If you enjoy working outdoors, being physically active, and contributing to a clean and welcoming community, this role offers a great opportunity for skill-building and career development!
The City of Portland is recruiting to fill current and future Seasonal Maintenance Worker vacancies across our Public Works Service Area. Seasonal Maintenance Workers perform work in the following bureaus: Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland Water Bureau, and Public Works Transportation.
Job Appointment: Full-time, Seasonal
Work Schedule: Seasonal Maintenance Workers will collaborate with their supervisor/manager to establish their schedule. These are seasonal positions and hours may vary, up to a maximum of 1,600 hours per calendar year.
Work Shifts: The schedules listed below are common examples; additional or alternative start/stop times or shift types may be assigned based on assignment and work group needs.
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6 AM - 2:30 PM
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7 AM - 3:30 PM
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10 AM – 6:30 PM
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12 - 7 PM (This is a swing shift)
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7 PM - 6 AM (This is an overnight shift)
Work Location: Various locations throughout the City
Union Representation: This classification is represented by the Seasonal Maintenance Worker Laborers' Local 483. To view this labor agreement, please click here.
Pay Rate/Vacation Accrual Rate: If you work multiple years, your pay goes up. If you work a swing shift from 12:00 PM to 6:59 PM, or an overnight shift from 7:00 PM to 5:59 AM, you will earn extra pay!
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First year: $19.99 per hour
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Second year: $21.67 per hour
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Third year: $23.33 per hour
How to Apply:
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Submit your work history and responses to supplemental questions by the closing date.
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(Optional) Submit Veterans’ Preference documents, if applicable.
If this is your first time applying with the City of Portland, or if you haven’t requested veteran preference before (and would like to now), please attach your DD214-Member 4 and/or VA Benefit Letter to your application. Once we verify your eligibility, we’ll record your veteran preference in our system, so it automatically applies to your future applications. -
Click here for application tips for resume, supplemental question response and/or cover letter.
Position Summary
This entry-level, seasonal position involves learning to perform and then performing primarily unskilled or limited semi-skilled work, either manually or with small power tools. Work may be completed independently or as part of a crew. Tasks are performed under direct supervision, though once routines are established, oversight may shift to periodic review rather than on-site direction.
Employees help maintain a variety of public spaces and facilities, such as parks, landscaped areas, sports fields, recreational features, and essential city infrastructure. Duties support the upkeep of clean, safe, and accessible outdoor environments for the community, including work that helps keep streets, walkways, and drainage systems functioning and supports the movement of people, goods, and stormwater throughout the city.
What You’ll Do:
General Duties:
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Push mowing smaller sections of lawn.
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Emptying trashcans and performing litter pick-up.
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Cleaning restrooms, including restrooms located in parks.
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Monitoring irrigation systems and reporting issues.
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Assisting Horticulturists with planting, spreading mulch, pruning, and renovating planting beds.
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Operating landscape tools such as backpack leaf blowers, powered string trimmers, edgers, and similar hand tools.
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Power washing and cleaning hard surfaces.
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Weed removal and assisting in monitoring general plant health.
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Collecting and hauling green waste and debris.
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Watering newly planted trees and other plantings as assigned.
Portland Parks & Recreation:
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Opening and closing park restrooms, including securing facilities and performing routine checks.
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Regular facility maintenance such as restocking supplies, addressing minor restroom issues, and reporting needed repairs.
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Irrigation system support including basic troubleshooting and communicating system performance to supervisors.
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Horticultural site preparation such as staging materials, organizing tools, and supporting larger planting or renovation projects.
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Landscape equipment upkeep including cleaning, storing, and performing basic care of hand tools and powered equipment.
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Hard-surface maintenance such as clearing debris from paths, plazas, and park structures.
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Plant health monitoring including identifying signs of stress, pests, or disease and reporting observations.
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Green-waste logistics including staging debris for pickup and assisting with load organization.
Public Works Transportation:
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Asphalt and concrete support including assisting with placement, finishing, and cleanup of paving materials.
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Thermoplastic pavement marking assistance and cleaning or maintaining street signs.
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Graffiti abatement on traffic signs, retaining walls, and other public structures.
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Moving equipment and materials including office equipment, furniture, machinery, and field supplies.
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Pick-up and delivery tasks for equipment, materials, mail, parts, and supplies.
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Inventory and storage support including stocking, sorting, and organizing parts and materials.
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Sewer maintenance assistance including supporting sewer repair and cleaning activities.
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Work-zone traffic control setup including placing cones, signs, and barricades under supervision.
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Basic documentation such as completing forms and writing simple reports on work performed, time, and materials used.
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Perform traffic control
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Transport equipment and materials
Learn More About
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How to Apply Videos and Workshops
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City of Portland Core Values
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HRAR-3.01 - Recruitment Processes
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Veteran Preference Information
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Total Compensation and Benefits
We’re committed to providing a fair, inclusive, and accessible hiring process. If you need assistance with your application or would like to request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, pregnancy, or religious belief, please contact the recruiter listed below.
Questions? We're here to help!
If you have questions about this recruitment or need assistance completing your application, contact:
Amanda Hillebrecht, Senior Recruiter
[email protected]
Bureau of Human Resources
The City of Portland is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage applicants from communities of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experience in the communities we serve to apply.
PUBLIC WORKS: TRANSPORTATION (formerly PBOT) areas and work groups:
Learn more about Public Works: Transportation at:https://www.portland.gov/transportation
Public Works: Transportation does not have any current job openings for Seasonal Maintenance Workers to support the Maintenance Operations Group. The Maintenance Operations Group maintains the essential infrastructure of our city, which includes the following: our streets, bridges, tunnels, greenspaces, street cleaning, sidewalks, traffic signs, and pavement markings. They keep our rivers clean by repairing the city's wastewater and stormwater lines. Our crews all have the same goal: Maintain streets, roads, and bridges that allow people, goods, and stormwater to move through our city. Maintenance workers don't just help people get around; They also help keep our rivers clean by maintaining the city's wastewater and stormwater conveyance system. The Seasonal Maintenance Worker is a member of the bureau's 24-hour response team. You may be required to work after-hours, evening, weekend, and holiday emergency response.
Keeping Our Rivers Clean
With this team, SMWs will provide support with - Traffic control and flagging on various projects and locations; repairing and maintaining stormwater and wastewater pipes; removing natural debris from small creeks and ditches; closing circuit camera operators with equipment inspecting pipes; assisting utility locators with locating underground stormwater and wastewater pipes; assisting with the maintenance of pipes, ditches, and natural drainage systems; special projects, both in-office and in the field; outdoor work may be in built urban environments, residential areas, or natural areas, such as forests. Indoor work may be in an office setting or storage area.
Traffic Signs and Markings
This team maintains all city sign assets. City sign assets include the following: street name signs, stop signs, and wayfinding signage in the right-of-way. This team also maintains all of the yellow and white lane markings, crosswalks, and other pavement markings. With this team, SMWs will provide support with -Traffic control and flagging on various projects and locations in the right-of-way; digging holes for mounting posts and brackets for signs; loading vehicles with necessary material and equipment for daily work; assisting with end-of-shift cleaning of vehicles, recycling needed metal or wood; other duties as assigned
Sidewalks Maintenance Construction
This team works in residential neighborhoods and in the right of way to help provide accessibility for all roadway users. With this team, SMWs will provide support with -Setting up and taking down daily traffic control for work zones, flagging as needed; ensuring the work zone is clean and clear of trip hazards during the construction phase; assisting with loading daily equipment or material, such as shovels, wood forms, nails, and hammers); assisting with preparation for corner ramp construction, including preparing area for concrete pours. Cleaning up equipment and vehicles, as needed. Other duties as assigned
Roadway Repairs
This team performs a variety of road repairs on all city streets. With this team, SMWs will provide support with: setting up and maintaining traffic control to keep co-workers and the public safe; filling potholes and making small repairs; patching the road after a water or sewer line is repaired; large paving projects, where several blocks are paved with a new road surface, for example; clearing landslides and other natural debris, which may fall onto the roadway.
Street Cleaning
This team operates several cleaning programs. The list of cleaning programs and services they provide includes street sweeping, sidewalk flushing, greenspace maintenance, traffic island maintenance, non-curbed roadway vegetation removal, bike lane sweeping, and mow and brush cutting. With this team, SMWs will provide support with: traffic control and flagging; operating mowers and weed trimmers; hose flushing and power washing; loading equipment and materials for daily work; cleaning the job site and removing traffic control; assisting with emergency response; removing hazards in the right of way.
Building Facilities and Material Distribution Center
This team supports internal PBOT employees and services required for Maintenance and Operations. With this team, SMWs will provide general support to the facility and the Materials Distribution Center. Typical duties may include: assisting with landscaping, including invasive species removal; general building maintenance, including office and meeting space setup, removing garbage, and sweeping floors; general grounds and equipment maintenance; providing customer service at the warehouse front desk; assisting with receiving materials; replenishing stock.
PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION areas and work groups: Learn more about Portland Parks & Recreation: https://www.portland.gov/parks
Aquatics/Fountains: This team maintains our swimming pools and recreational fountains, including getting outdoor pools and fountains open for summer and closed for winter. Cleaning (removing litter, pressure-washing, etc.) pools and fountains. Testing water in pools, maintaining water chemistry, backwashing filters, etc.
Athletic Fields: This team keeps our athletic fields ready for play by leagues and others, including: Preparing, maintaining, and striping sports fields. Other tasks to keep fields safe and ready for use. Renovate/design fields. Work at various sporting event tournaments. Work in a team environment. Learn and use different small engine equipment.
Community Gardens: Fixing garden infrastructure including locks, paths, and garden beds. Supporting gardener work parties. Driving large trucks.
Golf Ground Maintenance: Work at one of our five golf courses across the city. Work includes: Mowing greens, tees, fairways, and rough areas, and maintaining bunkers. Picking up trash and cleaning restrooms. Digging, raking, edging, pruning, irrigation, and flower bed maintenance.
Horticulture Services: This team does a variety of landscape work, including maintaining planters and landscapes outside city-owned buildings. String trimming, hedge shearing, hand weeding, blowing, and rough area maintenance. Loading, unloading, and watering nursery plant material and delivering them to work sites.
Developed Park Maintenance (various locations around the city): Seven maintenance teams care for 100+ developed parks throughout Portland, including: Cleaning restrooms and removing trash. Safely operating City-owned vehicles. Working independently. Operating small equipment such as edgers, trimmers, and blowers. Assisting with horticultural projects such as mulching, weeding, edging lawns, watering, and working with volunteers. Maintaining positive relationships with community members.
PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION areas and work groups:
Learn more about Portland Parks & Recreation: https://www.portland.gov/parks
Aquatics/Fountains
This team maintains our swimming pools and recreational fountains, including:
Getting outdoor pools and fountains open for summer and closed for winter.
Cleaning (removing litter, pressure-washing, etc.) pools and fountains.
Testing water in pools, maintaining water chemistry, backwashing filters, etc.
Athletic Fields
This team keeps our athletic fields ready for play by leagues and others, including:
Preparing, maintaining, and striping sports fields.
Other tasks to keep fields safe and ready for use.
Renovate/design fields
Work at various sporting event tournaments.
Work in a team environment.
Learn and use different small engine equipment.
Community Gardens
Fixing garden infrastructure including locks, paths, and garden beds.
Supporting gardener work parties.
Driving large trucks.
Golf Ground Maintenance
Work at one of our five golf courses across the city. Work includes:
Mowing greens, tees, fairways, and rough areas, and maintaining bunkers.
Picking up trash and cleaning restrooms.
Digging, raking, edging, pruning, irrigation, and flower bed maintenance.
Horticulture Services
This team does a variety of landscape work, including:
Maintaining planters and landscapes outside city-owned buildings.
String trimming, hedge shearing, hand weeding, blowing, and rough area maintenance.
Loading, unloading, and watering nursery plant material and delivering them to work sites.
Developed Park Maintenance (various locations around the city)
Seven maintenance teams care for 100+ developed parks throughout Portland, including:
Cleaning restrooms and removing trash.
Safely operating City-owned vehicles.
Working independently.
Operating small equipment such as edgers, trimmers, and blowers.
Assisting with horticultural projects such as mulching, weeding, edging lawns, watering, and working with volunteers.
Maintaining positive relationships with community members.
