Park Ranger

The Position

The Park District currently has several vacancies located at various parks and sites throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The hiring pools established as a result of this recruitment will be used to fill the current vacancies and additional vacancies that may occur during the one-year life of the hiring pools.

• Respect – We honor the land we steward, each other, and the park visitors we serve.
• Resilience – We creatively adapt to change. We address challenges with empathy, perspective, and determination.
• Relationships – Our greatest strength lies in the trust, accountability, and teamwork we cultivate with our colleagues, partners, and the public we serve.
• Responsiveness – We communicate openly, honestly, and reliably.
• Transparency – We hold the public's trust through meaningful stakeholder engagement and access to timely and reliable information on decisions and performance.

• Work with a purpose for a better world today and for future generations through the preservation of open space, public access to the outdoors, and a commitment to the conservation of the natural world found east of the San Francisco Bay across 33 cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties
• A community of colleagues who are passionate about public service and the East Bay Regional Park District, the communities it serves, and its mission
• Excellent benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending, and pension benefits through California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS).
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development
• Free on-site parking
• Free parking permit for EBRPD parks (for up to 2 privately owned vehicles)
• Employee discounts for certain EBRPD park amenities (reservations, daily fishing permit, public boat launch.

• Are motivated team players with experience in the landscaping, maintenance, land management, and construction fields.
• Are familiar with riding and walk-behind mowers, chainsaws, pole saws, brush chippers, and a variety of power and hand tools.
• Have general construction skills to provide maintenance to park facilities, recreation areas, trails & equipment. Can build, repair, and replace park infrastructure, (picnic tables, benches, fences, gates, signs, etc.). Can problem-solve and develop solutions.
• Have general knowledge of tree care, turf management, and maintenance of developed park grounds.
• Enjoy working in public areas and having direct interaction with park visitors
• Can follow both written and verbal instructions and are adaptable to changing tasks and priorities.
• Are willing to complete general park maintenance activities on a regular/daily basis such as:
  • Cleaning and stocking restrooms
  • Pick-up and removal of general litter and debris from district properties
  • Emptying garbage, recycling, and compost cans.
• Basic knowledge of computers and willingness and ability to learn internal computer programs that are necessary as an employee of EBRPD.
• Are flexible and adaptable, willing to work weekends, holidays, and varied schedules in locations throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Essential Functions

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Performs a variety of advanced level semi-skilled and unskilled maintenance and related tasks on Park District properties and facilities
• Performs grounds maintenance functions
• Installs, inspects, repairs and adjusts irrigation systems and drainage systems
• Maintains and operates various types of control valves, timers and other related equipment
• Constructs and/or installs and repairs fences, gates, stairs, boardwalks, picnic tables, drinking fountains, signs, trail posts, barbecue and fire pits, docks, information panels, and cattle or horse troughs
• Applies herbicides and pesticides
• Performs turf mowing and/or rough mowing, using sit-down or walk-behind mowers and tractors
• Pours concrete pads
• Maintains trails, trail heads, service roads and staging areas, including the installation and repair of fencing, trail signs, markers, and gates
• Performs asphalt and gravel trail repairs
• Clears trees and brush from trails and roads
• Trims, cuts, prunes, removes and plants trees
• Operates and inspects a variety of vehicles and equipment, such as tractors, trucks, lawn mowers, slope mowers, chain saws, chippers, skid steers, front end loaders and boats
• Maintains buildings, including repairing, replacing, and/or installing plumbing fixtures and valves
• Patrols parks, trails and waterways to check for potential hazards
• Assists in protecting the natural resources of parks and trails by monitoring the impact and activities of grazing operations and parks users
• Assists with cattle grazing program
• Educates park users on park rules and regulations
• Controls rodent and other pest populations
• Removes non-native plant species and invasive plants from Park District lands
• Removes and/or relocates animals as needed
• Responds to emergencies, such as medical, searches, park fires and other requests for aid;
• Operates radios to provide and coordinate information
• Provides traffic control
• Completes medical/incident reports
• Performs routine maintenance work, including picking up and removing litter, cleaning and stocking restrooms, emptying garbage cans and changing trash liners and removing graffiti
• Performs administrative tasks such as ordering and purchasing supplies, preparing monthly revenue and other reports, preparing, monitoring and enforcing contracts, and completing fixed asset inventories and maintains logs, records and reports
• Loads and unloads compost
• Takes hazardous tree inventory and coordinates with contractors for tree removal
• Performs erosion control and prevention
• Constructs, restores and maintains natural resources and habitats
• May monitor and report lift station and water issues
• Maintains wells, water tanks, springs and spring fed water sources
• Monitors and adjusts water chemistry
• Performs water quality testing and measures chlorine and bacticide levels
• Prepares and paints a variety of surfaces
• Removes various illegal dumped items, such as construction materials, green waste, household items and furniture
• May perform maintenance on lagoons
• Performs range management, including grass sample collection, annotating height and weight, and creating general descriptions of location and vegetation types
• Mitigates fire hazards by creating and maintaining fuel breaks around neighboring properties and throughout the parks
• Safely removes needles and sharps as necessary
• Performs duties of lower level classifications as required
• Acts as supervisor as needed.

• Provides support and assists skilled trades staff and/or heavy equipment operators with special projects
• Performs roads and trails maintenance on a project basis
• Loads and unloads materials and equipment
• Pulls trailers and transports equipment and materials
• Such as granite slabs, concrete and paver blocks, sheetrock, rock, sand, gravel and retaining wall blocks
• Compacts and backfills retaining walls
• Coordinates with vendors regarding specialty products
• Assists in paving roads and pathways
• Operates paint stripers on roads and parking lots
• Operates vibraplates, water tenders, and pneumatic and electric jackhammers
• Operates electronic underground pipe tracers to locate electrical conduit and metal water pipes
• Takes down existing structures
• And separates and sorts materials
• Digs holes and trenches.

• Trains, orients and leads other Park District staff and volunteers
• Performs special assignments such as serving as liaison with concessionaires and other groups, supervising special crews and preparing technical contracts
• Constructs stairs and boardwalks
• Transports visitors to and from San Francisco Bay islands via boat
• Repairs and replaces tile; cuts, patches, sweats, and/or insulates copper pipe
• Maintains chlorinators
• Welds aluminum and steel to fabricate and modify parts
• Directs emergency response vehicles and assists with communications during emergency situations
• May assist with the birthing and care of animals and cleaning animal pens
• Installs and performs maintenance on cameras and trail counters
• May perform watercraft and trailer inspections
• May operate watercraft and deploy emergency hazardous material booms
• Assists in landscape design, repair and installation
• Performs native species restoration
• May perform tours
• Assists in conducting various wildlife survey and conservation studies
• Obtains utility locating permits as needed
• And performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade,

AND

Experience: Three years of recent experience in landscape/park facility maintenance, construction, or a related field which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this classification and provide quality customer service.

Substitutions: College level education in a related field or successful completion of related classes at a trade or vocational school, may be substituted on the basis of one year of completed college level education or trade/vocation school classes equating to one year of experience up to a maximum of a year of experience.

License or Certificate: Possession of a valid Class C California Driver’s License is a condition of initial and continued employment in this classification.

Additional Information

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Parks and/or grounds maintenance methods and equipment
• Basic principles, practices and functionalities of irrigation, carpentry, electrical and plumbing systems
• Horticulture planting, pruning, fertilizing and irrigation techniques, methods and requirements
• Safety practices and procedures
• Construction of erosion control structures
• Practices of general construction
• Rigging and winching techniques
• Rules, regulations and codes pertaining to the Park District.

• Safely and effectively operate and maintain a wide range of hand and power tools, vehicles, and equipment
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 60 pounds
• Perform basic math
• Lead and instruct others in maintenance and repair activities
• Work outside and under adverse weather and working conditions
• Follow written and oral instructions
• Perform watercraft inspections for natural resource protection as needed
• Read maps and blue prints
• Prioritize and adapt to changes
• Respond to emergency situations while maintaining professionalism
• Work autonomously and as part of a team
• Safely and properly apply pesticides and herbicides
• Lead and coordinate volunteer work groups
• Perform recordkeeping
• And prepare complete and accurate reports
• Provide high level of customer service
• Learn basic wildlife, vegetation and geographic features found in Park District parks
• Understand basic water chemistry
• Troubleshoot and maintain pumps and filters systems for pools and swim lagoons;
• Operate and maintain pool/filtration facilities
• Improvise and troubleshoot issues in the field in various situations
• Inspect and identify problems with structures and formulate solutions
• Learn and operate office equipment
• Including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work at all levels, including a culturally diverse general public
• With a focus on quality service to internal staff and external customers and park users.

• Must pass a Level 1 Background Check.
• May be required to work unusual hours, nights, weekends, holidays, outdoors and in a variety of weather conditions.
• Depending on work location and assignment, ability to use a respirator in the performance of work in accordance with CAL OSHA respirator regulations, Title 8, 5144 (c) (g) (l) (A) (l.), incumbents shall not wear facial hair (e.g. beards or long sideburns, etc.) that impede the effectiveness of the respirator.
• Must wear a Park District uniform.

For information regarding the District's applicable benefits package, please visit http://www.ebparks.org/about/jobs/resources/default.htm.

For temporary and/or on-call assignments, there are no benefits offered.