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Posted: January 6, 2026 (8 days ago)

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Utility Laborer

City of Seattle

Seattle Parks & Recreation Department

Recent

Location

Salary

$34.32 - $34.32

per hour

Closes

January 21, 2026

Job Description

Summary

This job involves hands-on maintenance of public parks and outdoor spaces in Seattle, including mowing lawns, cleaning facilities, picking up litter, and preparing athletic fields to keep them safe and enjoyable for everyone.

It's a team-based role where you'll use tools and equipment to support daily upkeep under supervision.

A good fit would be someone who enjoys physical outdoor work, works well with others, and cares about creating welcoming community spaces.

Key Requirements

  • Perform ground maintenance tasks like mowing, edging, and trimming lawns using power tools and mowers
  • Maintain athletic fields, including daily preparation and seasonal rehabilitation for sports like baseball, soccer, and synthetic turf
  • Clean public facilities such as comfort stations, picnic areas, play areas, and wading pools
  • Collect litter and garbage from parks and outdoor spaces
  • Conduct hard surface maintenance, including pressure washing
  • Use hand and small power tools for tasks like digging, excavation, and general gardening assistance
  • Work as part of a team and potentially lead temporary laborers under supervision

Full Job Description

About Seattle Parks and Recreation:

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is a national leader and innovator in the services and programs we provide to our residents who enjoy our public spaces such as parks, community centers, specialty gardens and swimming pools.

Our mission is to equip employees and the public for well-being as we support healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community.

We provide safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life and wellness for children, teenagers, adults and seniors.

Delivering excellent customer service to all is a core value.


Equity & Inclusion:

Seattle Parks and Recreation commits to advancing equity and social justice in our department and in every neighborhood by growing a dynamic and diverse workforce, developing strong investments, growth opportunities and beneficial partner strategies as we acknowledge and pledge to close disparities created by historical practices which often hindered workforce development, environmental justice, access to quality open spaces, programs, and facilities.

#OneSeattle.


About the Parks and Environment Division:

The Parks and Environment Division manages the work of our outdoor parks, natural areas, trails, specialty gardens, encampments, Park Rangers, security, and more.

The division maintains 489 parks and over 6441 acres of green space and natural areas.

With over 400 regular employees and a budget of over $70 million annually, Parks and Environment division is a major operation with significant impact on the communities we serve.

In addition to our current operations, we also strive to constantly improve the ways we serve Seattle’s residents, specifically through implementation of the SPR Strategic Plan, innovation in our approaches to maintaining parks and greenspaces, learning from national best practices and quality standards, and leading with equity.


We are seeking an individual who knows how to lead with equity and be anti-racist, deliver on results while maintaining positive relationships with staff and community, deeply values servant leadership and team building, and has experience managing, training, and resourcing teams.


About the Position:

A utility Laborer, under general supervision, performs a variety of ground maintenance tasks and projects to make parks clean, safe, and welcoming. Most assignments and results are reviewed by a crew chief or other supervisor.

Requirements

  • Maintain various public outdoor facilities such as comfort stations, tennis courts, picnic grounds, play areas, and wading pools.
  • Mow, edge, and trim lawns using power hand and small riding mowers, edgers, and line trimmers.
  • Maintain athletic fields including daily preparation and seasonal rehabilitation of baseball, softball, soccer, football, rugby, lacrosse, fields including synthetic turf surfaces.
  • Collect litter and garbage.
  • Perform hard surface maintenance such as pressure washing.
  • Clean and maintain comfort stations.
  • Assist in a variety of gardening and maintenance work.
  • May be assigned to lead the work of Regular or Temporary Laborers.
  • Work as part of a team.
  • Perform other related duties of a comparable level/type as assigned.

Examples of Duties:

  • Provide manual assistance to other workers and use various types of hand and small power tools such as hammers, saws, axes, drills, jackhammers, rotary drills, weed eaters, backpack blowers, shovels, and scythes.
  • Do excavation work and assist in shoring and timbering.
  • Dig trenches, fence post holes, and other holes using hand tools; grub stumps; clean ditches, and storm drains.
  • Operates on site garbage compactors and dock bulls.
  • Set up and remove chairs, risers, portable turnstiles, and flooring. Operate mechanical riding scrubbers and polishers; sweep floors and wash windows.
  • Provide regular and ongoing care, preparation and maintenance for small or medium sized parks (up to 20 acres) containing up to 4 distinct outdoor recreation features i.e. ballfields, tennis courts, fountains, picnic grounds, play areas, wading pools, horseshoe courts, etc.
  • Drive pickup trucks and other smaller (generally less than 10,000 pounds GVW) motorized vehicles or equipment in connection with work activities.
  • Clean, paint, and sort water meters to be repaired.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification
  • Six months of experience performing general laboring/manual work, good physical condition, and the ability to work with hand and power tools is required.

License, Certification and Other Requirements

  • Current State of Washington driver's license when required.

Additional Information

  • May be required to work nights, evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
  • Required to stand, walk, or bend for extended periods of time.
  • Frequently required to lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds. May occasionally be required to lift objects weighing more than 50 pounds.
  • Occasionally requires handling or working with toxic/hazardous substances.
  • Required to work outdoors in all types of weather.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The full salary for this position is $34.32 - $34.32 per hour.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle Parks and Recreation values diverse perspectives and life experiences.

Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Seattle Parks and Recreation encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check.

The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17 and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3.

A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation time, 12 paid holidays, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.

More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Want to know more about Parks and Recreation? Check out our web page: Seattle Parks and Recreation - Parks | seattle.gov

SPR’s Core Competencies are:
  • Accountability & Action: Holding yourself accountable for achieving goals, completing tasks, and delivering quality work. Demonstrating thoughtful initiative in actions and decision-making and promoting high quality standards.
  • Equity and Inclusion: Supporting the goals of the Race and Social Justice Initiative and the City's commitment to workforce equity.
  • Communication: Sharing and exchanging information and ideas with people in a variety of ways to help them understand and remember the information.
  • Service: An ongoing commitment to base decisions and actions on the needs and priorities of the City.
  • Teamwork: Participating as an engaged member of a team to achieve group goals. Effectively working with internal and external people to complete tasks and achieve work group goals.

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Posted on NEOGOV: 1/6/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/7/2026

Source: NEOGOV | ID: neogov-seattle-5188227