscape planting sites to evaluate specific health and maintenance needs. Recommends/implements solutions for problems such as pests and diseases.

Designs, plants, maintains, and removes annual flowers within park flowerbeds. Selects and purchases shrubs, perennials, and annual flowers. Participates in the maintenance of the Xeric Garden.

Provides diagnostic services and advice to residents, public groups and City staff on matters related to trees and tree care. Maintains tree inventory using ESRI/ArcMap software. Assists with mapping projects using ArcMap software. Assists with the generation of Tree City USA documentation.

Assists in developing and performing an inventory of shrub beds and plant materials using ESRI/ArcMap software. Assists with mapping projects using ArcMap software.

Updates and adds general arboriculture information to the web page.

Assists with the planning, coordination and setup of public programs and special events such as Arbor Day, Thorntonfest, and the Trees for Tomorrow program. Attends these events.

May act as a lead worker for special projects including, but not limited to, landscape plantings, inventory projects, tree workshops, Arbor Day events, and educational presentations.

Responds to on-site inquiries from the public and staff.

Inspects parks and trails for safety hazards such as debris and landslides.

Sets up appropriate traffic control devices when working in the right-of-ways and medians.

Assists in snow removal.

Maintains daily work logs.

May apply herbicides and pesticides in accordance with prescribed guidelines; maintains usage records.

May train employees, assign work, monitor progress, and inform supervisor of performance issues.

May lead and oversee the work of seasonal park maintenance workers.

May be required to work overtime.

May work a varying schedule and/or shift.

Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience:

Park Maintenance Specialist I:

High school diploma or GED; twelve months related experience. Grounds maintenance, forestry or horticulture experience preferred. Experience with computerized irrigation systems, including Baseline and Rainmaster smart irrigation controllers, is preferred. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Park Maintenance Specialist II:

High school diploma or GED; three years' experience in park, open space, or grounds maintenance, forestry, horticulture, or related field. Irrigation experience is preferred, including experience programming, troubleshooting, maintaining, and adjusting computerized irrigation systems. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Licensing/Certification Requirements:

Park Maintenance Specialist I:

Valid Colorado driver's license with a safe driving record. Commercial Driver's License preferred.

Ability to obtain one of the following certifications within twelve months of hire; pesticide applicator license, Certified Arborist certification from International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), or mastery badge from the Colorado State University Certified Gardener program.

Park Maintenance Specialist II:

In addition to previous licensing requirements, must possess Landscape Technician certification, Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) certification from ISA, or a Certified Playground Safety Inspector through the NPRA.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Park Maintenance Specialist I:

Knowledge of laws and safety related to vehicle operation.

Knowledge of park, open space, forestry, or horticulture maintenance safety procedures.

Knowledge of materials and equipment used in park, open space, forestry, or horticulture maintenance, including tractors, mowing equipment, edgers, string trimmers, backpack blowers, chippers, pesticide applicators, backhoes, dump trucks, loaders, power drills and saws, aerators, hand tools, and snow removal equipment.

Knowledge of the policies, procedures and goals of the city of Thornton and the department.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of park, open space, forestry, or horticulture maintenance.

Knowledge of laws, regulations and procedures for proper application of pesticides and herbicides.

Knowledge of tree identification, defects, species culture, planting, pruning, removal, pests and diseases.

Skill in operating a two-way radio.

Skill in the safe and lawful operation of all equipment required for the job.

Skill in performing horticultural functions, including maintaining and repairing turf, plants, shrubs, flowers, and trees.

Skill in applying pesticides and herbicides in compliance with all regulations and laws.

Skill in maintaining records and logs.

Skill in traffic control devices when working in the right-of-way.

Ability to use standard office equipment, personal computer and job-related computer applications including electronic mail.

Ability to comprehend and follow verbal or written instructions.

Ability to listen well and communicate effectively orally and in writing with various audiences.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City employees and the general public.

Park Maintenance Specialist II:

In addition to previous requirements:

Knowledge of the general principles and practices of employee supervision.

Knowledge of tree risk assessment and remediation.

Knowledge of and ability to assess tree health and recommend issue resolution.

Knowledge of ArcMap/ERSI inventory procedures.

Skill in inspecting parks, open space, municipal grounds, trees, rights-of-way and trails for safety hazards.

Skill in installing, maintaining and repairing computerized park irrigation systems.

Ability to supervise, train and monitor seasonal park maintenance employees.

Physical and Mental Requirements:

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, finger, grasp, feel, talk, hear, and make repetitive motions. This position is mostly medium work; exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. The employee is required to have close visual acuity. The employee is subject to environmental conditions, outside environmental conditions, both inside and outside conditions, extreme cold, extreme heat, noise, vibration, hazards, and atmospheric conditions that affect the respiratory system of the skin.

TESTING PROCEDURES

Examinations may include but are not limited to application screening beyond minimum qualifications; written, oral, practical exercise or any combination thereof or other job related assessment deemed appropriate by Human Resources.

Your application will be used as a screening tool. Completeness and accuracy are important! Any false or untrue statements or material omissions in the application and related paperwork or during the selection process could disqualify you from consideration.

As a condition of employment, the city of Thornton conducts background investigations for all positions which may also include a review of credit report and/or driving record. A drug screen, physical, and/or psychological examination administered by a city-designated provider will be required for pre-determined positions.

The City of Thornton is an equal opportunity employer.

The City of Thornton offers employees an outstanding benefits package. Benefit eligibility is based on the status of the position. Please email Jobs@thorntonco.gov to receive a copy of our current Benefits Guide.

Benefits offered may include the following depending on the job type/status of the position:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life, Dependent Life & Supplemental Life Insurance Options
• Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment Policy
• Flexible Spending Plan
• Post Employment Health Plan
• Retirement & Deferred Compensation Plans
• Short & Long-term Disability Plans
• Paid Holidays
• Vacation & Sick Leave
• Multilingual Incentive Pay
• Recreation Pass
• Wellness Program
• In-House Training Opportunities
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program

01

This position requires at least twelve months of related experience. Any equivalent combination of experience and education which would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is considered as qualifying. Do you possess at least twelve months of qualified work experience OR work experience and education combination? (Your application must support your response to this question.)

• Yes
• No

02

Please select the highest level of education you have completed.

• Bachelors degree or higher
• Associate degree
• Some college coursework
• High school diploma/GED
• None of the above

03

If you answered "some college coursework" above, please select the number of years of coursework you completed. If you did not select "some college coursework" above, please select "N/A".

• Less than 1 year
• 1 to less than 2 years
• 2 to less than 3 years
• 3 to less than 4 years
• 4 years
• N/A

04

Please enter the field of study for your highest level of education. If none, enter "N/A"

05

How many years of experience do you have working in a field related to this position?

• No related work experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 to less than 2 years
• 2 to less than 3 years
• 3 years or more

06

Briefly describe your experience in park, open space, or grounds maintenance, forestry, horticulture, or related field.. If none, enter "N/A".

07

Do you have a valid Colorado drivers license with a safe driving record?

• Yes
• No

08

Which of the following certifications or licenses do you possess? Check all that apply.

• Pesticide Applicator
• Certified Arborist from ISA
• Master Gardener from CSU
• Certified Landscape Technician
• Tree Risk Assessment Qualification from ISA
• Certified Playground Safety Inspector through NRPA
• Commercial Drivers License
• None of the above

Required Question

Employer City of Thornton

Department Parks & Recreation Address 8651 Colorado Blvd

Thornton, Colorado, 80229