Park Specialist - Trails

Park Specialist - Trails

Salary

$37.75 Hourly

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26- Park Specialist- Trails

Department

Parks & Recreation

Opening Date

07/31/2026

Closing Date

8/24/2026 4:30 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Local 1937

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Nature of Work

Join our team as a Park Specialist - Trails and help shape exceptional outdoor experiences, where you will lead in the planning, maintenance, and enhancement of trails, greenways, natural areas, and wetland mitigation sites. In this dynamic role, youll guide staff, manage equipment and resources, and drive improvements that keep our public spaces thriving. If you're energized by stewardship, organization, and hands-on leadership, this is your chance to make a lasting impact.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Trails Park Specialist plans, schedules, establishes performance standards, monitors and implements all work activities in the Trails program which includes trails and greenways, open space natural areas and wetland mitigation. This includes maintaining inventory of all Trails program areas and their needs, providing technical direction and training to staff, providing input on budgetary requirements, recommending new construction and renovation, and developing and implementing an integrated pest management program for area of responsibility. Responsible for the selection, care, operation and replacement of all equipment for the program area. Oversees all staff assigned to program area and provides input on performance evaluations. Participates in the hiring of seasonal employees, subject to supervisor approval. Tracks and orders materials, equipment and supplies for program area, including price and product evaluation as well as bid packet creation and evaluation.

For more information, please review the full Job Description.

WHY JOIN OUR TEAM?

Joining the City of Bellingham means becoming a part of a team that believes our greatest impact comes from working together with purpose, humility and a shared commitment to our community. Every employee contributes to delivering meaningful results for the people who live, work and visit here. We value people who approach challenges with curiosity, respect and collaboration. If you are motivated by building a career in public service, we encourage you to apply.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

This position will start at Step 1 ($37.75/hour). Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 Collective Bargaining Agreement and City policy. The full hourly range for this position is $37.75 - $49.24. For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here's a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page and labor agreements page.

• 10 hours of vacation leave per month, with increased accrual over time
• 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year
• 8 hours sick leave accrued monthly
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families
• Life insurance and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security
• Optional 457 deferred compensation (Retirement Savings Plan) with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Closing Date/Time: Fri. 08/24/26 8:30 AM Pacific Time

Experience and Training

• Three years' experience in grounds care, forestry, vegetation control, trail maintenance or trail construction;
• One year of vocational school or related coursework in horticulture/grounds/turf care may substitute for one year of required experience;
• Knowledge of all facets of park trails and grounds care for the local ecology;
• One year lead worker experience preferred.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.
• Employment contingent upon passing criminal convictions check and child and adult abuse records check (See fair hiring practices);
• Valid Washington State driver's license by the time of hire and good driving record. A three-year driving abstract must be submitted prior to hire;
• Ability to secure a Commercial Driver's License within six months of hire and to maintain a valid CDL during length of employment. Must pass CDL-related drug and alcohol testing throughout term of employment;
• Ability to secure and maintain a Washington State Pesticide License within 12 months;
• Ability to secure and maintain a valid First Aid and CPR certification within six months of hire;
• Must secure and maintain a Flagging/Traffic Control Certification within 12 months of hire.

Selection Process

You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City's commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

Application Review Process:

• Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must provide specific, detailed information so an initial determination can be made regarding your level of qualifications for this position. Applicant status will be updated on or around August 28, 2026.
• Experience and Training Rating: Applicants that meet minimum qualifications will go through an Experience and Training Rating. Applicant status will be updated on or around September 9, 2026.
• The top eight (8) scoring applicants from the Experience and Training Rating will be invited to participate in an Oral Board Interview, tentatively scheduled for September 17, 2026. Applicants must have a passing score of 60% or higher to be placed on the eligibility register.
• Applicants will be notified via email of Final Scores & Ranks. The final ranking of the register will be based on total scores for the following Experience and Training Rating (30%) and Oral Board Interview (70%).

Final candidates will be referred to the department for additional examination, assessment, or test.

This recruitment process will create a Civil Service eligibility register that will be used to fill current and future vacancies as they become available. There is currently 1 full-time vacancy in Parks - Trails. This position is represented by a union.

If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity:

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individuals race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

• The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.
• The City will not inquire about an applicants criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.
• The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.
• The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section for additional information.

This position is represented by The Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 bargaining unit. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the Local 1937 labor agreement.

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website for more information on PERS.

Civil Service Information

This position is subject to the Bellingham Civil Service Commission. When a vacancy occurs, the top fifteen candidates or the top 25% of the register will be forwarded to the department for further consideration. All new Civil Service employees are subject to a one-year probationary period. A candidate may challenge the scope, content, or method of an examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days following the date of the challenged examination. A candidate may also challenge the scoring of an examination or test, failure of the candidate on any part of an examination, or clerical error in examination results of any examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days of notification of the challenged result. The Examiner shall consider all timely filed protests and make appropriate corrections if an error is demonstrated.

Veterans Scoring Criteria

Applicants who have been honorably discharged from active military duty may be eligible to receive veterans scoring criteria points as provided by Washington State Law (RCW 41.04.010). If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have or are you willing to obtain a Washington State drivers license and provide a 3-year driving history prior to hire?

• Yes
• No

03

Are you willing and able to secure and maintain the following within the required timeframes? -Ability to secure a Commercial Driver's License within six months of hire and to maintain a valid CDL during length of employment. Must pass CDL-related drug and alcohol testing throughout term of employment. - Ability to secure and maintain a Washington State Pesticide License within 12 months. - Ability to secure and maintain a valid First Aid and CPR certification within six months of hire. - Must secure and maintain a Flagging/Traffic Control Certification within 12 months of hire.

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have three years' experience in grounds care, forestry, vegetation control, trail maintenance or trail construction? One year of vocational school or related coursework in horticulture/grounds/turf care may substitute for one year of required experience.

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we'll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

• Yes
• No

05

If you are substituting one year of vocational school or related coursework in horticulture/grounds/turf care, please describe in detail below.

06

Please describe your knowledge of park trails and grounds care for the local ecology. Include a specific example of how you have applied this knowledge in trail maintenance or trail construction.

07

Please describe your lead or supervisory experience. (Note: This is preferred, not required.)

08

This position requires working with diverse groups, including the public. Please provide and example where you had to diffuse and resolve a confrontational situation.

09

If you are requesting Veterans Preference points, a completed Veterans Scoring Criteria Status Declaration is required along with a copy of your DD214. The required form is in the Selections Process section of the Job Posting. Check "YES" here if you are attaching a Veterans Declaration form and DD214.

• Yes
• No

10

Please describe your experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting a variety of equipment and machinery. In your response, include any experience with tools or equipment related to trail construction and maintenance, natural area and greenway management, vegetation control, or other specialized machines used in outdoor park operations.

Required Question

Employer City of Bellingham

Address 104 West Magnolia Street

Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone 360-778-8220

Website http://www.cob.org/employment