Park Naturalist jobs in Fort Collins, CO

POSITION TITLE: Park Ranger (Full-Time Regular) (Classified)
REQUISITION #: req7413
DEPARTMENT: Parks
LOCATION: PARKS MAINTENANCE SHOP
BENEFIT CATEGORY: Classified (Non-CBU)
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-Time Regular
ANNUAL SALARY RANGE: $47,816.00 - 71,724.00 (Salaries are paid biweekly)
SELECTION PROCESS: Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. MT on 1/31/2024.
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. Background check & motor vehicle report required. Drug test required within four calendar days (96 hours) of offer.

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?

• Medical, dental, vision (for self, spouse, children) – eligible on the 1st of the month following date of hire
• Paid vacation, paid holidays, and sick
• Retirement company contributions – after 6 month probation period and immediate vesting
• Flexible spending: Medical expenses FSA, dependent FSA or both
• Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, financial assistance
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Wellness program, workout facilities
• Employee/family onsite health clinic
• Personal & professional learning opportunities including supervisory and leadership development; plus career mobility
Collaborative work environment

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Job Summary
The City of Fort Collins is seeking to hire a Park Ranger who will work with the Community Services Department in patrolling, protecting and educating visitors at City Recreational and Parks properties and facilities. This position requires at least 3 years of experience in law enforcement that can include training or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Work will include daily patrols of natural areas, parks, and trails as well as providing visitor and staff safety, assistance, and advising.

The full job description below is a general description for several similar jobs. For the specific position this job is seeking to fill, a qualified candidate must have a minimum of one to two years of experience in municipal code enforcement as one of the following: park ranger, transit service officer, community service officer, parking service officer, code enforcement officer, animal control officer, police/fire dispatcher, or related field; or, an additional combination of education and experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.

• Performs patrol, municipal code enforcement, visitor education, and resource protection on City Parks and Recreational Trails including:
• Municipal code enforcement in parks, trails and recreation areas, including issuing warnings or citations to violators.
• Recognizing law enforcement issues requiring the assistance of a Police officer.
• Coordinating emergency response including administration of first aid.
• Testifying in court in support of citations issued.
• Maintaining public contacts records, producing incident and police reports, and other general reports.
• Speaking to various public groups about the ranger program as assigned.
• Preparing and providing safety and public contact training to staff, seasonal staff and volunteers.
• Responding to and resolving multi-use conflicts using conflict resolution techniques.
• Performing inspections of park property for unsafe conditions or damage to trails, restrooms or other infrastructure.
• Supporting enforcement of City Code during Park Special Events and other permitted events
• Learning and using unique park scheduling and resource allocation programs.
• Assisting with visitor information collection.
• Directs and oversees the work of volunteers.

Management Responsibilities

No

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.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Strong public relations and communications skills.
• Ability to handle high stress and emergency situations dealing with people and animals.
• General knowledge of applicable City Municipal Code.
• Knowledge of regional, county and state fire, health, safety and animal welfare codes relevant to parks and trails.
• Ability to use a variety of equipment and power tools; operate a snow plow, etc.
• Ability to learn and operate specialized communication systems (e.g., police dispatch communication systems).
• Ability to work collaboratively with Natural Area Rangers and Police Services. Ability to use records management, RAM and MS Office applications.

Required Qualifications

Experience Requirements

• 3 years in law enforcement; and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

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.

Certifications/Licenses/Specialized Training

• Police Service Officer Skills Academy Certification within 6 months of hire. Valid Colorado driver's license. Ongoing training by Fort Collins Police Department and other sources. Have and maintain acceptable background information including criminal conviction history, motor vehicle record and credit history.

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Park Ranger

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 a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. 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.

BACKGROUND CHECK & MOTOR VEHICLE REPORT REQUIRED. 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.