Salary: $18.50 - $19.89 Hourly
Location : City of Thornton; Municipal Shops Complex, CO
Job Type: Seasonal - Part-Time or Full-Time
Job Number: 26049
Department: Parks & Recreation
Division: Parks Temporary
Opening Date: 02/04/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
FLSA: Non-Exempt
WORK HOURS: SEE BELOW
STATUS 2: FLSA NON-EXEMPT
Hiring Rate for NEW employees:
Parks Worker I - $18.50 per hour.
Parks Worker II - $19.50 per hour.
Tentative start date is early March.
Season: March through October
Work Hours:
Hours vary. (Start and end times will adjust with daylight hours throughout the season.)
Rotating weekends and holidays required.
Under specified supervision, performs a variety of maintenance duties including physical manual labor within the city's park system, including the city's golf course and clubhouse grounds. May assist with the coordination of the annual flower program, planting, and maintaining trees, Xeric garden, and other grounds maintenance duties as assigned.
Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from levels I or, when filled from the outside, require previous and directly related experience.
Parks Worker I:
Under immediate supervision, this is the entry-level class in the Parks Worker series. Incumbents entering the class have little or no directly related work experience. Generally, work is observed and reviewed both during performance and upon completion.
Parks Worker II:
Under general supervision, this is the journey-level class in the Parks Worker series. Incumbents assigned to this class have previous work experience and are expected to perform the full range or work assigned, operate large-scale mowing equipment and/or work with independence and initiative.
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.)
Operates equipment such as tractors, trenchers, sod cutters, roto-tillers, skid steers, trucks, trailers, utility vehicles, small backhoes, loaders, aerators, wood chippers, flail and rotary mowers, a variety of riding mowers from 16 feet in width to 6 feet in width, walk-behind mowers, push mowers, string trimmers, backpack blowers and sprayers, edgers, bunker rakes, chain saws, pruning equipment, and various hand tools.
Assists with park maintenance tasks.
Mows, weeds, trims, and removes grass clippings.
Waters, aerates, renovates and fertilizes turf areas.
Plants, waters, edges, prunes and removes trees, shrubs, bushes, and flowers.
Clears snow and leaves from parks, rights-of-way, sidewalks, and sports fields and courts.
Picks up trash and polices areas. Empties trash receptacles.
Inspects, maintains, and repairs parks and mowing equipment and facilities.
Monitors belts, pulleys, filters, tire pressure and fluid levels, greases fittings, changes oil and filters, cleans and replaces air filters, changes and sharpens blades, and adjusts mowing deck heights when necessary.
Cleans and fuels equipment.
Sets up appropriate traffic control devices when working in the right-of-way.
May maintain ball field infield, including hand raking, compacting worn areas, edging lips, cleaning dug outs and bleacher areas, scarifying and dragging infields, spreading infield conditioners and drying agents, installing home plates and base anchors, and wetting infields.
May assist with computerized irrigation systems.
Assists in irrigation repair and hand watering as needed.
Assists in all basic phases of golf course maintenance and related projects. Ensures bunkers are raked, tee markers are set, cups are properly cut, etc. Mows greens, tees, approaches, fairways, roughs, surrounds and native areas. Repairs ball marks on greens and hand fills divots with sand/seed mixture as needed. Responsible for removal of trash on golf course and clubhouse grounds including parking lots and sidewalks.
Plants and maintains sod, trees, shrubs, flowerbeds, and native plants. Sprays weeds, tree rings and fence lines with a backpack sprayer.
Removes trash and debris from ponds as needed and seasonally installs and removes water aeration fountains in ponds.
Coordinates the annual flower program, including design, purchasing, bed preparation, flower planting, maintenance of the beds, and removal of annual flowerbeds throughout the City. Assists with maintenance and management of the City's urban forest and tree inventory. Assists with tree planting, watering, pruning, removal and other tree-related maintenance tasks. Assists with the maintenance of the Xeric garden, including irrigation repair, planting shrubs and perennials, mowing turf plots, edging turf plots, monitoring plant material for moisture, identifying and labeling plant material, maintaining signs, and other Xeric maintenance tasks.
Assists with various festival set up and tear down activities.
May be required to be on 24-hour on-call status for snow removal and other emergencies. May be required to work overtime. May include weekend work.
Provides accurate written reports of all daily activities.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Parks Worker II:
In addition to previous requirements:
Operates large-scale mowing and/or aeration equipment used on fairways, roughs, surrounds, greens and tees.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience:
Parks Worker I:
Must be at least 18 years old. No education or experience required. At least one season of experience working in a grounds maintenance capacity, nursery, greenhouse or other landscape related organization preferred.
Parks Worker II:
In addition to the previous requirements:
Two seasons or one year of experience. Mow crew requires mowing operations experience with basic and more complex commercial mowing equipment such as walk-behind mowers, string trimmers, backpack blowers, rakes and hand tools, zero turn radius riding mowers, 6 foot to 16 foot hydrostatic riding mowers, 60 hp tractors, etc. Equivalent combinations of experience may be considered.
Licensing/Certification Requirements:
Valid Colorado driver's license with a safe driving record.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of the policies, procedures and goals of the city of Thornton and the department.
Knowledge of the operation of landscape equipment such as, but not limited to, pickup trucks, tractors, trailers, skid-steers, roto-tillers, sod cutters, trenchers, mowers, string trimmers, edgers, backpack blowers and various hand tools.
Knowledge of Thorncreek Golf Course Rules and Regulations.
Knowledge of basic golf course etiquette.
Knowledge of tools, methods, and materials used in golf course maintenance and construction.
Knowledge of plant material that grows in this area.
Knowledge of irrigation systems, including overhead spray, drip and sub-surface irrigation, and the ability to install, modify and make field adjustments to systems and ensure that they perform properly.
Knowledge of Front Range annual and perennial plant material from this area.
Knowledge of tree and shrub identification, pruning and plant health care techniques, and understanding of trees suitable for this area.
Skill in communicating effectively both orally and in writing.
Skill in the safe and lawful operation of all equipment required for the job.
Skill in dealing tactfully and effectively with the public.
Ability to work as a team member.
Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the functions of the position.
Ability to resolve problems.
Ability to follow oral and written directions from others.
Ability to work in a variety of adverse weather conditions, including heat, cold, precipitation, and wind.
Ability to work evenings, weekends and holidays, or flexible schedules.
Parks Worker II:
In addition to previous requirements:
Knowledge of the operation of large scale mowing and aeration equipment and other landscape equipment such as, but not limited to, pickup trucks, tractors, trailers, variety of sizes of riding mowers, walk-behind mowers, push mowers, edgers, string trimmers, backpack blowers and various hand tools.
Skill in the safe and lawful operation of large-scale mowing and aeration equipment, tractors, trucks, trailers and a variety of other landscape equipment.
Ability to exercise initiative, judgment, and decision making to resolve problems in the field.
Physical and Mental Requirements:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to lift more than 40 pounds on a frequent basis, sit, stand, walk, kneel, squat, stoop, bend, reach, turn, climb, crawl, repeatedly twist the upper body, talk, hear, see, grasp, demonstrate manual dexterity and perform repetitive body movement. The employee must demonstrate the ability to remain calm during routine and stressful conditions. The employee is also required to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
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
Are you at least 18 years of age?
02
Do you have a valid driver's license?
03
In regard to your driving history: Have you been convicted of a DWAI or DUI in the last 3 years?
04
In regard to your driving history, have you had a restricted license or any suspensions, cancellations, denials, revocations, or any other loss of license in the last 3 years?
05
In regard to your driving history, have you been convicted of reckless driving in the last 3 years?
06
If you answered "yes" to the previous questions, please list conviction(s) type, nature of offense(s), and date(s) of conviction(s); otherwise, enter "N/A" (Not Applicable) in the space below.
07
Do you have a reliable source of transportation that can get you to and from work at the required time?
08
Have you been fired or asked to resign from any previous job in the last 5 years? This is NOT to include a "lay off" of "reduction in force" that was outside your control.
09
If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please explain. If you answered "No", please enter "N/A".
10
Please select all months from the list below that you are available to work throughout the season:
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
11
Would there be a time during the months you indicated you could work for Parks where you would be unavailable to work due to prior commitments? If yes, please list below the month and/or dates you would be unable to work.
12
Are there any days of the week or hours in the day that you are unavailable to work due to other commitments?
13
If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, please explain. If you answered "No", please enter "N/A".
14
During the season, we have weather conditions that dictate that we must work overtime. This may include staying late or coming in early as well as coming in on weekends to work. Are you willing to stay late, come in early or work on weekends when your supervisor deems it necessary?
15
Please select below which areas of Parks interest you the most. You make pick more than one.
- General Park Maintenance
- Botanical
- Ballfield Maintenance
- Trials
16
Have you ever installed or maintained a commercial irrigation system?
17
I understand this is a seasonal position.
18
