Motor Equipment Operator - Park Maintenance

MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR - Park Maintenance

The City of Moline, Illinois

SALARY:

• $25.60 - $37.12 Hourly
• $53,249.25 - $77,211.47 Annually
• Non-Negotiable Starting Pay: $25.6006 Hourly / $53,249.25 Annually

SCHEDULE:

• Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

• 8/17/2026 5:00 PM Central

WHO ARE WE?

The City of Moline is a welcoming, hardworking community located along the Mississippi River in the heart of the Quad Cities. With a population of just over 42,000, Moline offers the perfect mix of small-town feel and big-city convenience.

As a full-service city, we're here to provide great services, support local growth, and make Moline a great place to live, work, and visit. We're proud of our team and the work we do to keep our city running smoothly.

When you join the City of Moline, you become part of a group that values making a difference in the community. We're all about doing good work and helping each other succeed.

HOW YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE:

As an MEO-Parks Maintenance, you'll play a hands-on part in keeping City parks safe, attractive, and well maintained by operating a wide range of motorized equipment such as dump trucks, loaders, rollers, backhoes, and large mowing units. You'll support year-round park operations by assisting with snow plowing, sanding, ice pond maintenance, and emergency response during storms, while also contributing to turf management, landscaping, planting, and flower bed preparation. Your work will help promote healthy trees and plant life through pruning, trimming, shaping, and removal using proper forestry tools and safety practices. You'll perform routine equipment servicing and minor repairs, apply fertilizers and pest control treatments in compliance with safety regulations, assist with general park facility maintenance and small repair projects, provide guidance to small crews when requested, and complete required records and reports to ensure accurate documentation of work performed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Operate motorized equipment such as dump trucks, backhoes, front-end loaders, rollers, and large gang mowing units in support of park maintenance operations.
• Perform snow and ice control activities, including plowing, sanding, and cindering roads, parking lots, and park areas, and assist with ice pond maintenance during winter operations.
• Maintain and improve park grounds through turf care activities, including grading, aerating, seeding, and spreading materials.
• Perform semi-skilled maintenance, repair, and improvement work on park grounds, buildings, and facilities.
• Service equipment and perform routine maintenance and minor repairs; identify and report the need for additional repairs or servicing.
• Assist with tree trimming, pruning, shaping, and removal using chainsaws, ropes, and other forestry tools while following established safety protocols. 
• Propagate plants and maintain landscaped areas, including preparing and caring for flower beds and planting areas.
• Mix and apply fertilizers and chemical treatments in accordance with safety standards and applicable regulations.
• Maintain greenhouse and growing facilities by regulating temperature, watering, and ventilation systems.
• Provide work direction to small crews on assigned projects when requested.
• Complete required records, reports, and documentation related to work performed and equipment used.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of the safe operation and routine maintenance of trucks, medium-sized tractors, loaders, and related motorized equipment.
• Knowledge of groundskeeping, turf management, landscaping, and basic horticultural and arboricultural practices.
• Working knowledge of occupational hazards, safety precautions, and safe work practices related to equipment operation, forestry work, and chemical application.
• Knowledge of applicable law and regulations related to pesticide and chemical use and traffic laws governing equipment operation.
• Skill in using and maintaining chainsaws, forestry tools, landscaping equipment, and hand tools safely and effectively.
• Ability to perform semi-skilled maintenance and repair work, including basic carpentry, painting, and masonry tasks.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions and exercise sound judgment in completing assigned work.
• Ability to communicate effectively and maintain positive working relationships with supervisors, coworkers, other departments, and the public.

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in greenhouse or nursery operations, landscape planting, tree maintenance, forestry, or related work
• Experience operating and performing routine maintenance on trucks, medium-sized tractors, and loaders, or similar equipment
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid Illinois Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL-B) with air brakes endorsement, or equivalent, required upon application.
• Valid Illinois Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL-A) with air brakes and tanker endorsements, or equivalent, required within sixty (60) days of hire.
• Valid State of Illinois Pesticide Applicator License, to be obtained within one (1) year of hire, license category to be determined by the City.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, employee is regularly required to talk or hear; frequently required to walk, stand, sit; use hands and fingers to handle, feel, and make fine adjustments; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl. The employee will frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include: close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee is occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock, dangerous chemicals, and hazardous atmospheres. Work is performed under varied weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and occasionally loud.

Residency Requirement

AFSCME employees shall live within a 20-mile radius from the City's Emergency Center, located at 1630 8th Avenue in Moline, within 180 days of hire.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Salary/Compensation: $53,249 - $77,211 per year