Career Opportunity

Gardener - Access to City Employment (ACE) (3417)

Recruitment: REF3212J

Published: August 23, 2023

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About:

The Access to City Employment Program (ACE) seeks to hire qualified individuals with a disability into permanent entry-level jobs outside the normal civil service selection process. To be hired through the ACE Program, individuals must meet the minimum qualifications of the job and provide a Certification of Disability from the California Department of Rehabilitation or a Veterans Preference Letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  

Role description

Definition: Under general supervision, performs routine maintenance and landscaping renovation tasks to care for athletic fields, squares, parks, playgrounds, stadiums, thoroughfares, medians and/or other landscaped areas.  Essential functions of this class include:  preparing soil by rototilling, spading and fertilizing; maintaining plants by planting, transplanting, cultivating, irrigating and pruning; identifying a large variety of plant material and their cultural requirements; identifying pests and diseases, performing techniques such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control or mitigate the pests and diseases; maintaining lawns by raking, edging, mowing, watering, weeding, aerating, fertilizing, and over seeding; maintaining grounds by clearing  brush and debris, sweeping and raking public activity areas, cleaning up litter and clearing drains; changing sprinkler heads when required; operating power and manual equipment and/or tools such as mowers, watering equipment, gopher traps, and other types of gardening equipment and/or tools; performing routine maintenance on landscaping equipment and/or tools to ensure they are in good working condition; performing general maintenance tasks on grounds and facilities to ensure clean and safe premises; and performing other job duties as required.

Distinguishing Features: The 3417 Gardener performs skilled, semi-skilled and manual labor work related to the routine maintenance and landscaping renovation of athletic fields, squares, parks, playgrounds, stadiums, thoroughfares, medians and/or other landscaped areas. The 3417 Gardener is distinguished from the 3422 Park Section Supervisor in that the latter is the entry-level supervisory class in the Agricultural and Horticulture series.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties: According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list. Prepares soil by rototilling, grading, spading, and fertilizing to promote plant growth and to prevent drainage problems.  Maintains plants by planting, transplanting, cultivating, irrigating and pruning to promote plant growth and to prevent plant deterioration. Identifies and destroys pests and diseases on plants and/or lawn areas by performing techniques such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control and/or mitigate the pests and diseases. Maintains lawn areas by raking, edging, mowing, watering, weeding, aerating, fertilizing, over seeding and/or other landscaping function(s) to promote lawn health and erosion control. Maintains grounds of athletic fields, squares, parks, playgrounds, stadiums, thoroughfares and/or other landscape areas by clearing brush and debris, sweeping and raking areas, cleaning up litter, clearing drains, and preventing hazardous conditions. Operates power and manual equipment and/or tools such as mowers, water equipment, gopher traps, and other types of gardening equipment and/or tools to assist in maintaining landscape areas. Performs routine maintenance on gardening equipment and/or tools to ensure they are maintained and in good working condition. Performs general maintenance duties on grounds and facilities such as athletic fields, sandboxes in parks, public easements, restroom facilities, irrigating systems, and other ground and facility areas to ensure clean and safe premises.  May be assigned to work with and/or direct the work of park volunteers.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of: practices, methods, and procedures used to identify erosion of soil, squares, parks, playgrounds, stadiums and other landscaped areas and the knowledge to perform corrective measures; knowledge of safety practices, methods and procedures (e.g., OSHA and other State regulations) used to ensure the safety of employees and the general public; knowledge and ability to perform landscaping procedures to maintain grounds and facility areas; knowledge to correctly identify and control insects, diseases and other pests that are harmful to plants and lawn areas; knowledge and ability to identify various species of plants and to care for the plants based on their cultural requirements; knowledge of irrigation principles which include the ability to operate and troubleshoot sprinklers, time clocks, detect leaks, and perform minor repairs as needed. Ability to: safely use and maintain gardening equipment and tools such as pruning shears, rototillers, spades, rakes, power chain saws, chippers, mowers, hand and power edgers, wheelbarrows, hoes and other gardening equipment and/or tools; safely lift, carry or move large plants in containers, fertilizer, hoses, power tools and equipment, ladders, debris and other gardening equipment and products as needed; communicate written information in a clear, concise and understandable manner to staff, departmental personnel and the general public; communicate effectively and courteously with staff, other departmental personnel, and the general public as well as understand and correctly follow instructions; establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships and effectively work with staff, departmental personnel and the general public; maintain a valid driver’s license in order to drive a motor vehicle.
 

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How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications: These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.  Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Experience: Three years of verified experience in the care, construction or maintenance of landscaped areas by planting, weeding, fertilizing, irrigating, pruning, and controlling pests in the following areas: sports and athletic natural turf fields, golf courses, parks, ornamental gardens, arboreta, greenhouses, nurseries, botanical gardens and/or public landscaped areas; OR 

Possession of a Certificate of Achievement from an accredited college or university in horticulture, landscaping, gardening, nursery and garden center operation, commercial cut flower and greenhouse production or related field and two years of verifiable experience in the care, construction or maintenance of landscaped areas by planting, weeding, fertilizing, irrigating, pruning, and controlling pests in the following areas: sports and athletic natural turf fields, golf courses, parks, ornamental gardens, arboreta, greenhouses, nurseries, botanical gardens and/or public landscaped areas; OR 

Possession of an Associate of Arts or Science degree from an accredited college or university in horticulture, landscaping, gardening, nursery and garden center operation, commercial cut flower and greenhouse production or related field and 18 months of verifiable experience in the care, construction or maintenance of landscaped areas by planting, weeding, fertilizing, irrigating, pruning, and controlling pests in the following areas: sports and athletic natural turf fields, golf courses, parks, ornamental gardens, arboreta, greenhouses, nurseries, botanical gardens and/or public landscaped areas; OR 

Completion of 3,000 hours of the City and County of San Francisco's gardener apprenticeship program.

License and Certification: Requires possession of a valid California driver's license. 

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What else should I know?

Notes: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NOTE: The nature of the work may require exposure to inclement weather conditions and may require exposure to infectious and/or hazardous materials and/or conditions. All positions require driving. Some positions may require riding mowers and driving small utility vehicles. Some positions may require weekend or shift work. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The 3417 Gardener requires the ability to safely and correctly lift, drag and/or move with assistance large and/or heavy plants and equipment to truck bed level and the ability to kneel, bend and squat for considerable periods of time. The probationary period will be used to evaluate these abilities. PROMOTIVE LINES To: 3422 Park Section Supervisor From: 3410 Apprentice Gardener ORIGINATION DATE: 04/18/1983 AMENDED DATE: 07/21/10, 12/5/11, 10/10/18 REASON FOR AMENDMENT: To accurately reflect the current tasks, knowledge, skills & abilities, and minimum qualifications. BUSINESS UNIT(S): COMMN SFCCD SFMTA SFUSD

Conviction History: As a selected candidate for a job, you will be fingerprinted, and your fingerprints will be sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history (if any) will be used to determine whether the nature of your conviction (or arrest, in limited circumstances) conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you are a selected candidate. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances, such as: Candidates for positions with the Unified School District and the Community College District may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under the California Education Code. Candidates for positions with the Recreation and Park Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164. Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with the City. If you are a selected candidate, the hiring department will contact you to schedule a fingerprinting appointment.

Disaster Service Workers: All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

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The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.