Park Ranger

Job Description:

Park Ranger

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.

Click here to learn more about 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.
  

and

• 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.

Special Requirements:

• 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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to use common tools and equipment used in park and open space operations and interpretation.
• Ability to operate equipment, including portable radios, computers, fax machines, cash registers, and telephones.
• Ability to operate commercial vehicles such as dump trucks, tractors with accessories and tractor trailers.
• Knowledge of philosophies concerning management of open space areas.
• Ability to learn and interpret the natural history of the area.
• Ability to maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities which may include walking or standing for extended periods of time, and operating assigned equipment and vehicles.
• Ability to effectively communicate in both written and oral formats, interact with others, and to assimilate and understand information in a manner consistent with the essential job functions.
• Ability to make sound decisions in a manner consistent with the essential job functions.

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.

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

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

Salary:

$86,777.60 - $106,121.60 Annually