Parks Laborer

Parks Laborer

Salary

$23.12 - $29.94 Hourly

Location

540 West Hills Circle, MN

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

Laborer 06 2026

Department

Park Maintenance

Division

Park Trails & Natural Resources

Opening Date

06/23/2026

Closing Date

7/13/2026 12:00 PM Central

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

IUOE

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

Starting rate of pay: $23.12/hour

Typical Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 7am-3pm

THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE:

The City of Owatonna is a growing community strategically placed at the crossroads of I-35 and two major US highways, approximately one hour south of the Twin Cities metro area. The community has a commitment to growth, access to services, and quality of life for its 25,000 residents.

Click the link below to learn more about the community this position would have the opportunity to be part of and serve.

ABOUT THE PARK MAINTENANCE DIVISION:

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE:

We believe a great community needs great spaces and places to connect and enjoy.

The Park Maintenance Department creates a better tomorrow by maintaining safe and accessible parks and trails to enhance the quality of life in our community.

As an organization, our Purpose is to create a better tomorrow. We are guided in that work by our organizations 3 Core Values: Better Together, Community Stewardship, and Pride in Our Work.

In our department, the City's values look and sound like . . .

BETTER TOGETHER:

• Utilizing individual strengths, skills, abilities, and backgrounds while learning from one another
• Acting as a team player - we carry our weight, support other team members, and look out for one another (both our coworkers and other departments)
• Working toward shared goals
• Embracing feedback as an opportunity for growth
• Praising coworkers for a job well done

COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP:

• Providing a professional and approachable resource for the community
• Listening to community input and responding appropriately and in a timely manner
• Putting in the extra effort to maintain parks and trails that outshine other communities
• Taking care of equipment like it is our own
• Working with other organizations, building relationships, implementing continuous process improvements, and celebrating the resulting efficiencies

PRIDE IN OUR WORK:

• Paying attention to the little things
• Holding ourselves to a high standard-we clean sidewalks fully and trails edge to edge
• Providing outdoor facilities that are accessible and serve ALL in the community
• Taking satisfaction in the public's utilization and enjoyment of our city parks, trails, and facilities
• Celebrating our hard work

Duties / Responsibilities

WHAT YOULL DO:

The first level of the Maintenance Series is responsible for performing a variety of defined, unskilled laboring tasks associated with routine maintenance activities. Responsibilities may include: operating equipment (e.g., dump truck, plow, chainsaws, mowers etc.) and performing defined preventative maintenance as scheduled.

Specifically as the Parks Laborer you will...

• Performs routine preventive maintenance on applicable facilities, tools, and equipment.
• Performs grounds maintenance activities related to parks, athletic fields and landscaped areas, which includes: mowing; trimming; spraying for weeds; filling and leveling areas; raking weeds and rocks; removing snow from walkways, flooding ice rinks; spreading ice melt; sanding roads; light construction; and/or, performing other related activities.
• Operates and maintains a variety of vehicles and equipment; notifies appropriate individuals of required maintenance or repairs.
• Maintains various types of athletic fields, buildings, structures, and other city property and prepares them for use prior to events; duties include opening and closing, unlocking, locking, dragging, striping, watering, mowing, trash removal, cleaning of bleachers, cleaning of dugouts, basic maintenance, weeding around fences, and/or performing other related activities.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Qualifications

ABOUT YOU:

A successful candidate will have some or all of the following ...

High school diploma or GED or, an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

Licensing in:

• Valid Drivers License;
• Parks- Applicators License - Herbicides, Pesticides, and Mosquito License or obtain within 2 years of hire.

Knowledge of:

• Basic maintenance principles;
• Herbicide and pesticide techniques;
• General maintenance concepts;
• Basic mathematical concepts;
• Applicable tools and equipment;
• Safe working practices.

Skill in:

• Performing manual labor;
• Basic preventative maintenance;
• Herbicide and pesticide handling;
• Using applicable tools and equipment;
• Performing basic mathematical calculations;
• Operating light construction equipment;
• Operating small hand and power tools and other related equipment;
• Understanding and carrying out written and oral instructions;
• Performing routine maintenance and repair activities;
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Hours of Work/Physical and Mental Demands

HOURS OF WORK:

The schedule for this position will be 7am-3pm Wednesday through Sunday. Hours may vary due to departmental needs. Position may include on call hours.

To view the full job description including position specifications and physical demands click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

2026 BENEFITS OVERVIEW

For a Regular Full-Time Employee

The City of Owatonna provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of your total compensation. The Citys benefits programs address both the immediate needs that you and your family may have, such as medical coverage or health savings accounts, and your long-term needs, such as retirement savings.

The following outline of City offered benefits serves as an overview and does not provide all provisions, limitations, and exclusions. If there is a contradiction between this and the official plan documents, the plan documents will prevail.

EMPLOYER-PROVIDED BENEFITS

Paid Time Off (PTO): It is the policy of the City of Owatonna to provide employees with necessary time away from work. PTO can be utilized for any purpose, subject only to necessary request/approval procedures consistent with the City Policies and Procedures Manual and labor contracts. PTO accrues at the following rates for full-time employees:

Years of Service Hours/Year

1 144

2 152

3 160

4 168

5 176

6-9 184

10 192

11 200

12 208

13 216

14 224

15 228

16 232

17 236

18 240

19 244

20 248

21 252

22 256

23 260

24+ 264

11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday: All regular full-time employees of the City, except those who are governed by a union contract or different holiday policy, receive the following holidays:

Holiday Date

New Years Day January 1st

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Third Monday in January

Presidents Day Third Monday in February

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Juneteenth June 19th

Independence Day July 4th

Labor Day First Monday in September

Veterans Day November 11th

Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November

Last working day before Christmas December

Christmas Day December 25th

One (1) Floating Holiday Once per year; must be used by December 31st

Retirement:

PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association)

• Eligible employees Must participate as directed by Minnesota Statutes.
• PERA Coordinated Plan contributions rates (non-police & fire) are: 7.5% employer and 6.5% employees.
• PERA Police & Fire Plan contributions & Fire are: 17.7% employer and 11.8% employees.

Health Insurance Coverage Through Medica:

Coverage for eligible employees becomes effective on the first day of employment.

1. Eligible employees can choose between 3 choices of varying deductible plans with single or family option coverage.

2. The City Contributes $ 650.00 towards single coverage/premium or $ 1,816.00 towards family coverage/premium

3. The City contributes $1,425/single or $2,900/family into an HSA account.

The city pays 100% of the premium and coverage costs of HealthiestYou, a virtual healthcare provider service with a $0.00 co-pay.

Term Life Insurance:

The City provides a $25,000 term life insurance policy at no cost to the employee.

Long Term Disability Insurance:

The plan provides long-term disability income with a 90-day consecutive elimination period. An employee must be a regular full-time employee and have completed six (6) months of employment to be eligible for this benefit.

New in 2026 - Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML):

For the 2026 plan year (January 1 - December 31, 2026), the City of Owatonna will cover 100% of the PFML insurance premium through our provider, Madison National Life Insurance Company.

Fitness Center:

Employees also have access to the City's West Hills Fitness Center at no cost as part of the citys wellness program.

Employee Assistant Plan (EAP):

The City of Owatonna provides an Employee Assistance Plan. This service provides free, confidential, professional assistance to help employees and their families resolve problems such as marital difficulties, financial or legal problems, emotional challenges, or problems caused by alcohol or other drug use that affect their personal lives or job performance.

OPTIONAL BENEFITS AVAILABLE:

The following benefits are available on an elective basis at the employees choice:

• Deferred Compensation Plans (457 and Roth IRAs): Plans available through Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) and MissionSquare.
• Dental Insurance: Coverage through Health Partners.
• Supplemental Coverages: Plans available through AFLAC.
• Supplemental Life Insurance: Plans through MN Life and PERA.
• Health Care and Daycare Flexible Spending Accounts
• Vision Care: Plan available through Eye Med.

Questions regarding benefit information can be directed to Human Resources at 507-774-7346.

01

Do you currently hold a valid Drivers License?

• Yes
• No

02

Did you receive a High School Diploma or a GED?

• Yes
• No

03

How many years of experience do you have in grounds maintenance?

• No Experience
• Less than 1 year of experience
• 1 - 3 years of experience
• 3 - 5 years of experience
• More than 5 years of experience

04

If you have grounds maintenance experience, please explain. Type N/A If no experience.

05

Please select the following you have experience using (if any):

• Commercial-style Mowers
• Skid Steers
• Chain Saws
• Tractors
• Sprayers
• Backhoes
• Boom Truck
• Platform Lift
• Snow Blower
• Plow Truck
• Dump Truck
• Ball diamond drag equipment

06

Do you have snow removal experience?

• Yes
• No

07

If you have experience with snow removal, please explain. Type N/A if no experience.

08

Do you wish to apply for Veterans Preference? You must complete the Veterans Preference points below and submit the required documentation (MEMBER COPY 4 VETERANs DD214) to the City of Owatonna by the application deadline of the position for which you are applying.

• Not Claiming Veterans Preference
• Veteran
• Disabled Veteran
• Spouse of Deceased Veteran
• Spouse of Disabled Veteran

Required Question

Employer City of Owatonna

Address 540 West Hills Circle

Owatonna, Minnesota, 55060

Phone 507-774-7344

Website https://www.owatonna.gov/