Gardener Ii, Public Works Agency

Introduction
THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.
REQUIREMENT: Applicants must possess and maintain a valid Qualified Applicator Certificate, with either a Landscape Maintenance (B) OR Gardener Maintenance (Q) endorsement. Additionally, candidates must have a valid California Motor Vehicle Class C Driver's License with a three-year clean driving record. A clean driving record consist of no violations.
MUST BE ATTACHED: Applicants must provide an official DMV license printout showing a clean driving record for the last three years AND Qualified Applicator Certificate, with either a Landscape Maintenance (B) OR Gardener Maintenance (Q) endorsement at the time of application. Please note all attachments must be submitted under the RESUME tab which can only accept one (1) file.
Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.
Applications and supplemental questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.
APPLICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ONLINE.
DESCRIPTION
THE AGENCY
The mission of Public Works is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Alameda County by providing a safe, well-maintained, and lasting Public Works infrastructure through accessible, responsive and effective services.
Public services provided by the Alameda County Public Works Agency include flood and storm water pollution control, transportation planning and design, roadway and flood control maintenance and inspection, and construction and building inspections.
The goals of the Agency are to keep roads safe and well maintained, provide the highest level of flood protection, provide service levels that optimize infrastructure life cycles, minimize deferred maintenance, ensure that development and construction adhere to applicable State and County rules, optimize disaster preparedness, response and recover, ensure that the Agency's operations and services minimize negative impacts on the environment, and sustain and advance County and Agency programs through a vital business and administrative support system.
For more information about the Alameda County Public Works Agency, please visit their website at www.acgov.org/pwa.
THE POSITION
This series specification unique to the Public Works Agency describes two gardener classes which, under close supervision at the lower level and under general supervision at the higher level, plant, transplant, and propagate trees, shrubs and flowers; keep an assigned grounds area clean and attractive; and do related work as required.
Gardener II, Public Works Agency is the journey-level gardener classification. Positions in this class perform functions which require the exercise of independent judgment and skilled gardening knowledge. The Gardener II works under the general supervision of the Field Maintenance Supervisor and assists in giving direction to the Gardener I and other special program employees. Incumbents are responsible for keeping assigned ground areas clean and attractive, planting trees and shrubs, propagating seeds, applying pesticides safely, and installing, repairing and operating irrigation systems.
For more detailed information about the job classification, visit: Gardener II, Public Works Agency (#9103)
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
EITHER I
Possession and maintenance of a valid Qualified Applicator Certificate, with a Landscape Maintenance (B) or Gardener Maintenance (Q) endorsement.
AND
The equivalent of one-year full-time experience in the class of Gardener I in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney's Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)
OR
The equivalent of two years full-time experience in skilled gardening work. (Successful completion of a two-year course in gardening at an accredited trade school may be substituted for one year of the required experience.)
License: Possess and maintain a valid California Motor Vehicle Class C Driver's License. Candidates must submit evidence from the DMV showing current status of their license at the time of application and must have a clean driving record for the previous three-year period.
Physical Characteristics: May require heavy lifting and the ability to stoop, crouch, climb ladders, and work outside in all weather conditions; work around heavy equipment, in noisy environments, on roadways and medians, etc.
NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:
Knowledge of:

• Modern gardening methods and procedures.
• The use, maintenance and minor repair of gardening tools and equipment.
• Pruning, and fertilizing of trees, shrubs, and lawns.
• Diseases and insects common to plants in these areas and pesticides commonly used for their control.
• Safety practices.

Ability to:

• Trim and prune trees and shrubs.
• Spray and fertilize plants, shrubs, and lawns.
• Use and maintain gardening equipment.
• Safely lift and operate power tools commonly used in gardening.
• Lead and direct the work of assigned staff and/or unskilled help; i.e., prisoners, and special program employees.
• Communicate in a courteous manner with the public and other County employees.
• Read, write and communicate effectively.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS
THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. Review of applicants' application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2. A review of the supplemental questionnaire to further verify knowledge, skill and ability.
3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.
Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.
For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the "What You Need to Know" section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN
Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN
Deadline for Filing: 5:00:00 p.m., Thursday, March 14, 2024 Review of Minimum Qualifications and Questionnaires: by March 29, 2024 Oral Examination*: Week of April 29, 2024 Department Selection Interview: Mid-Late June 2024
*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN
Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County's Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.
For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.
BENEFITS
Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employees discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well-being. These benefits include but are not limited to*:
For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical - HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental - HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1st United Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.
Conclusion
All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, acgov.org, Noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org, and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.
Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.
NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box Noreply@jobaps.com and Noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions, please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.
Erika Beams, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
Analyst Email Address Link: ERIKA.BEAMS@ACGOV.ORG | Phone: 510-272-6393
www.acgov.org/hrs
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcom...