The Natural Areas & Trails division, within the City’s Culture, Parks and Recreation Department manages over 1,000 acres of natural areas and the city’s 30-mile trail system including over ten miles of the regional Poudre River Trail. This new and growing division is seeking innovative, creative, and motivated professionals to join the team to strive toward the division’s vision of a community connected to nature.
The Natural Areas & Trails Maintenance Technician II participates in a wide range of construction and maintenance tasks and serves as the Division’s lead equipment operator and chemical applicator. This position may oversee up to two (2) hourly maintenance technicians, multiple seasonal staff and volunteers who help to provide safe and well-maintained natural areas and trail corridors through general maintenance, vegetation management and public improvement projects.
 

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and
• Minimum of three (3) years of responsible experience relating to this position in the stewardship of natural resources, equipment operation and maintenance, integrated pest management, and trails maintenance.
• Valid driver's license and good driving record.

• Associate’s or Bachelor's degree in forestry, ecology, biology, range management, natural resources management, or similar field.
• Three or more years of experience in natural resource management, forestry, range management, or other closely related field, specifically in Colorado ecosystems.
• Three or more years of experience in operating equipment, implementing small construction projects, leading hourly and seasonal staff, and implementing an integrated pest management program.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills Required:

• Licensed as a Colorado Pesticide Applicator, or ability and willingness to obtain and maintain licensure as condition of employment;
• Working knowledge of Colorado noxious weed species, integrated pest management strategies, and minimizing of impacts to non-target species;
• Ability to safely operate a variety of equipment including tractors, mowers, utility vehicles, brush chipper, chain saws, stump grinder, tree spade, backhoes, snow plow, snow blowers, snow brooms, dump trucks, loaders and skid loaders;
• In coordination with the Parks division, provide supplemental support for herbicide application within natural areas properties and trail corridors using backpack, ATV, and truck-mounted spray equipment. Maintain spray equipment; properly mix, apply, log and map herbicide application areas; proactively engage in ongoing professional development to maintain pesticide applicator license and apply best practices within the field;
• Conduct pre-trip and post-trip on all Division’s equipment to evaluate safety and mechanical problems, anticipate potential problems, and act promptly and diligently to avoid equipment down time and safety issues;
• Coordinate equipment service schedules;
• Demonstrated ability to use computer software including GPS/GIS applications, MS Excel, Word and Outlook;
• Knowledge of basic traffic control methods for safe work zone set ups;
• Assist with the screening and interviewing process and make hiring recommendations for hourly or seasonal maintenance staff;
• Experience leading and training hourly staff to assist in the safe operation of equipment and maintenance of areas of responsibility;
• Perform and oversee the performance of a variety of complex maintenance and construction activities;
• Participate in prescribed burn activities in conjunction with Greeley Fire Dept. and other partners. Ability to secure and maintain wildland fire red card certification, with the potential to obtain additional certifications in the future;
• Inspect properties in response to customer complaints and determine remediation action of complaints;
• Ability to keep documents, maps and plans organized and filed for easy retrieval;
• Effectively communicate standard management/maintenance rules, policies and procedures to the public to aid the Division's outreach efforts, either one-on-one or in group settings, in person or using a telephone;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with internal and external stakeholder groups;
• Comprehend and make inferences from written materials and produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts, using proper grammar;
• Use judgment in unique situations that will arise to determine the safest method of completing tasks;
• Ability to manage multiple and conflicting priorities;

Working Environment:

• Frequent public contact;
• Exposure to all weather conditions, sometimes for extended periods of time;
• Exposure to hazardous environmental, wildlife, and human risks including trips/falls, wounded or dead wildlife, transient encampments with human waste and sharps risks;
• Ability to walk, sit, climb ladders, kneel, bend, crouch, reach, push, pull, lift and lower, handle, feel and grasp tools and equipment, and make minor repairs;
• Exposure to various types of machinery noise, dust, dirt, and debris; Exposure to chemicals used in landscape maintenance and herbicide application;
• Required availability to work occasional weekends, holidays, and evenings when needed; when emergencies occur work prior, during and post-emergency operations.

• Communication skills enough to convey information verbally and in writing;
• Vision enough to perform physical activities and read computer keyboards, reference books, and other written documents, and safely operate motor vehicles and other equipment;
• Manual dexterity enough to operate equipment, tools, vehicles and machinery; Strength and stamina enough to carry, load and unload equipment for activities;
• Ability to move over rough, uneven and rocky surfaces in the performance of job duties.