What are the responsibilities and job description for the First Step, Auburn: Horticulture Assistant position at City of Auburn?
The City of Auburn’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department is proud to launch the first year of the First Step, Auburn: Horticulture program—an exciting new opportunity designed to introduce high school students to careers in horticulture within a municipal parks setting.
Through our ongoing partnership with Auburn High School and Mountain View High School, we have worked to create meaningful opportunities for students to learn, grow, and gain hands-on experience alongside our horticulture team. This program builds on that partnership and offers students the unique chance to be part of something new while gaining valuable, real-world experience. We are currently seeking to hire two students for this inaugural program.
Participants will work alongside experienced horticulture staff, learning the fundamentals of plant care, landscaping, and public space beautification through hands-on projects across the city. From maintaining flower beds to supporting the care of shared community spaces, students will play a meaningful role in enhancing the environments that Auburn residents enjoy every day.
In addition to developing practical horticulture skills, this program emphasizes workplace readiness by fostering teamwork, communication, reliability, and accountability. More than just a summer job, this program is an opportunity to gain exposure to public service careers, build confidence, and help shape a program that will support future students for years to come.
Note: Employees will work under direct supervision and will use hand tools only; power tools and driving are not required or permitted.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to work alongside experienced horticulture staff while supporting the care and maintenance of Auburn’s parks and landscaped public spaces. Duties will vary based on daily assignments, seasonal needs, and ongoing beautification projects throughout the city.
We feel that the key values this position will provide are:
Hands-on experience in horticulture and municipal parks maintenance
Practical knowledge of plant care, including watering, pruning, and planting techniques
Experience using hand tools safely and effectively in a supervised environment
Exposure to workplace expectations such as teamwork, communication, and reliability
Understanding of safety practices and procedures in an outdoor work setting
Opportunities to contribute to meaningful community beautification projects
Development of a strong work ethic, initiative, and a positive professional attitude
The list above is not meant to be all inclusive, and the full job description can be viewed here.To be eligible for this position, you must:
- Be 16-17 years of age
- Be able to lift and carry 25-50 pounds.
- Be able to pass a background check
- Be currently enrolled in a high school horticulture-related program, such as Horticulture Science, or participate in a school-sponsored horticulture/plant- related club or program
Preference will be given to candidates who:
- Are students at Auburn High School or Auburn Mountainview High School as part of the City's partnership with these schools
- Are able to commit to the program timeframe, anticipated to run from mid-June through early September (with some flexibility based on availability and program needs)
- Are available to work up to 40 hours per week during the program
The hours are Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch. This is an in-person position and is not eligible for remote work; candidates must be able to commit to working onsite.Commitment to Inclusion
Team Auburn values a wide range of perspectives and life experiences and believes our strength comes from the diversity of people and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who will help us foster a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and service to the community.
The City of Auburn is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format or would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
The City of Auburn is dedicated to building an inclusive, informed city, with opportunities for all. In alignment with that goal, the City has adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, including names, addresses, and other similar information. This eliminates the possibility of unintentional or implicit bias during the initial screening of applications. For that reason, hiring managers will not be viewing any attachments to your application, including a cover letter or resume, during the initial screening.
Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application, and thoroughly answer the supplemental questions prior to the submission deadline! You must meet the minimum qualifications to move forward in the screening process.
Please note that if you are selected to move forward after an interview, a background check, and reference check will be completed before an official job offer will be made.
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY OF AUBURN
We primarily communicate via e-mail during the recruitment process. E-mails from auburnwa.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions, please contact Brianna Winters, HR Coordinator, by email at bwinters@auburnwa.gov.