Cemetery Maintenance Worker

POSITION TITLE: Cemetery Maintenance Worker (Hourly)
REQUISITION #: req5336
DEPARTMENT: Parks
LOCATION: GRANDVIEW CEMETERY SHOP
BENEFIT CATEGORY: Variable Hourly View Classifications & Benefits
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Seasonal Hourly
HOURLY RATE: $16.00 per hour – rate may be negotiated to a higher level based on qualifications and experience
SELECTION PROCESS: Open until filled

The City of Fort Collins is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Post-offer background check, Motor Vehicle Report, and drug test required within four calendar days (96 hours) of offer.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The City may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

The Community: The City of Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River. At 5,000 feet in elevation, residents enjoy a moderate, four-season climate, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. With 174,800 residents, Fort Collins is Colorado’s fourth-largest city and spans 57 square miles. With the 20 year growth projection, the City of Fort Collins is expected to reach 255,000 residents.

The first people who hunted in this region arrived approximately 11,000 years ago, and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. European-American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from eastern cities and across the globe to the Colorado Territory, including what would become the town of Fort Collins; an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military fort. The expansion included the sugar beet industry’s growth, which brought new residents whose descendants still live here today, including Mexican-American families from southern Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, as well as Germans from Russia. Since 1879, Fort Collins has been the home of the state’s land grant institution, Colorado State University, which currently enrolls 34,000 students. Along with the university, the city’s major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and world. The community’s overall social diversity continues to grow.

There are abundant outdoor recreation opportunities available to the many residents who enjoy healthy lifestyles. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction, as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. The Downtown district provides many venues for live music, shopping, dining, and nightlife within the city. Fort Collins is widely considered the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. The City has a strong appreciation for arts, culture, and entertainment. Various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation.

The City’s long list of acknowledgements includes:

• No. 2 Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America: American Water Works – June 2021
• No. 5 Best Remote-Ready Cities: Livability.com Jan 2021
• Top 30 Creative Small Cities: CVSuite – May 2020
• No. 18 Safest Cities in America: SafeWise – April 2020
• No. 1 Best Place to Live: Livability.com March 2020
• No. 9 Most Fitness Friendly Places: SmartAsset – Dec 2019
• No. 7 Safest Driving Cities: Allstate – June 2019
• No. 4 Best U.S. Cities to Raise a Family: MarketWatch – April 2019
• No. 9 Best Performing Cities: Milken Institute – Jan 2019
• No. 3 U.S. Cities with Highest Economic Confidence: Yahoo – Nov 2018
• No. 2 Brain Concentration Index: Bloomberg – Nov 2018
• No. 1 City in America for Cycling: PeopleForBikes-May 2018
• Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award: Alliance for Innovation-April 2018
• The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-Nov 2017
• 18th Best City for Career Opportunities: SmartAsset – Sep 2017
• 3rd Best College Town to Live in Forever: College Ranker – July 2017
• 25 Best Towns Ever: Where to Live Now: Outside Magazine – June 2017
• No. 1 Stable and Growing Housing Market: Realtor.com-June 2017
• 11th Happiest City in America: Yahoo! Finance – March 2017
• No. 9 Top 150 Cities for Millennials Report: Millennial Personal Finance – Feb 2017
• No. 2 Best Cities for Small Business Owners: ValuePenguin – Feb 2017

Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?

– Potential for paid personal leave and paid holidays

– Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, and financial assistance

– Wellness program, workout facilities

– Personal & professional learning opportunities plus potential for career mobility

– Collaborative work environment

Summary

Fort Collins has 2 municipal cemeteries, Grandview and Roselawn, which provide the citizens of Fort Collins with a vast history dating back to 1887. It is an honor and privilege to preserve the history and provide exceptional care of these cemeteries. The Cemetery Division is currently seeking Cemetery Maintenance Workers to join the team for the season which begins as early as March and ends as late as November. Come spend a day at the Cemetery and get paid for it! Hourly employees are highly valued and receive great perks such as a free Transfort bus pass, Meal Deals and discounted passes to the City of Fort Collins Recreation facilities that include an initial 5 free visits.

Additional perks include the following:

• Gift card drawings for participating in Safety and Wellness programs.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided such as gloves, hard hats, etc.
• Boot reimbursements and Parks Division logo work attire provided.
• Mentoring by world-class, knowledgeable, and experienced Park professionals.
• Training opportunities to expand educational background.
• $50 gift card for referring a newly hired employee through the Employee Referral program.

The Cemetery Maintenance Worker position is a non-benefitted, variable, hourly position subject to over-time, weekends, and holidays. Schedules range from fluctuating hourly, to part-time, to 6-month at 40-hours per week. Experience is not necessary and positions generally open in early spring and last until late fall. Potential for paid holidays and accrued sick and personal leave is available and based on qualified hours worked.

Essential Duties

• Assists in maintenance of City cemetery grounds at Roselawn and Grandview.
• Operates a variety of equipment including Mowers, Utility Vehicles, Hand Tools, Power Tools.
• Clean and remove trash from all areas of the cemeteries
• Assist with horticulture maintenance (shrub beds, flower beds, specialty gardens).
• May assist with irrigation maintenance and repairs.
• May help with snow removal.
• May assist with Interments (setup and teardown of funeral equipment, opening/closing graves).
• May assist with park, forestry, horticulture, and golf maintenance when required.

Working Conditions

• Schedules vary from part-time to full-time and may include over-time, weekends, and holidays.
• Shifts may be staggered
• Work occurs outdoors in a variety of weather conditions under the supervision of a crew leader.
• Safety gear is required and includes, but is not limited to, safety-toed boots, safety glasses and ear protection.
• Attendance at weekly staff meetings, trainings, and safety meetings is required.
• City of Fort Collins works together with staff to prevent the spread of germs (COVID, etc.) to maintain a clean, safe environment.

City Competencies

• Demonstrated cultural competence to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of diverse identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong learning orientation. Leverages all resources and is creative in ways of learning for self to continue adapting to changing issues and trends.
• A desire and ability to understand the diverse needs of internal and external customers, and to create experiences and deliver services that exceed their expectations.
• A desire and ability to utilize digital tools for organizational information, individual, and teamwork.

Minimum Qualifications/Experience

• Unrestricted valid driver’s license.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Ability to pass a drug screening test.
• Physical, mental, and cognitive abilities sufficient to perform the essential duties outlined below.

These include:

• Ability to read, write and communicate well with others in a professional and courteous manner.
• Physical ability and stamina to perform duties including bending, lifting, digging, pushing, and kneeling.
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds regularly; occasionally up to 50 pounds maximum.

Proper safety measures for lifting/moving any item are expected to be followed; including, but not limited to, the use of proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), use of lifting/moving equipment, and/or assistance from co-workers.

The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 221-6535 for assistance.

Notice Regarding Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana Use:
Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.

The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this City policy “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.

POST OFFER BACKGROUND CHECK, MOTOR VEHICLE REPORT, AND DRUG TEST REQUIRED WITHIN FOUR CALENDAR DAYS/96 HOURS OF OFFER.

Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.