Demo

Seasonal Laborer - 9 Week Program

City of Cambridge, MA
Cambridge, MA Full Time
POSTED ON 10/26/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/5/2027
Posting Date:
10/6/26
Department:
DPW - Solid Waste/Sanitation
Job Code:
X750 (ID#1900)
Salary Plan/Grade:
TEM098
Number of Hours Per Week:
40
Additional Work Hours Information:
Most shifts are 7am-3pm, Monday through Friday. Upon successful completion of program requirements, participants may be eligible to extend the assignment by up to 7 additional weeks.
Union Affiliation:
None
# of openings:
13
Type of Employment:
Seasonal
Civil Service Type:
None

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Seasonal Laborer Program offers 9-week temporary employment through the City of Cambridge’s Public Works Department. Participants engage in outdoor labor, primarily garbage collection and clean up/maintenance tasks on City streets, parks, and cemeteries.

This program is open to Cambridge residents who are willing and able to perform heavy labor duties with reasonable accommodation. Upon successful completion of program requirements, participants may be eligible to extend the assignment by up to 7 additional weeks.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

These positions will be filled via a lottery program. The primary responsibility of this position is basic laboring duties. Positions are outdoors, typically on rubbish trucks, in the cemetery or on parks and public properties. Seasonal Laborers perform a combination of a variety of unskilled labor duties of which the following are typical examples:

  • Picking up rubbish from sidewalks in front of houses and other establishments as required, loading refuse onto trucks, collecting garbage, yard waste and bulky items;

  • Shoveling materials and leveling areas, removing snow and ice using manual or small powered equipment, spreading salt on icy areas, digging holes, trenches, and other excavations, cleaning out sewers and catch basins;

  • Loading and unloading supplies, moving furniture, assisting in placing and holding heavy items in place;

  • Cleaning litter and debris from sidewalks, streets, gutters , and parking lots;

  • Mowing grass using hand or powered equipment;

  • Trimming shrubs and lower parts of trees along sidewalks and streets;

  • Using standard tools, i.e., shovels, picks, axes, saws, heavy wrenches and small powered equipment;

  • Performing other routine duties as assigned such as cleaning, sweeping, waxing, buffing, polishing, washing floors, walls, sinks, toilets, and other fixtures; picking up, collecting, and disposing of trash; seeing to it that supplies such as soap, towels, and paper are available.


MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be a Cambridge resident at time of appointment.

  • Must have proper clothing and footwear, including work boots, in order to perform work safely.


PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Duties range from light physical to heavy laborious tasks. All labor positions, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled in the Cambridge Department of Public Works require a combination of repetitive: lifting between 25-100 pounds, bending, squatting, stretching, pushing, dragging, reaching, climbing, and pulling. Employee is required to adhere to all safety and dress code policies. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Candidate will be exposed to all weather conditions and will work in a moderate to high noise level environment caused by sound of machinery or powered equipment being used.

LOTTERY INFORMATION:

  • An application will be valid for one year after filing.
  • Only one application per person in each twelve-month period will be eligible for the lottery. In the case of multiple application, the first complete application received will be eligible for the lottery.
  • If your name is selected, we will notify you to come to our location at 689 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 to fill out a CORI form and bring in a current ID with the Cambridge address you gave us on your application.


COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY

The City of Cambridge is committed to providing fair, transparent, and competitive compensation to all employees. The salary range listed in this job posting reflects the full range for this position's pay grade (Steps 1–10). New employees joining the organization are hired within the hiring range, Steps 1 through 5, with placement at the midpoint reserved for the most qualified candidates. Starting placement is based on directly related education and experience relative to the minimum qualifications of the position, required licenses or certifications, internal equity with current employees, and relevant labor market factors. Employees progress through the 10 steps over time through the City's established step and pay progression policies.

This compensation philosophy applies to non‑union positions. For union positions, please refer to the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Current City employees applying to another position should refer to the Compensation & Classification Manual for the policies governing promotions, lateral transfers, and other internal salary changes.


ABOUT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The City of Cambridge is a diverse and vibrant community that 120,000 residents of different ethnic, racial, religious, U.S. nationals and other backgrounds call home. We take pride in our City’s diversity and strive to create a workplace that is reflective of the community we serve - one in which all employees can thrive. The City is also deeply committed to creating an environment in which all our employees are treated equitably and feel included. In joining our team, you would work in a workplace environment that advances and values antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI), and that is committed to embedding ADEI best practices and tenets in all aspects of our work. City of Cambridge residents are especially encouraged to apply to job openings.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The City of Cambridge is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, members of the LGBTQ Community, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The City is committed to advancing a workforce culture of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request by contacting Human Resources at humanresources@cambridgema.gov.

Salary : $20

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Seasonal Laborer - 9 Week Program?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Seasonal Laborer - 9 Week Program career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$32,288 - $43,091
Income Estimation: 
$40,018 - $53,233
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at City of Cambridge, MA

  • City of Cambridge, MA Cambridge, MA
  • Posting Date: 10/22/25 Department: DPW - Streets/Sewer Maintenance Job Code: C766 (ID# 566) Salary Plan/Grade: 004, 005,002 Number of Hours Per Week: 40 Ad... more
  • 3 Days Ago

  • City of Cambridge, MA Cambridge, MA
  • Posting Date: 8/23/24 Department: DHSP - Recreation Job Code: X831 (ID# 1030) Salary Plan/Grade: Number of Hours Per Week: 19.5 Additional Work Hours Infor... more
  • 3 Days Ago

  • City of Cambridge, MA Cambridge, MA
  • Posting Date: 9/28/26 Department: Transportation - Parking Services Job Code: X759 (ID#1872) Salary Plan/Grade: TEM/098 Number of Hours Per Week: 37.5 Addi... more
  • 3 Days Ago

  • City of Cambridge, MA Cambridge, MA
  • Posting Date: 5/9/23 Department: DHSP - Community Learning Center Job Code: K035 (ID# 209) Salary Plan/Grade: Number of Hours Per Week: 5-7 Additional Work... more
  • 3 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Seasonal Laborer - 9 Week Program jobs in the Cambridge, MA area that may be a better fit.

  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Department of Conservation & Recreation Brighton, MA
  • POSITION INFORMATION: Title: Seasonal Laborer I Location: Reilly Memorial Rink , Brighton Start Date: 11/15/26 End Date: 4/11/26 # of openings:1 Please not... more
  • 3 Days Ago

  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Department of Conservation & Recreation Charlestown, MA
  • POSITION INFORMATION: Title: Seasonal Laborer I Location: Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink Start Date: 11/15/26 End Date: 4/11/26 # of openings:1 Pleas... more
  • 3 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!