Park Services Ranger I

Job Description:

Park Services Ranger I

Description

Description

THE AGENCY

The General Services Agency (GSA) is comprised of Fleet Services, Facilities, Procurement, Special Services, Parks, Security, and Business Support and is responsible for a broad spectrum of services to all the County departments and agencies. It requires a very diverse workforce to accomplish the GSA mission of contributing to the quality of life in Ventura County by partnering with their customers to provide expertise and cost-effective service delivery, and foster the preservation of natural resources.

THE POSITION

Under general supervision, patrols park facilities, enforces rules, regulations and ordinances governing county parks; answers questions, provides park information, presentations and direction to the public; performs general maintenance, custodial, grounds duties and repair of park facilities; provides direction to subordinate staff and volunteers; and performs related duties as required.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in both customer service and enforcement of regulations, enjoy working outdoors, have related education in natural resources, forest management, outdoor recreation or a related area, be adept at modern software based record keeping, and be dedicated to ensuring park visitor satisfaction.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Educational Incentive - Some positions may be eligible for educational incentive. This incentive may be 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% for incumbents in eligible positions based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification.
• Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills. Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III).
• Vacation Accrual - New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 years of service.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Insurance Plans - You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans for you and your dependents.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Increase your spending power by reimbursement with pre-taxed dollars for IRS-approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.
• Pension Plan - Both you and the County contribute to the County’s Retirement Plan. If you are eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
• Additional Benefits - Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Wellness Program.

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: General Services Agency - Parks Department

Park Services Rangers I are represented by Ventura County Professional Peace Officers Association (VCPPOA) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies within the General Services Agency, Parks Department. There are currently three (3) regular positions with the General Services Agency.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Receives, registers and collects fees from park visitors and from the "iron ranger" fee payment boxes.
• Patrols park facilities to assist the general public and responds to inquiries from the public regarding park facilities and visually inspects facilities and grounds for safety hazards, vandalism, damage, maintenance needs, cleanliness, and supplies.
• Counts gate receipts, reconciles payments with park visitors; prepares funds for bank deposit, updates software to account for drop in park visitors and campers; makes bank deposits.
• Enforces park regulations and California Motor Vehicle Code, issues written citations, and may testify in court.
• Assists in repair, maintenance, and fire hazard reduction activities on trails, stream crossings, picnic grounds, campsites, recreational areas, parking lots, restrooms and other areas within a county park facility; may operate light equipment such as mowers, edgers, blowers, power saws, and drills in the course of performing repair, maintenance and fire hazard reduction activities.
• Responds to emergencies; performs and administers first aid and CPR and summons assistance; coordinates with the Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol, and other public agencies.
• Writes narrative incident reports to document unusual events.
• Performs routine office work such as filing and record keeping.
• Plans and executes projects.
• May provide direction to and oversee activities of seasonal staff and volunteers.
• Performs related duties as required.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE
Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: two (2) years of experience dealing with the interpretation of law enforcement, or outdoor recreation and handling the maintenance, custodial or repair of park facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, community centers, and playgrounds.

Substitution: Completion of thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units of college level coursework may be substituted for one year of field experience.

If you are using education to substitute experience, verification of completion of college coursework and/or a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required. Submit your college diploma, and/or transcripts/grade reports from an accredited college or university which shows your name, the conferred date and the major area of study, to County Human Resources within three (3) business days of the recruitment closing date. If transcripts or grade reports are not submitted, your application will be screened out and you will not be allowed to continue in the process.

You may submit transcripts using one of the following options:

• Attach the transcripts or grade reports to your application
• Email the transcripts to chinna.nahabedian@ventura.org
• Mail to Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, #1060, Ventura, CA 93009

Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.

You must submit this documentation with your application, a hard copy with a paper application or a scanned copy as an attachment for an online application. If you submit a hard copy with a paper application, be sure it's a copy; keep your original for future use, as whatever you submit will not be returned to you. To attach a scanned copy to an online application, use the Add Attachment(s) link in the Attachments section at the bottom of the page where you can edit the various sections of your application.

If the name on this documentation is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change (e.g., a marriage certificate).

NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS

• Must be willing and able to work rotating shifts, weekends and holidays and adapt to seasonal variations in your daily start/end time; seasonal schedule changes are necessary to ensure coverage.
• Must possess a valid California Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record.
• Must successfully complete a PC832 course in Arrest, Search and Seizure (40-hours course) and provide CPR First Aid Certificates (within first six months of employment).
• Must be willing to wear a uniform during working hours.
• Must be willing and able to work in an outdoors environment, regardless of weather conditions.
• Must be willing and able to lift and carry up to 40 pounds and able to engage in tasks requiring full range of motion and strength in all extremities.

DESIRED Completion of an associate degree with an emphasis in natural resources, forest management, outdoor recreation or a field that is related to the knowledge, skills and abilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Working knowledge of:

• Principles and processes for providing customer service.
• Principles and practices for effective conservation of natural and park resources.
• Equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote secure parks sites and facilities.
• Basic facility, grounds, road and trail maintenance and repair, custodial, and landscape techniques as well as tools used in maintenance and repair.
• Basic math and time management.

Ability to:

• Learn and apply park ordinances, laws and their interpretations.
• Work independently; analyze problems and use sound judgment in formulating solutions.
• Manage one's time to ensure all tasks are completed.
• Accurately add, subtract, multiply, and divide in order to reconcile and total park gate receipts.
• Work effectively with subordinates, peers, superiors, and the public.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE:

This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.venturacounty.gov. A paper application form can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South. Victoria Avenue., L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work Experience portions of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above sections; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here (Download PDF reader) for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue through the next step in the screening and selection process.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION - 100%: An un-proctored, internet-based job-related written exam will be conducted to evaluate participating candidates' knowledge of general cleaning/restroom cleaning, basic math, following written orders, reading comprehension, and parks patrol. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list for a period of 6 months.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be subjected to a thorough background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record. For further information regarding this recruitment, please contact Chinna Nahabedian by e-mail to Chinna.Nahabedian@venturacounty.gov or by telephone at (805) 654-2458.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

Ventura County Professional Peace Officers' Association

(VCPPOA)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes: PVP, PVT

Salary:

$49,859.11 - $66,953.29 Annually