Salary: $17.50 - $19.50 HourlyLocation : Grand Junction, COJob Type: SeasonalJob Number: 202401643Department: Parks and RecreationOpening Date: 01/01/2025Closing Date: ContinuousDescriptionHorticulturist Worker (Seasonal)Hiring Range: $17.50 - $19.50 per hourAbout the Position:The City of Grand Junction is accepting applications for a parks horticulturist to help implement our landscape renovations, our greenhouse program and maintain landscapes city wide. This is an exciting opportunity to join our rapidly growing parks maintenance team. These landscapes are part of our larger parks system of 121 acres of Horticulture areas, 350 acres of developed parks, 111 acres of cemetery, 55 acres of school grounds, and more than 598 acres of open space.About Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department:We manage 36 developed parks, 900+ acres of open space, 21 miles of trails, hundreds of acres of landscape beds, and we are growing! Many of our developed parks offer year-round access to restrooms and shelters to park patrons. Join a dynamic team who helps create the experiences for the visitors of our parks system. About Our Culture:At the City of Grand Junction, we lead the way with continuous improvement, collaborative partnerships, and exemplary service. Our core values are demonstrated by our willingness to challenge the status quo, ability to work together using all areas of expertise to achieve a common goal, and our commitment to fulfilling the needs of our community through thoughtful interactions. Any role you select to be a part of in our system, you will be exposed to everything our parks department offers and the services we provide to our community. Duties What You'll Do:
- Maintain city landscapes including medians, right of ways, gardens, annual beds, hardscapes, perennials, and shrub plantings.
- Apply and record the needed chemical applications including herbicides, PGR's, bio controls, pesticides, algaecides, rodenticides, insecticides, and fertilizer.
- Assist with Watering, pruning, seeding, weeding, propagating, fertilizing and maintaining plants grown for city landscapes.
- Assist in keeping the cleanliness of the downtown corridor. This includes trash removal, power washing, graffiti removal, snow removal, fountain cleaning, and other duties as assigned.
- Equipment operation including skid loaders, backhoes, street sweepers, tractors, hedge trimmers and other small engine equipment such as mowers and string trimmers.
- Updating, improving, and renovating properties assigned by the Horticulture crew leader.
Qualifications This position is a safety sensitive position, which means you will be subject to random drug screens due to the nature of the work performed. What We're Looking For:
- Must be 18 years or older.
- Applicants must be able to successfully pass a drug screen, background check, and, if required for the specific position, a physical examination.
- Ability to maintain a great work ethic while working outside all day.
- Experience with yard maintenance tools and equipment is great, but we will train.
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Colorado driver license.
- High school diploma or G.E.D. Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.
Notice to Applicants:In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, we kindly request that you do not include the dates of your education to include years of attendance or graduation on your application, resume or attachments. Supplemental InformationGrand Junction, Colorado is the gateway to the mountains and canyonlands of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Centrally located between Denver, CO (250 miles east) and Salt Lake City, UT (270 miles west), Grand Junction is surrounded by 1.2 million acres of public land. Residents enjoy world-class whitewater rafting on the Colorado and Green Rivers, golfing, fishing, skiing and snowboarding, and exploring mountain bike and hiking trails through the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa National Forest. Grand Junction has a robust downtown and hosts multiple art, music, food, and market events annually. With a population of over 150,000 in Mesa County (65,000 within the City limits) we have many of the big town amenities without the big town stresses such as traffic and trail congestion. With an average of 245 days of sunshine, Grand Junction is the perfect place to work and play. Learn more about our area on Visit Grand Junction's website and Instagram! At the City of Grand Junction, we proudly operate as an Equal Opportunity Employer, purposely building an inclusive workforce representative of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We believe in respect for all and do not discriminate based on hair, race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. If you have any questions or need assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please contact our Human Resources office at 970.###.####.In addition to their paychecks, seasonal employees of the City of Grand Junction receive the following benefits: Paid Sick Time: Employees accrue Paid Sick Time at the rate of one (1) hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year. Accrual begins on the employee's date of hire. Paid Sick Time may be used for reasons related to mental or physical illness, injury, or health conditions. Unused Sick Time will be paid out upon separation of employment. Parks & Recreation Benefits: Seasonal employees are eligible for Aquatics benefits if they work an average of 10 hours per week. Employees and their immediate family members may purchase a $25 annual Aquatics pass for use of the Lincoln Park-Moyer Pool and Orchard Mesa Pool. Paid Time Off: Seasonal employees working more than 1040 hours in the previous season accrue eight (8) hours of PTO at the beginning of their second season and accrue eight (8) additional hours with each season worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours. Balances do not carry over from year to year and, if not used, will be paid to the employee at the end of the season.Employee Assistance Program: Confidential, short-term counseling and referral system for employees.457 Deferred Compensation Retirement Savings Account: Seasonal employees who work over 1040 hours per year are eligible to participate in this tax deferred retirement savings plan. Grand Junction Federal Credit Union: Offers checking and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, etc. Call them at (970) ###-#### or visit them at 633 24 Road, Grand Junction, CO 8150. Health Club: Crossroads Fitness Center offers City employees and their family members corporate club rates.An Award-Winning Wellness Incentive Program: A program developed by the Wellness Committee to incentivize financial, physical, and mental health, an opportunity to earn savings on health insurance premiums, departmental wellness challenges and more!Health Insurance: Part-time seasonal employees are not eligible for City paid health insurance but may be eligible for health care coverage through the Affordable Health Care Act. You can find more information regarding these plans by going to
