Career Opportunity

Park Section Supervisor - Reforestation Pre-Apprenticeship Program - Rec and Parks (3422 PEX)

Recruitment: RTF0147841-01119538

Published: July 11, 2024

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Application Opening: Thursday, July 11, 2024
Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Contact: For questions about this position or how to apply, please contact Antonio Archuleta at antonio.archuleta@sfgov.org

Appointment Type:  Full time, Permanent Exempt appointment (limited to 3 years). This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America.  San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park.  Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

About The Reforestation Pre-Apprenticeship Program
This program aims to develop and implement a plan for the reforestation of tree canopies in southeast San Francisco parks. This program will also serve as career pathway to the Rec and Park's Apprenticeship program. The pre-apprenticeship program is designed to develop general landscape maintenance skills including tree maintenance, green infrastructure maintenance, natural resource management, and native plant community stewardship.

Role description

Essential Duties
Under direction, this Park Section Supervisor will supervise a staff of 1 Gardener and 6 - 8 Pre-Apprentices engaged in the reforestation and general landscape maintenance of parks in southeast San Francisco. Essential duties include:

1. Supervises the work of gardeners and pre-apprentices in the methods to maintain and care for parks, easements, center islands, other planted and landscaped areas, including irrigation, plant propagation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), weed management, site cleanup, homeless encampment cleanup, sod installation, pruning, mowing and general horticultural maintenance; learning, understanding and conveying the necessity of protecting natural areas;
2. Recommends the use of new products and equipment, orders plants and estimates the cost of jobs for landscapes, as well as for recreation facilities; selects plant stock and supplies, and fills orders for plant stock and supplies; uses a computerized work order system to initiate, track and close jobs; completes purchase orders and reviews subsequent invoices, as well as balances the related budget;
3. Ensures safe work practices by directing staff to wear personal protective equipment, conducting accident investigations, and instructing on the proper use of tools, equipment and IPM; and provides information on employee and public safety related to unsafe working conditions;
4. Obtains, posts, and keeps track of permits required for program implementation; and reports on and posts public notices when using pesticides on City property;
5. Plans and implements landscaping and planting projects, develops related maintenance standards, and maintains landscaped and planted areas; assesses the need for tree removal, replanting and reforestation; and performs landscaping tasks, such as pruning, irrigation inspection and maintenance, IPM, fertilizing and planting shrubs and trees.
6. Communicates verbally and in writing with Park Services Managers, as well as with community groups, volunteers, advisory committees, commissions, and other city departments; drafts memos and letters, and writes incident reports; prepares educational materials and makes presentations related to park maintenance and conservation; and acts as liaison among departments by attending meetings and representing the Department at special events and hearings, and committees; submits timesheets and performance evaluations in a timely manner;
7. Assists with record keeping and tracking metrics necessary to meet United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant requirements; Attends meetings with USDA regatrding grant administation and reporting as neccessary;
8. Performs or supervises approved maintenance and/or minor repairs to facilities and equipment;
9. Operates a City vehicle to gain access to work or work-related sites among various areas; and
10. Performs related duties as assigned.

Working Conditions
The nature of the work may require considerable physical effort with occasional exposure to inclement weather conditions and may require exposure to hazardous conditions and/or materials which may include feces and/or urine, used syringes, etc. Some positions may require driving. Some positions may require riding mowers and driving small utility vehicles. Some positions may require weekend or shift work.

How to qualify

1. Three years of verifiable work 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 and six (6) months of experience as a supervisor; OR
2. 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 (2) years of verifiable work 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; and six (6) months of experience as a supervisor; OR
3. 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 eighteen (18) months of verifiable work 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; and six (6) months of experience as a supervisor; OR
4. Completion of the City and County of San Francisco’s gardener apprenticeship program (4,000 hours) and six (6) months of experience as a supervisor.

Substitution: Two (2) years of additional qualifying experience may substitute for the six (6) months supervisory experience.

AND

License and Certification: Requires possession of a valid California Class 'C' Driver's License.

Some positions may require an Agricultural Pest Control Advisor License: in the following pest control categories: (A) Insects, Mites and Other Invertebrates (Plant), (B) Plant Pathogens (C) Nematodes (D) Vertebrate Pests, (E) Weed Control; and (G) Plant Growth Regulators.

Some positions may require a Qualified Applicator Certificate in the following pest control categories: (A) Residential, Industrial, and Institutional, (B) Landscape Maintenance, (C) Right-of-Way, (E) Forest, and (F) Aquatic.

Verification of Experience and Education
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications. 

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification from this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

What else should I know?

Selection Process
Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be used to determine candidates' qualifications.  Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to move forward in the selection process.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@careers.sf.gov that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

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.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1 and Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this announcement and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. 

Race and Social Equity Statement
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all.  With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department’s goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.  

We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations.  With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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.

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.