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Job Description
Description
The City of Palo Alto Open Space, Parks and Golf Division is looking for an experienced Park Ranger to work at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. This division maintains, interprets, and protects Palo Alto's 4,000 acres of open space lands including Foothills Nature Preserve, Baylands Nature Preserve, and Pearson-Arastradero Preserve. The Park Ranger is responsible for a wide variety of assigned and self-initiated tasks and projects required to protect, preserve, interpret, operate, and maintain Palo Alto open space lands. Emphasis is placed on the protection and preservation of open space lands in a natural state, carrying out resource management projects, park operations, maintaining open space facilities, and providing such visitor services as patrol, enforcement, emergency response and interpretation.
IDEAL CANDIDATE:- Experience developing interpretive programs and exhibits, knowledge of wetland and grassland ecology and non-motorized boat usage as well as display initiative, and teamwork.
- Currently possess or the ability to obtain Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.
- Currently possess S130 Wildland Firefighter Certification and S190 Wildland Fire Behavior Certification.
- Currently possess a California Class A Commercial Driver license.
- Certification from the National Park Service Seasonal Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy or possess the equivalent or higher certification.
To learn more about click here - Open Space & Parks .
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to:- Learns the natural history of Palo Alto and applies this knowledge when performing park maintenance, operations, interpretive and protection duties.
- Develops interpretive programs and exhibits concerning natural history, operations, and resource management practices in Palo Alto's open space lands.
- Performs patrol duties to provide parks and open space visitor assistance and to assure compliance with park rules and regulations. Enforcement duties may include issuing citations related to violation of the Municipal Code concerning city open space lands, responding to citizen complaints, conflict resolution, and writing incident reports.
- Provides emergency response services within established response areas including responding to vehicle accidents, administering emergency medical aid, fighting wildland fires and completing incident reports. May be requested to assist with emergency response operations outside of established response areas.
- Maintains parks and open space facilities such as buildings, picnic areas, irrigation systems, turf, trails, fuel breaks, fences and grounds. Places orders for equipment, materials and services as needed.
- Takes responsibility for Parks and Open Space maintenance operations and resource management projects, operating various types of equipment and vehicles, including tractors, tractor accessories, trailers, power tools, fire equipment, vessels and lake maintenance equipment.
- Ability to work outdoors under all weather conditions, in difficult terrain with exposure to poison oak, dust and other hazards.
- Must wear required uniform.
- Must work on weekends and holidays as well as be available for varied shifts.
RELATED FUNCTIONS:- Assists with Community Service Department projects in various locations within the City.
- Performs related duties and responsibilities, as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:- Possession of a bachelor's degree in park management, natural science, or a closely-related field preferred. Requires experience in the following areas: public contact, interpretation, maintenance, and/or management of park and open space lands.
A combination of education and experience equivalent to possession of an Associate of Arts degree with a major in the natural sciences or a closely related field.
- Two years experience in park and open space operations, public contact, law enforcement, emergency response, interpretation maintenance and resource management of park and open space lands.
- Possession of, and the ability to maintain, certification in Emergency response first aid and professional rescuer CPR.
- Ability to successfully complete the ranger academy or PC832 training within six months of employment.
- Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
- Ability to obtain within six months of employment a California Class A Driver's License to operate a tractor trailer.
To Review Full Job Description Click Here.
Supplemental Information
Working Conditions / Physical Requirements- Travel to park sites; some exposure to dust, smoke, noise, and environmental hazard; some moderate lifting, standing, climbing; work in inclement weather conditions. Work weekends, holidays and evenings.
The Selection Process:- Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email (governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates).
- The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO). In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act ( ADA), the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both perspective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
For more details visit our Careers Page, by clicking HERE.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 7/27/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show moreThe Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-NewsCity Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
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