• Designs, develops, and maintains annual and perennial beds throughout the City, including planting, mulching, watering, fertilizing, weed control, trimming, and perennial cutbacks and pruning.
• Performs tasks to make sure areas are kept clean and an aesthetically pleasing manner around municipal buildings, Cityscapes, parks, sidewalks, and trails, playgrounds, and other spaces within the City infrastructure.
• Operates various vehicles, construction equipment, maintenance equipment, turf care equipment, assorted hand tools and power tools.
• Performs manual labor or operates equipment to repair and construct hardscapes planting, and removal of trees and shrubs and limb removal, digs and spreads landscape materials; loads dirt and construction materials.
• Detects and identifies pest infestations and applies herbicides, fungicides and pesticides.
• Performs and documents daily equipment inspections in accordance with departmental policy.
• Keeps daily work performance records and completed assignments and may act as lead person for small work crews, particularly in summer months.
• Maintains trucks, tools, and equipment, including washing, cleaning, and performing minor mechanical repairs.
• Attends safety meetings and seminars as required and promotes safety. Follows all City and departmental safety policies and procedures and obeys all traffic laws.
• Perform various types of snow removal equipment including but not limited to shovels, snow blowers, and plows for City owned parking lots/sidewalks, park trails, etc. as directed.
• Supports the City’s mission, goals, and objectives and demonstrates same by performing assigned work with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency.
• Performs related work as required.

Any combination of education and experience providing the required skill and knowledge is qualifying:

• High school diploma or equivalent and completion of an Associate’s degree in horticulture or related field.
• A minimum of six (6) months experience performing horticulture duties with 1-2 years of experience preferred. Additional years of experience beyond the minimum may be interchanged for the Associate’s degree at the rate of one year of additional experience for each year of the required education.
• Possession of a valid Iowa Driver's License or ability to obtain a valid Iowa Driver's License
• Valid Iowa Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL-B) for straight trucks over 26,000GVW, with endorsements for air brakes and tanker within six (6) months of employment.
• Pesticide Certification (Ornamental and Turf category) within six months of employment.

• Ability to take initiative and remain self-motivated to meet established deadlines for project completion.
• Ability to understand and carry out both oral and written instructions.
• Basic mathematical skills, ability to compute calculations for landscape materials and coverage.
• Ability to concentrate in diverse work setting and to make sound decisions and problem solve on-the-job.
• Ability to read, understand, implement and follow the accepted safe methods, practices, principals, materials and tools used in horticulture/landscaping of city owned properties and recreational parks/trails.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public.
• General knowledge in safe operation of tools and equipment.
• Knowledge of cultural requirements of ornamental plants and maintenance practices.
• Knowledge of plant diseases, pests and their control.
• General knowledge of tree and turf care
• General computer knowledge, including basic excel and word software.

This position fills under our Civil Service testing process. For this position it will consist of a written exam and an oral board interview. Those meeting minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in the written exam. Candidates will be notified via email following the closing of the job posting to self-schedule their written exam time slot. Be sure to apply with a valid email you check regularly and sign up for text message option for more communication options.

The top 15 applicants scoring 70% or better on the written exam will be invited to participate in the oral interviews. Applicants scoring 80% or higher on the interview will be placed on the certified list of candidates eligible for hire. The date, time and locations of the test(s) will be provided to applicants who meet the requirements. The certified list will be good for one (1) year. Any vacancies that come available within the one (1) year time frame could be selected for the Horticulture Technician position.

Tentative Timeline:
Written Exam: May 31 - June 2
Oral Interviews: week of June 5, 2023
Anticipated Start Date: week of July 3, 2023

Post-offer/pre-employment background /motor vehicle report check and drug test is required. The City of Urbandale is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Persons with disabilities must submit requests for ADA accommodations to the Human Resources Department, in writing, prior to the application deadline.