What You'll Be Doing

Do you want a career where your skills and passion will make a direct impact in the local community and in conservation? We’re looking for a Park Technician to support the Open Space program with coordinating and implementing a wide variety of maintenance and operations functions at a high standard. The selected candidate will perform open space property evaluations including data collection using ArcGIS to document boundary signage needs and assess site conditions and will conduct inventories and data entry on local flora and fauna Park Technicians are also the first point of contact in providing a safe, enjoyable experience at the nature preserves through daily operational tasks, visitor services, natural resource stewardship, and nature-based . Successful candidates will strive to foster external and internal partnerships. Frequent maintenance tasks include trail maintenance, hazard reduction, custodial functions, small construction projects and preventative maintenance on equipment and utility vehicles.

Essential Functions:

• Promote daily operations and maintenance at three nature preserves including opening and closing procedures visitor assistance, rule enforcement, emergency response and, at times, may manage the operation of the preserves
• Supervise temporary part-time staff and volunteers
• Conduct open space site evaluations: monitor for trespassing, inventory flora and fauna, address encroachment, implement land stewardship and mark boundaries
• Land management: monitor and control invasive species, maintain a variety of habitats with prescribed fire and mechanical disturbance, coordinate and monitor native plantings and restoration efforts
• Implement natural and cultural management plan recommendations.
  Create content and communicate with visitors over website, social media and email
• Support and occasionally lead educational programming and workdays for preserve visitors and volunteers

Office location will be at the Wake County Office Park at 4028 Carya Drive, with a proposed future office in eastern Wake County. Wake County trucks are provided for work in preserves and open space. Most shifts are Monday through Friday 7:30 am – 3:30 pm, with rotating weekends and holidays, and includes 8-hour shifts covering opening or closing duties during preserve hours (around 5-10 times each month). Closing shift end time changes with sunset (earliest in winter 5:30 pm, latest in summer 9:30 pm).

This position is based at the Wake County Ag Services Building (4001 Carya Drive, Raleigh) (but works frequently throughout the County). Note: Future office may be in eastern Wake County. Wake County fleet vehicles are provided for work in preserves and open space.

About Our Team

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Division (we like to call ourselves PROS) is a talented team devoted to ensuring our parks are accessible and welcoming. We offer preservation, education, and recreation opportunities across our nine parks and three nature preserves (and GROWING!) 361 days a year. Our parks have never been more popular! We serve almost 2 million visitors annually and plan to open additional facilities in the future. Our community loves our parks (and so do we!). See for yourself at wake.gov/parks. Our Mission: PROS preserves open space, promotes stewardship, and provides equitable and inclusive education and outdoor recreation for a diverse and growing community. The three nature preserves are open space properties opened for public enjoyment. The first preserve to open was Robertson Millpond Preserve in 2015, Turnipseed Nature Preserve opened in 2018, and Sandy Pines Preserve opened in 2021. These preserves are minimally developed with gravel roads and parking lots, picnic tables and ADA access to trails. Robertson Millpond Preserve is an 85-acre preserve featuring a one-mile paddling trail with both grassy and ADA dock launch sites, picnic tables, historic landmark with educational panels, and a 0.25 mile walking path / boardwalk with fishing access and nature educational panels. Turnipseed Nature Preserve is a 265-acre preserve with 2-4 miles of walking trails through a variety of unique habitats, picnic tables, open grassy playfield, wildlife viewing platform with binoculars, and a picturesque pedestrian bridge over a floodplain with benches. Sandy Pines Preserve, at 563 acres, is the largest single tract of land owned by Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space with 6.5 miles of walking and equestrian trails, pull-through trailer parking, mounting blocks, and picnic tables. https://www.wake.gov/departments-government/parks-recreation-and-open-space/open-space-greenways

The Basics (Required Education and Experience)

• High school diploma or GED
• One year of experience working in a park setting, providing educational programming, maintaining facilities or landscaping
• Valid Driver's License and "safe" driving record
• CPR certification within one year of employment
• Equivalent education and experience are accepted

Please include ALL prior work experience on your application and resume.

Beyond the Basics (Preferred Education and Experience)

• Four-year degree in parks, recreation, natural resources, or related field
• Experience in parks, preserves, or related facilities
• Experience engaging with diverse groups as visitors, employees, and partners
• Experience in one or more of the following: forestry, prescribed fire, species survey and management, rare species and rare habitat management, natural resource plan implementation, agricultural lease management, easement monitoring, boundary marking, historic or cultural resource management, volunteer management and environmental education
• CPR and First Aid Certification and NC Pesticide license preferred; however, both attainable upon employment

How Will We Know You're 'The One'?

• Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic environment to meet the needs and be welcoming of all visitors
• Exemplary customer service skills and commitment to visitor engagement, and ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers and partners
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with culturally diverse audiences
• Self-motivated with the ability to work with limited supervision
• Ability to supervise temporary part-time staff and volunteers as needed
• Ability to safely and effectively operate various types of equipment
• A love for working outdoors in a variety of field conditions