Scientists In Parks Jobs in Ohio (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $28,475.20 - $31,824.00 Annually
Location : Centennial II, Human Resources Department, 805 Central Avenue, Suite 200, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, OH
Job Type: Part-time Unclassified
Job Number: 26-02554(PT)
Department: Parks
Opening Date: 01/12/2026
Closing Date: 8/31/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
General Statement of Duties
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
Parks seeks reliable and customer-focused individuals to join our team as part-time Parks/Recreation Specialist. This position may report to the Operations or Natural Resources Divisions to assist in maintaining Park Board-controlled properties. Duties may include general landscape/lawn care, forest restoration, and/or horticultural services. In this role, you will provide excellent customer service to park visitors, address inquiries, and ensure a positive experience for all patrons. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills, a friendly demeanor, and a passion for promoting a safe and enjoyable environment within our parks.
HOURS: Part-time employees work up to 30 hours per week. Some positions may work weekends, holidays, and evenings.
1. A Seasonal Horticulturalist (Operations and Greenspace)

• Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following items:
• Designs, installs, and maintains horticultural displays
• Communicates closely with community representatives to plan displays and inform them of progress.
• Maintenance and duties include driving a city pickup truck with a large water tank and operating a gas-powered pump to water.
• Fertilize, prune, deadhead, weed, replace soil as needed, divide plants, remove litter, and related tasks. Responsible for working with a horticultural technician to assist you with maintenance requirements.
• Assist with all maintenance and planting tasks, including landscape bed preparation, mulching, weeding, pruning, planting various plant materials and removal, deadheading, trash pickup in beds, raking up debris, fertilizing and other chemical applications, and watering.

2.Conservation and Land Management TechniciansWildlife Habitat and Forest Restoration

• Trail Management: inspection and maintenance of the trail system throughout the park system
• Invasive Plant Removal: using herbicide, a chain saw, weed whip, and/or machete to manage invasive shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plant materials
• Prairie & Meadow Management: Preparing and managing fields using herbicide and/or mechanical means; collecting native seed for propagation and use in new prairie installations.
• Forest Management: Reforestation and landscape planting of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous understory material; monitoring for emerging invasive species and other possible management issues
• Ecological Research: creation, set up, monitoring, and reporting on research projects related to ongoing and/or future research projects, including data entry in MS Excel and ArcGIS FieldMaps.
• Volunteer Engagement: Serving as a site-leader for volunteer workdays on various land management and conservation-based projects related to the above.

3.Urban Forestry Technicians

• Tree Care - help the with brush chipping, roping down branches, and/or bucking up ground material, young tree pruning, watering, and fertilization
• Urban Forestry Management - Assist Urban Forestry Staff with tree inventories for the preparation of contracted preventive maintenance cycle; administrative work may include data entry in MS excel and/or ArcGIS
• Tree inventory: work alongside one of Park's certified arborists to collect tree data using Arc Collector.

All Part-time employees must:

• Follow safety procedures, maintain a safe environment/facility for staff and visitors, and recognize potential environmental and situational hazards.
• Provides general cleaning of park facilities and office areas.
• Demonstrates good organizational and administrative skills. Contacts staff and volunteers working on special events (email or phone calls), prepares any paperwork needed, and provides event statistics for monthly reports.
• Secures building and event facilities at the end of the workday and as needed during work hours.
• Assists with developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with community groups and other partnership organizations during the special event.
• Performs related duties as required.

Required Education and Experience
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Must be eighteen (18) years of age, a high school graduate, and have a valid driver's license.
DESIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Courses in the natural sciences, education or related area.
• Knowledge of local ecology, local culture, and natural history.
• Familiarity with various electronic software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., and social media platforms.
• Knowledge of or interest in parks and outdoor activities is preferred.
• Basic math skills
• Knowledge chain saw operation and herbicide application
• Knowledge of mapping with ArcGIS applications to collect and compile data
  Setup, monitoring, and reporting on research objectives
• Knowledge of plant identification of native versus invasive plants and common tree species
• Ability to drive a pickup truck in city traffic. Work sites may include streets, sidewalks, parkways, and community gateways.

This part-time position offers an exciting opportunity to be a key player in creating positive experiences for park visitors. If you are passionate about customer service and enjoy working in a dynamic outdoor environment, we encourage you to apply for this position.
Training Requirements
For some positions, employees must complete fifteen hours of training and/or pre-season orientation. Training topics may include, but are not limited to, CPR, First Aid, Back Safety, Fire Safety, Customer Service, Cultural Diversity, Sexual Harassment, Inclusion, and the Recreation Commission's Orientation for New and Returning Employees.
Working and Physical Conditions
Environmental Conditions:
Indoor and outdoor environments; exposure to office computer screens; work on slippery or uneven surfaces; work in or around water; exposure to poison flora, insects, or other animal diseases; exposure to extremes in weather conditions (all types of weather); exposure to human health issues; exposure to various chemicals (ex. water-quality testing chemicals); at times will work alone at parks and nature centers.
Physical Conditions:
Responsibilities and duties require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, standing, climbing, walking for prolonged periods of time; lead hikes over varied terrain, including steps and hills.
occasional light or moderate lifting and carrying required; occasionally required to use hands to finger, occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs.; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to distinguish colors, and the ability to adjust focus; must speak clearly and audibly
The below information is solely intended as a summary of the benefits available and is subject to change. Not all benefits listed are available for every position. Benefits can vary depending on applicable labor agreements and/or salary plan. For specific questions, contact the HR Contact indicated on the Job Posting.
The City of Cincinnati offers its employees competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefit package designed to actively attract and retain quality employees' to add additional value to the City of Cincinnati's workforce. A summary of these benefits for full-time employment is listed below. This is a general listing of benefits for all employees and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing for all bargaining units.
The City offers a variety of training programs, ranging from job-specific skills such as computer and equipment instruction, to helping supervisors improve their management techniques.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The City of Cincinnati is dedicated to providing equal employment without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, disability status, marital status, sexual orientation or transgendered status, or ethnic, national or Appalachian origin, or on the basis of any other category protected under federal, state and local laws.
Holidays
The City of Cincinnati has 11 paid holidays annually that include:
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Day
President's Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans' Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas
Health Insurance
The City of Cincinnati 80/20 offers 3 medical plans to all full time City of Cincinnati employees and eligible dependents: the 80/20 PPO medical plan, the HDHP medical plan with an HSA contribution, and a Health Reimbursement Arrangement for those enrolled on another non-city eligible group plan.
Eligible dependents include:
Legal Spouse or Equal Partner
Child (natural child, adopted child, and/or child who the group has determined is covered under a "Qualified Medical Child Support Order")
Step-child
Child for whom the employee or employee's spouse/equal partner is a legal guardian
Basic Life Insurance
A $50,000 Basic Life Insurance policy is paid for by the City for certain eligible employees. Full time employees not eligible for the City-paid basic life insurance policy are generally provided a similar benefit through their union group.
Supplemental Life, Long Term Disability, Accident & Critical Illness Insurance
Most full time City employees are eligible to participate in a supplemental life insurance program, a long term disability plan, and accident and critical illness insurance programs at their own expense. Premiums are determined by age, amount of coverage, and various additional factors.
Flexible Benefits Plans
Healthcare Flex Spending Account
City employees can participate in the Healthcare Flex Spending Account that can be used to pay out-of-pocket medical, prescription, dental, and vision care expenses for employees and family members.
Dependent Care Flex Spending Account
City employees can participate in a Dependent Care Flex Spending Account that can be used to pay work-related dependent care expenses. Participants can set aside money each year through pre-tax payroll deductions to pay for these expenses.
Transportation Expense Reimbursement Account
City employees can participate in a Transportation Expense Reimbursement Account (TERA) that can be used to reimburse expenses related to traveling to and from work. Participants can set-up a pre-tax payroll deduction up to an IRS regulated amount.
Healthy Lifestyles Program
City employees can voluntarily participate in a wellness incentive program that encourages and rewards employees and their spouses/equal partners for making positive choices for better health. The City of Cincinnati will contribute up to $300/year to a Health Reimbursement Account for each the employee and their spouse/equal partner for meeting specified program goals. These dollars can be used to offset qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Integrated Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
This is a voluntary program that serves as an alternative healthcare option to traditional medical plans. If you have alternate group health coverage available to you through a spouse, equal partner, another job, or a non-city retirement plan, you may be eligible for this plan which reimburses you for the difference in premiums between the plans and your covered out of pocket expenses on the other plan.
Retirement Plan
The City provides a defined benefit pension plan for part-time and full-timeemployees. New hires and re-hired employees are required to participate in the City of Cincinnati's Retirement System (CRS), regardless of previous participation in an Ohio State pension system or any another state or federal pension system. CRS is funded by employer and employee contributions, and investment returns from plan assets. CRS provides retirement and health care benefits subject to eligibility requirements. The following groups are excluded from participation in CRS: Mayor and Members of City Council; Sworn Police & Fire; Police Recruits; and Rehired Ohio Police & Fire Retirees.
Deferred Compensation
As an Ohio government employer, the City offers employees the ability to participate in a 457(b) tax-deferred retirement savings plan. The City makes an annual match to your 457(b) of up to $750, or as otherwise specified in applicable regulations and union contracts.
01
By completing this supplemental evaluation, you are attesting that the information you have provided is accurate. Any information you provide may be reviewed by the Human Resources staff and hiring department(s). Any misstatements or falsification of information may eliminate you from consideration or may result in dismissal. "See resume" is not an acceptable answer to the questions. The Human Resources staff will verify that you meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the job posting based on the information provided in your application and these answers. Please indicate you have read and agree with this information.

• Yes, I understand and agree.

02
In which area are you most interested in working?

• Horticulture
• Natural Resource Management
• Urban Forestry
• Krohn Conservatory
• Any

03
Do you have any horticultural experience?

• Yes
• No

04
Do you have experience identifying native vers