Horticulturist - Harris County (TX) : Job Details

Position Description

Precinct One's Mission

Precinct One's mission is that we are committed to become a national model for delivering responsive public service utilizing inclusive, innovative, and collaborative approaches to improve the quality of life, advance equality of opportunity, and promote the fair treatment of all people in Harris County.

What you will do at Precinct One

Harris County - Commissioner Precinct One has several opportunities for an Horticulturist!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

* The successful candidate will design, install, and maintain landscapes and gardenscapes throughout Harris County - Precinct One's Parks, Community Centers, and Courthouses.

* You will conduct soil analysis, adding soil amendments, till and grade soil to prepare for landscapes and seasonal planting; assist with digging trenches, installing drainage and irrigation, and make repairs to gravel walkways.

* You will also, install trees, shrubs, and flowers in designated garden areas and maintain equipment and tools.

* Other duties as assigned.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) ###-#### or email [email protected].

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements

What you will bring to Precinct One

Education:

* High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent

Experience:

* Horticulturist I - One (1) year of related experience

* Horticulturist II- Three (3) years of related experience

* Horticulturist III - Five (5) years of related experience

* Proficiency in Microsoft software applications which could include Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point and Share Point

Licensure:

* Commercial Driver's License Class A or B within given time frame

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

* Knowledge of landscape design and plant cultivation, integrated pest management, soil amendments and fertilizers

* Knowledge of native plants

* Knowledge of operating landscaping equipment

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. See Resume will not be accepted for qualifications.

General Information

Position Type:

* Full-time | Regular

* As an essential employee, you will also provide assistance during emergency events (i.e., flooding, ice storm, etc.).

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

* Position involves stooping, bending, pushing, pulling, walking, standing, climbing, driving, and lifting up to 60 pounds

* Indoor and outdoor work in all environments, including inclement weather

* Individuals may be exposed to heat, cold, loud noise, and dust

What you get in return

You will be surrounded by coworkers who bring their best to work each day. Passionate people who want to make a difference in the communities Precinct One serves along with Harris County as a whole.

Harris County employees receive a competitive salary plus medical, dental, and vision insurance at no cost to the employee after the first two months of full-time continued employment. Vacation, sick time, and floating holidays allow our employees to recharge and balance work and personal time. Mandatory participation in our retirement program allows employees to save for retirement. Various other benefits and discounts lead to the satisfaction and engagement of our employees.

About the Parks Division

The Park Subdivision's mission is to enrich the lives of the residents of Harris County by inspiring visitors to learn, play, and connect by creating diverse programs and experiences in public places that are, safe, welcoming, and natural.

About Precinct One

There are four precincts in Harris County. The four elected commissioners, along with an elected county judge, serve as members of Harris County Commissioners Court, the administrative head of the county's government.

With approximately 1.1 million residents, Harris County Precinct One is a diverse, urban precinct that covers 363 square miles. Precinct One's multi-racial, multi-ethnic population is roughly 39 percent African American, 37 percent Latino, 18 percent Anglo, 5 percent Asian and 1 percent other.

Precinct One, which includes 991 miles of road, stretches south to Brazoria County and reaches into eastern and northern sections of Harris County. The Precinct's territory includes a large section of Downtown Houston, including the Downtown Harris County Courthouse Complex, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park and the BBVA Compass Stadium. Other notable landmarks include the 263-acre NRG Park Complex, the renowned Texas Medical Center, Rice University, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston's main and downtown campuses and the University of St. Thomas. Precinct One is home to more than 20 county parks, 11 community centers, numerous hike-and-bike trails, three maintenance service centers and several area offices, all of which provide an array of services to Precinct One residents.

Featured Benefits:

Harris County employees receive a competitive salary plus medical, dental, and vision insurance at no cost to the employee after the first two months of full-time continuous employment. Vacation, sick time, and floating holidays allow our employees to recharge and balance work and personal time. Mandatory participation in our retirement program will enable employees to save for retirement. Various other benefits and discounts lead to the satisfaction and engagement of our employees.

How to apply

If this job sounds interesting, you meet the required qualifications and you can see yourself working for Precinct One, we invite you to apply at

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

BENEFITS

Harris County offers a competitive benefits program, including comprehensive group health and related benefits plan as well as defined benefit retirement plan.

The following list of benefits is offered only to employees in regular (full-time) positions:

* Medical Coverage

* Dental Coverage

* Vision Coverage

* Wellness Plan

* Life Insurance

* Long-term disability

* Employee Assistance Program

* Ten (10) days of vacation each year for the first five (5) years of service

* Accrual rates increase based on years of service

* Eleven (11) County-observed holidays and one (1) floating holiday

* Professional development opportunities

* Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan

* Healthcare Reimbursement Account

* 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are also available to regular (full-time) employment and may be available to part-time employees:

* Retirement Pension (TCDRS)

* Flexible schedule (varies by department)

* Transportation Assistance (Metro RideSponsor Program)

In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, Group Health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.

For plan details, visit the Harris County benefits website:

01

Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?

* High School or GED diploma

* Associate Degree

* Bachelor's Degree

* Master's Degree or higher

* None of the above

02

Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience in horticulture? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

* Less than one (1) year

* One (1) year or more but less than two (2) years

* Two (2) years or more but less than three (3) years

* Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years

* Four (4) years or more but less than five (5) years

* Five (5) years or more

* I do not have this experience

03

Please provide details about your verifiable experience in horticulture. * Do not use See Resume , as we do not use resumes to assess qualifications.* (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) Include your (a) role(s), (b) types of organizations, (c) scope of duties and responsibilities. If you do not have this experience, please type None in the space provided.

04

Which of the following describes your level of proficiency using a personal computer and common office software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Please select your level of proficiency based on the following descriptions: Advanced: A person with this level of skills is able to produce very large, complex formal documents that require a table of contents, footnotes, endnotes, bookmarks, and other special elements; a wide range of graphic effects, and use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data. Has full mastery of Macro commands and skills to tie the objects together into a cohesive system by using Macros and Visual Basic for Applications code. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Intermediate: A person with this level of skills is able to customize toolbars, import and insert graphs, embed Excel data, and elaborate reports. Understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Able to use complex query techniques, create efficient forms and reports, and create Macros to automate these forms. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Basic: A person with this level of skills is able to use basic formatting, editing, printing functions, and understands the document page setup. Has the ability to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Understands the different database concepts and structures and is familiar with data validation and is able to create a simple presentation in PowerPoint, run it, and print it. Entry Level: A person with this level of skills has the ability to open, create, save and modify documents in Word, send and receive email in Outlook and create spreadsheets in Excel. Format documents for printing, comfortable using the printer menu to preview documents. Has ability to change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check.

* Advanced

* Intermediate

* Basic

* Entry Level

* Not proficient

05

For this position, a valid Commercial Driver's License is necessary. Please choose the option that best describes your situation: Do you meet the above requirement? (Please be sure to include all related details in the Certificates and Licenses section of your application.)

* Yes, I have a valid Texas Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Class B

* Yes, I have a valid Texas Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Class A

* No, I do not currently have a Commercial Driver's License, but I commit to obtaining one within 3 months of employment.

* No, I do not have a valid Texas Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Class B or Class A

Required Question

Agency Harris County

Address 1111 Fannin St

Ste. 600

Houston, Texas, 77002

Phone 713-###-####

Website