Open Space Technician (20545798)

If you enjoy working hard in a beautiful outdoor environment with a group of like-minded people, we invite you to apply for the position of Open Space Technician at Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen). Enjoy the outdoors while building and maintaining trails, working on construction projects, and assisting with resource management projects.  Open Space Technicians also have frequent contact with the public and provide visitor information as necessary. 

About Midpen: Midpen helps plants, animals and people thrive throughout the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region by preserving a greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres of public open space with 250 miles of trails in 27 extraordinary preserves, permanently protected for natural resource conservation and ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Midpen is a public agency with a focused mission that guides our work, and where every employee makes an impact.  If you are looking for an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the legacy of open space protection, natural resource restoration and outdoor recreation, working with an incredible team of like-minded colleagues, we invite you to apply for this position!  Check out the Working for Midpen video on our Employment Opportunities page.

About the Position:  Midpen has multiple vacancies with a start date in January 2025. In addition to filling this position, we intend to create a pool of highly qualified candidates to fill future opportunities at Midpen for the position of Open Space Technician. The selected individual will perform a variety of semi-skilled and skilled work in the construction, modification, maintenance, restoration, and repair of District land and facilities including trail and road maintenance and construction; resource management tasks; facilities and structure construction and maintenance; operate and maintain a variety of mechanical and power tools and equipment; and oversee volunteers, seasonal workers, and/or other groups on assigned projects.  See Job Description for additional information. 

Assigned work location may be at any of these offices:

Coastal Area Outpost – La Honda (Address: 5710 La Honda Road, San Gregorio, CA  94074)

Foothills Field Office – Cupertino (Address: 501 Rancho San Antonio Drive, Cupertino, CA 95014)

Skyline Field Office – La Honda (Address: 21150 Skyline Blvd., La Honda, CA 94020)

South Area Office – Campbell (Address: 240 Cristich Lane, Campbell, CA 95008)

A Few Reasons Why You May Love This Job

• Collaborative work that directly supports Midpen’s mission to protect and restore the natural environment
• You’ll be part of a talented and dynamic team whose work contributes to providing nature’s benefits to everyone
• Excellent employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, tuition reimbursement, and a retirement pension through California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
• ‘Joint Resource Workdays’ allow all district staff to get involved and work together on a variety of maintenance,  resource management, habitat restoration and capital improvement projects.

Working Conditions:

May be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Must wear prescribed District uniform and adhere to strict safety procedures and work habits. Depending on the exposure, employee is required to wear head, hearing, eye, foot, face, hand, and full protection equipment. Employees work in the field and are exposed to loud noise levels, cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, confining workspace, chemicals, mechanical and/or electrical hazards, hazardous physical substances and fumes, and poison oak.

Midpen reserves the right to limit or deny off-duty employment or business ownership which creates a conflict of interest or an incompatibility with District employment. Additional information can be found in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual Section 4.13 Off-Duty Employment and Business Ownership. 

Education & Experience:

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

High School Diploma (completion of the 12th grade) or G.E.D. supplemented by college-level coursework in park maintenance, resource management, or a related field and one (1) year of experience in construction, maintenance, and/or repair of parks, open spaces, and/or related facilities.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of a valid California Driver’s License.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, Basic First Aid and CPR certification within six (6) months of employment.
• Depending on assignment, possession of, or ability to obtain, a District approved Fire Suppression Training certification within (12) months of assignment into the District’s fire program.

Benefits:
Midpen provides a competitive benefits package including health, life and disability insurance, CalPERS pension and paid leaves. Detailed information is available on the Benefits page of our website.

How to Apply: apply online at CalOpps.org.

(To avoid missing email communication regarding your status in this recruitment, add mpropenspace@calopps.org to your contacts or list of safe senders).

Application deadline is Sunday, October 13, 2024.  Applicants with the most relevant experience and qualifications suitable for the position will be contacted for an interview.

The following application items are required to be considered*:

1. Fully completed CalOpps employment application 

2. Cover letter 

3. Resume 

4. Supplemental question responses

*Incomplete CalOpps employment applications, or applications without the required application items listed here, will not be considered for the position.

Upon receipt of a conditional employment offer, candidate must provide a current DMV report (request report by submitting form INF 1125 to the DMV). Employment offers are conditional upon the results of a fingerprint background check and a pre-employment physical.

Recruitment Timeline: We recommend applicants be available for interviews on the following dates for panel interviews (we are unable to accommodate individual schedules):

First interview (virtual):  Tuesday, October 29, 2024 and Thursday, October 31, 2024

Skills Assessment (in-person): Thursday, November 7, 2024

Final interview (in-person):  Wednesday, November 20, 2024

A note to applicants who currently live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area: before committing to the application process, and if you haven’t done so already, we suggest evaluating the feasibility of relocation. We recommend researching the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, the cost to relocate, and typical commute times to Los Altos from outlying areas.

At Midpen, we believe open space is for all. Our public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community. All people, regardless of background, deserve respect, dignity, safety, and a sense of belonging. Midpen welcomes all people to enjoy the public open space preserves we hold in trust, supporting the mental, physical, and social well-being of our region.

Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation by contacting the Human Resources department at

(650) 691-1200 or via email at hr@openspace.org.   

Put your passion for Open Space to work!