• JobID: 486

Position Type:
Parks & Recreation/Garden Coordinator

Date Posted:
5/10/2022

Location:
Ecology Center

Date Available:
TBD

Closing Date:
05/24/2022
*
Salary Range: $19.287-$24.708/hour*
*Starting salary is dependent upon qualifications, but in most cases is no higher than the midpoint for range.
Approximately 18 hours/week

NATURE OF WORK:
Under the direction of the Recreation Manager or their designee this position is primarily responsible for the community garden program. Additional responsibilities include developing and providing gardening programming and the maintenance of the Ecology Center’s urban farming demonstration site. This position is also responsible for supervising seasonal employees and garden volunteers.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (Specific assignment will include some or all of the following):

• Supervises, implements, coordinates and evaluates the Community Garden Program. The garden sites are located at various sites throughout the City. Including but not limited to reviewing and responding to requests from gardeners and community members on a wide range of garden related topics and interests.

• Coordinates the garden rental contracts and enforces all required components of those contracts. Keeps all the records of the Community Garden program.

• Maintains the Ecology Center’s urban farming demonstration site (The Farmette).

• Develops, implements, supervises and coordinates garden programming for the City of Evanston at the Ecology Center and other community locations throughout the City.

• Oversees community garden work days, including the management of seasonal garden staff and volunteers.

• Sits on the Evanston Garden council as the City representative. Leads garden meetings for the various locations in the program throughout the year.

• Oversees communication with the community garden participants via community garden blog, email and phone calls.

• Pursues and writes grants to improve the community garden program.

• Communicates any garden infrastructure needs with various departments within the City of Evanston.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF WORK:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Environmental Science, Education, Sustainable Agriculture or a substantially similar area preferred. Must possess at least three (3) years of work experience in a culturally diverse urban community focusing on gardening, gardening education, etc.

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and a safe driving record.

• Must possess current First Aid/ CPR certifications or obtain them within the first six (6) months.

• Knowledge, skills, and abilities in the following areas:

• Ability to deal positively and effectively with the general public and other staff and individual agencies or persons.

• Strong customer service and teamwork orientation.

• Ability to deliver strong presentations and programs to different audiences and user groups.

• Considerable knowledge of and ability to use Internet search engines, word processing software, email, registration software (RecTrac), and Windows operating systems.

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions provided in written, oral, or diagrammatic form; to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in or from standardized situations.

• Ability to prepare work assignments, research issues summaries, letters and memorandum and reports using prescribed format and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, dictation and style.

• Ability to give verbal direction to subordinates, communicate effectively with co-workers and supervisors.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF WORK:

1. Degree of Physical Demands (strength) usually associated with the essential functions of this classification:

Medium work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for sedentary work. Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree. However, if the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.

2. Type of physical demands usually associated with the essential functions of this classification:

Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hands.

Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds.

Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature or texture.

Tasting/Smelling: Distinguishing, with a degree of accuracy, differences or similarities in intensity or quality of flavors and/or odors, or recognizing particular flavors and/or odors, using tongue and/or nose.

Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, ramps, embankments, and the like using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.

Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching, or running on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces.

Stooping: Bending body downward or forward by bending spine at the waist.

Kneeling: Bending legs at knees to come to a rest on knee(s).

Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg(s) and spine.

Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.

Seeing: The ability to perceive the nature of objects by the eye. The important aspects of vision are:

a. acuity-far: clarity of vision at 20 feet or more

b. acuity-near: clarity of vision at 20 inches or less

c. depth perception: ability to judge distance and space relationships so as to see objects where and as they actually are

d. field of vision- observing an area that can be seen up and in a given point

e. accommodation- adjustment of the lens of the eyes to bring an object into a sharp focus, especially important when doing near-point work at varying distances from the eye

f. color vision- ability to identify and distinguish colors

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
None

SUPERVISION:
Performance is reviewed through observation, completion of projects, reports and meetings. Guidance is provided through the City Code, departmental policies, City operating practices and procedures, and other resources as applicable to the specific project assigned. Work is evaluated annually with respect to programming initiatives, problem-solving ability, customer service, research and analytical skill, written and verbal communication skills, and performance in accordance with this classification standard.

PUBLIC CONTACT:
The Garden Coordinator has regular contact with the public, other departmental employees and supervisors.

SELECTION METHOD

TYPE OF ELIGIBILITY LIST

LIFE OF ELIGIBILITY LIST

Structured Oral Interview

Chosen candidates will be required to provide proof of licenses, certifications, and education required for this position. Candidates will also be subject to qualifying pre-employment processes, including medical examination, drug/alcohol screen, employment verification, and criminal background check.

The City of Evanston is an equal opportunity employer and ensures against discrimination in employment on the basis of a person’s race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge status, source of income, housing status, or gender identity. The City of Evanston is also committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. Any person needing mobility or communications access assistance should contact the Facilities Management Office at 847-866-2916 (voice) or 847-448-8052 (TTY).

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $19.29 - $24.71 per hour