Natural & Trails Technician II

Job Summary:

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 (NAT) Maintenance Technician II participates in a wide range of construction and maintenance projects and serves as the Division’s lead equipment operator and chemical applicator. This position will work closely with NAT staff including Technician I’s, supervise assigned 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.

Experience, Knowledge,

Skills:

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education required;
• Valid driver license and ability to safely operate City vehicles and equipment required;
• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience in equipment operation and maintenance and maintaining of open space or agricultural lands with some focus on stewardship of natural resources required;
• Some familiarity with integrated pest management required;
• Knowledge of trails maintenance including trailside mowing, soft surface trail grooming, and snowplowing required.
• Associates or Bachelor's degree in forestry, ecology, biology, range management, natural resources management, or similar field preferred.
• Three or more years of experience in safely operating and maintaining a variety of equipment, skilled in implementing a wide variety of small construction and public improvement projects, skill and passion for leading hourly and seasonal staff, and experience implementing an integrated pest management program preferred.
• Three or more years of experience in natural resource management, forestry, range management, or other closely related field in a protected lands setting, and a working understanding of Colorado ecosystems preferred.
• Current License as a Colorado Pesticide Applicator, or ability and willingness to obtain and maintainlicensure within six months of hire as condition of employment, and ability to efficiently train seasonal staff to a basic knowledge level of common weed species  management;
• Demonstrated ability to use computer software including GPS/GIS applications, MS Excel, Word and Outlook;
• Ability to secure and maintain wildland fire red card certification, with the potential to obtain additional certifications in the future;
• Ability to keep documents, maps and plans organized and filed for easy retrieval;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with internal and external stakeholders;
• Working knowledge of Colorado noxious weed species, integrated pest management strategies,and techniques to minimize impacts to non-target species;
• Ability to safely operate and support a preventative maintenance program for a variety of equipment including tractors, mowers, utility vehicles, brush chippers, chain saws, stump grinders, tree spades, backhoes, truck-mounted snow plows, snow blowers, snow brooms, dump trucks, loaders and skid loaders;
• Knowledge of basic traffic control methods for safe work zone set ups;
• Experience leading and training hourly staff to assist in the safe operation of equipment and maintenance of areas of responsibility;
• Ability to manage multiple and conflicting priorities.

Essential Functions:

• Conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspection reports 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;
• 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…