Hedge Hunters Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Duties Description Under the direction of Park Manager 2 for Taconic State Park including Copake Falls, Rudd Pond, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, and Copake Ironworks Historic Area, Park Manager 1's duties will include but are not limited to the following:
• Daily operations of Copake Falls and Rudd Pond, including supervision of permanent and seasonal staff, consistent and routine inspections of established recreational areas to address potential hazards, patron and employee safety, and compliance with both park and agency rules and regulations.
• Oversee and participate in the maintenance of park facilities including cleaning, painting, mowing, weed trimming, hedge clipping, tree removal and pruning, collection of garbage, cleaning of portable toilets, etc.
• In collaboration with the Park Manager 2, oversee, inspect, and supervise the Ore Pit Swimming Area ensuring Water Safety guidelines and Lifeguard Standards are followed at all times.
• Oversee and maintain inventory records of equipment and assets throughout the facility. Collaborate with Park Manager 2 on the maintenance, replacement, and acquisition of such items to maintain and improve facility operations.
• Collaborate with Park Manager 2 and Park Office Manager in the scheduling of subordinate staff with assignments and operational coverage - approving permanent and seasonal timecards and leave requests as needed.
• Collaborate with Park Manager 2 in interviewing and hiring candidates for permanent and seasonal positions. Prepare paperwork and evaluations throughout the hiring and employment process.
• Respond to operational and facility emergencies which may involve coordination with local emergency services and law enforcement; including patron medical incidents, lost and injured hikers, wildland fires, storm preparedness and damage remediation - with proper documentation and reporting of incidents as necessary.
• Collaborate with regional stewardship staff and Park Manager 2 on environmental projects throughout the park, including trail maintenance and building of trails within the park
• Collaborate with the Park Manager 2 and subordinate staff in patrolling property to inhibit and address the misuse of the facilities restricted and/or sensitive areas.
• Locate and identify hazardous trees for pruning or removal; direct park staff in these operations or solicit contracted remediation following current service procurement guidelines.
• Manage hunting program for the park, distribute permits, check park for illegal hunting behavior, monitor tree stands, work with Albany staff to keep maps and regulations up to date.
• Coordinate with Friends Groups, Partner Associations, and Stakeholders on a variety of special events and projects to improve the park through volunteer efforts, events, and community programing. Attend various in-person and virtual meetings to coordinate and communicate with a variety of partner organizations and municipalities.
• Respond to public complaints and comments and collaborate with the Park Manager 2 to address a variety of park neighbor issues including encroachments, hazardous trees, electric lines, erosion, etc.
Minimum Qualifications If Civil Service Eligible list(s) exist, they will be canvassed. Candidates must be reachable on the current eligible list(s) to be considered for appointment. You may also apply if you are eligible for appointment or reinstatement by one of the following qualifications:
If you have previous or current employment at a NYS agency, to be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office may contact you.
NY HELPS or 55-b/c Qualifications:
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*
To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55-b/c, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications are:
Six years of experience working in a park, recreational facility, or campus in any two of these functional areas: administration (business, personnel, finance); capital or operational planning; recreational programming; public relations or visitor services; maintenance; or environmental education or interpretation. Two years must have been at a supervisory level.
Substitution: An associate degree** in a related field*** can substitute for two years of specialized experience; a bachelor's degree** in a related field*** can substitute for four years of experience; a master's degree** in a related field*** can substitute for five years of experience; and a doctorate** in a related field*** can substitute for six years of experience.
**Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education (https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home). If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States or its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. This information can be found at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. Candidates are responsible for the evaluation fee.
***A related field may include environmental education, environmental management, environmental policy, environmental sustainability, forestry, golf course management, historic preservation, horticulture, natural resources management, park administration, park management or recreation management.
If you are a veteran or an individual with a disability and would like to apply for the Department of Civil Service's 55-b/c Program, please visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/ for more information.
Subsequent 55-b/c Qualifications:
A subsequent 55-b/c appointment may be considered if you have at least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service and have a current Civil Service 55-b/c letter of eligibility.
Reassignment Qualifications:
Current NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Employees only, with at least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Park Manager 1; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current Park Manager 1 eligible list for this location.
52.6 Transfer Qualifications:
At least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Grade 16 or higher. The service must be in a title that Civil Service has deemed transfer eligible to the position.
Note: The transfer cannot be a second consecutive transfer resulting in an advancement of more than two salary grades.
For all transfers noted, a comprehensive list of titles approved for transfer is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.
70.1 Transfer Qualifications:
At least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Historic Site Manager C, SG 18. Only the title listed is eligible for 70.1 transfer.
For all transfers noted, a comprehensive list of titles approved for transfer is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.
Additional Comments Operational Needs:
• Must be available to work nights, weekends and holidays as needed.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license that allows the candidate to legally operate a motor vehicle in New York State as a term and condition of employment.
• Be able to represent Parks consistently and professionally in daily operations and with partnering organizations, elected officials, and the community.
• Be able to hike a minimum of 5 miles in rugged terrain, carrying a backpack with rescue supplies and water.
• Have, or be willing to gain, an intimate knowledge of the park geography and trail system, to be able to direct emergency operations.
• Must have the ability to operate a chainsaw and must complete OPRHP sawyer training or equivalent within the probationary period and maintain it as a term and condition of employment. This training will be provided by OPRHP.
• Must obtain and maintain valid American Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED certification as a term and condition of employment. This training will be provided by OPRHP.
• Must obtain a New York State Class C Water License within the probationary period and maintain it as a term and condition of employment. Training will be coordinated through OPRHP.
• Ability to operate various motorized medium and heavy equipment, including snow plowing, or be willing and able to learn.
If you have previous or current employment at a NYS agency, to be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office may contact you.
Benefits:
The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation offers a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to:
Paid Time Off:
• PEF: 44 days - 13 Vacation days, 13 Sick days, and 5 Personal Leave days, 13 Holidays.
• PEF: Three (3) days of professional leave annually to participate in professional development.
Health Care Benefits:
• Eligible employees and dependents can pick from a variety of affordable health insurance programs.
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.
Additional Benefits:
• New York State Employees' Retirement System (ERS) Membership
• NYS Deferred Compensation
• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, as well as U.S. Savings Bonds
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Paid Parental / Family Leave
To learn more about our benefits, visit: https://parks.ny.gov/employment/benefits.aspx.
*NY HELPS PROGRAM:
For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a permanent non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.
At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered-in to the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has covered-in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024 and June 11, 2025. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective June 12, 2025 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.
Additional location pay is available for the following counties: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, NYC-Manhattan, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, and Putnam.
This position may require a background check and/or medical exam prior to appointment.
Note: For all transfers noted, a comprehensive list of titles approved for transfer is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Name Abigail Parry Leo
Telephone (518) 329-3993
Fax
Email Address Taconic.Employment@parks.ny.gov
Address
Street Taconic State Park - Copake Falls & Rudd Pond
253 Route 344
City Copake Falls
State NY
Zip Code 12517
Notes on Applying All candidates must submit a written resume and cover letter which clearly demonstrates how they meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Please submit your resume and cover letter as a Word or PDF attachment. We are unable to open documents from Google Docs, Google Drive, OneDrive, Apple Pages, and/or "the cloud."
Your application must be received by June 23, 2026 and submitted via email to Taconic.Employment@parks.ny.gov. You must include "Vacancy ID 217612 - Park Manager 1 - Taconic State Park" in the subject line of your email. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for the position.
It is the responsibility of each applicant to accurately describe their experience and demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualifications. Failure to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualifications, and operating needs may result in your resume not being considered for this position.
If are interested in being considered for this position, you can obtain an Employment Application from your local park office, your region's administrative headquarters, or download an application from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website at: https://parks.ny.gov/sites/default/files/FillableUpdatedParksEmployeeApplicationS1000Part1Taconic.
Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities and workplace diversity.
New York State (NYS) is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. NYS Law prohibits discrimination because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, carrier status, gender identity or prior conviction records, or prior arrests, youthful offender adjudications or sealed records unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.
Executive Order 31 commits New York State government to becoming a model employer for people with disabilities, ...