State Park Technician

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and Selective Requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligiblelist.

Natural Resources Technician 1 Job Description

The Department of Natural Resources encourages all applicants to upload a current resume and cover letter to their online application.

At the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we are dedicated to conserving and enhancing our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations. Our goal is to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a lasting legacy for future generations. We are seeking two passionate and dedicated State Park Technicians to join our team and help us manage Black Hawk State Park and Pine Lake/Union Grove, both are premium outdoor destinations in Iowa.

As a State Park Technician, you will work under the direction of the Park Manager to ensure our facilities and ecosystems are maintained to the highest standards. This is a hands-on role perfect for those who love working outdoors and engaging with the public.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facility & Grounds Maintenance: Keep offices, restrooms, campgrounds, and shelters clean and in excellent condition. Maintain landscapes through mowing, trimming, and trail repairs.
• Equipment Operation: Safely operate a wide range of equipment, including tractors, mowers, power tools, and boats.
• Ecosystem Management: Perform vital conservation work such as controlled burns, habitat improvements, invasive species control, and pesticide application.
• Public Engagement: Represent the DNR at public events, collaborate with local "Friends of the Park" groups, and assist visitors to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
• Administration: Assist with fee collection, data management (attendance and budget), and the supervision of seasonal aides and volunteers.

Locations:

Black Hawk State Park is a scenic state park located along the shores of Black Hawk Lake—the southernmost natural glacial lake in the United States. The park combines natural beauty with rich history, featuring structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s that are still used today. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, including camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming, along with trails that highlight native plants and wildlife. The park also serves as a central gathering place for community events and offers a peaceful setting for recreation and relaxation in northwest Iowa.

Pine Lake is located near Eldora in central Iowa, Pine Lake State Park is a scenic, 650+ acre park known for its unique blend of wooded landscapes, river corridors, and lakefront recreation. The park features two lakes—Upper and Lower Pine Lake—surrounded by deep ravines, rolling hills, and diverse forest ecosystems. Pine Lake offers extensive outdoor opportunities, including hiking trails through wetlands and along the Iowa River, fishing, boating, and camping. The park is also home to historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) structures, including stone cabins and lodge facilities, reflecting Iowa’s conservation legacy. As a technician you will partner your time between Pine Lake and Union Grove. Union Grove was established in 1938 and is a picturesque park in Tama County centered around the 110-acre Union Grove Lake. The park features a scenic dam and waterfall, wooded landscapes, and a mix of prairie and pine plantings that support diverse wildlife and habitats. Union Grove offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking on scenic trails, fishing for species such as bass and crappie, boating, camping, and wildlife observation. Visitors frequently enjoy the park’s quiet, natural setting and accessible outdoor amenities, making it a popular destination for both day use and overnight stays.

Essential Functions

• Maintain trails, a variety of facilities, park grounds and a variety of large and small equipment used for maintenance work.
• Manage invasive species, conduct prescribed burns, and restore native habitats.
• Operate motor vehicles and a variety of large and small equipment to conduct facilities and ground maintenance and habitat restoration/natural resource management.
• Provide public education programs related to parks or conservation.
• Perform physically demanding work that requires stooping, bending and lifting/carrying up to 50 pounds.
• Perform work outdoors in a variety of extreme weather conditions.

Critical Job Competencies

Accountability, Integrity, High Productivity, Team Player, Customer Focus, Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, Common Sense, Self-Management, Technical Skills (park management).

What You Get From Us:

• A competitive pay plan and rewarding work.
• Insurance benefits that start the first of the month following 30 days of employment.

(Premiums can start as low as $64/month for single and $210/month for family coverage).

• Separate vacation and sick leave accruals that start on the first day and can roll over annually.
• Nine paid holidays/year.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package with employer match.
• Optional deferred compensation (457/401A) plan with employer match.
• Professional training opportunities.
• Family friendly and professional work environment.
• Employee Discount Programs (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling)

• The State’s total compensation package features benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. For a list of additional benefits, please visit the DAS website for more information.

• Flexible work schedules (as approved by the supervisor).

Comments

Special Requirements:

1. Maintain/obtain valid driver's license. (must obtain upon hire).

2. CPR/First Aide certification (must obtain within the first six months of hire)

3. Chain saw safety certification (must obtain within first year of hire)

4. Defensive tactics training (must obtain within first year of hire)

5. Pesticide applicator certification (must obtain within first six months of hire)

The successful candidate must reside within 30 road miles of the work location in accordance with the Parks, Forests, and Preserves Bureau travel policy. This position requires obtaining and maintaining a valid driver’s license upon hire. Additionally, the incumbent must obtain CPR/First Aid and pesticide applicator certifications within the first six months, and chain saw safety and defensive tactics certifications within the first year of employment.

The starting salary for new state (Executive Branch) employees is expected to be at the base of the pay range. Additional salary increases may occur after the first six months, and then annually (if applicable). The State’s total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. Visit the DAS website for more benefit information.

Ensure you are kept up-to-date of this position by checking your email regularly for emails from info@govermentjobs.com. This is a system generated email from the DAS application system and it may be sent directly to your Junk/Spam folder.

DNR Application Tips

For more information about DNR Employment Opportunities and position specific notices, please visit the DNR Employment website.

The State of Iowa is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Worklaws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Iowa DNR Mission

To conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations.

914 Park and Recreation Management
6 months’ experience, twelve semester hours, or a combination of both in the operation and/or maintenance of parks or park recreational services. May have commonly been served at a national, state, or county park level.The equivalent of two years of full time experience involving facilities maintenance in plumbing, electrical, and/or heating and cooling, or semi-skilled or technical work in a biological, horticultural, conservation, or natural resources program;ORan equivalent combination of education and experience substituting 30 semester hours of college level course work in a biological or natural resources program for the required experience.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

• Certain designated positions in this job class require applicants to obtain: a Commercial Drivers License and endorsements; and/or certification as a water and wastewater system operator within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.
• Certain designated positions require the employee to be certified by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as a Pesticide Applicator within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.