Parks Seasonal Laborer

** SEASONAL SUMMER LABORER POSITIONS OPEN **

The City of Sumner has an opening for two (2) Parks Seasonal Laborers serving a 5 month term beginning around May - June. Positions are expected to last from around May through September, but can be flexible depending on the needs of the candidate. Sumner's Seasonal Laborers work a 40 hour work week, Monday through Friday, with no weekend work required.

First review of applications will begin on March 16, 2026. 

The seasonal positions with the City's Parks are temporary, full-time, Fair Labor Standards Act overtime eligible, non-exempt positions, lasting no more than 5 months.

The regular work schedule for Seasonal Laborers is typically Monday through Friday 6:30 am to 3:00 pm. Evening, weekend and holiday work is not anticipated. The incumbent in this position is not a Civil Service employee.

General Purpose:
The temporary seasonal labor position is responsible for maintenance of city facilities, including watering hanging baskets, street trees and maintaining flower beds. Work is initially performed under the direction of the Parks Field Supervisor; employees are expected to perform assignments independently. There are no supervisory responsibilities with this positions.


About Sumner:
The City of Sumner’s vision is to set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city. In working to achieve that vision, Sumner prioritizes and celebrates diverse perspectives, life experiences and differences. The City actively seeks and encourages people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics to apply and all come together with a goal of continuing to learn and improve to better serve the residents, businesses and visitors of our community.  Sumner remains a traditional city of just over 11,000 residents with agricultural roots, known for decades as the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World. At the same time, its compact, walkable layout aligns perfectly with progressive planning trends, as its classic Main Street becomes repurposed for boutiques, independent restaurants and daily services such as legal offices, financial advisors and doctors. While Sumner retains historic neighborhoods of Craftsman houses and an active high school right on Main Street, it also offers over 16,000 manufacturing and distribution jobs for companies such as REI, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Amazon.com, and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. With a downtown Sound Transit station with buses and trains, it is well connected to the Puget Sound region while striving to be a full-service city with the largest YMCA facility in the state of Washington as well as a link trail system that will connect the Foothills and Interurban trails.  Like the community, the city government is large enough to be professional but small enough to be creative. The City has won a variety of awards from the Governor's Smart Planning Award to recognition at the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its groundbreaking police work on victims' assistance. With a strong mayor format, the City has just over 140 employees who operate a cemetery, wastewater treatment facility, accredited police department, animal shelter, parks, senior center, full service public works and administration. 



 

Examples of Duties

The job duties and responsibilities represented in this job description in no way imply that these are the only duties to be performed.  Employees occupying the position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by a supervisor.  While requirements may be representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty with average proficiency.
 
Tasks assigned to any of the seasonal positions may include such duties as:

• Maintenance of city facilities including:
  • Maintaining flower beds;
  • Watering street trees and hanging baskets;
  • Emptying public garbage cans;
  • Mowing;
  • Edging;
  • Trimming;
  • Pruning;
  • Clearing brush;
  • Other maintenance activities as assigned;
• Perform a variety of manual labor activities at city facilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements
 

• Must be 18 years of age by start date.
• Valid Washington State Driver's License clear of accidents, tickets, etc.  
• Any experience, education, or training which would provide the level of knowledge and ability desired.
• Landscaping maintenance desired but not necessary.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of:

• Work hazards and applicable safety precautions applicable to the work.

Ability to:

• Perform tasks requiring physical strength and agility.
• Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Work independently in the performance of routinely assigned duties.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisors and the public.
• Work out of doors for extended periods under unfavorable weather conditions.
• Operate a city vehicle.
• Provide excellent customer service by using a friendly, professional, accurate and customer orientated approach to a wide variety of customers including the general public and other staff. 
• Maintain reliable attendance. 
• Contribute to achieving the Department Mission.

Supplemental Information

Physical Requirements
Requirements outlined in this job description may be modified to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified for employment in this position. However, some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.

Positions in this class typically require: climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, mobility, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. Heavy Work:  Exerting 50 to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 25 to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or 10 to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Description of Work Environment:

• Typically work is performed out of door in adverse weather conditions.    
• Fieldwork includes the exposure to noise, nuisance dust, noxious and toxic gases and vapors, and traffic. 

Selection Guidelines:
Formal application, rating of education and experience, oral interview and reference check; job-related tests may be required.

Operating a City vehicle is a requirement of this position therefore candidates must have a driving record clear of major violations. Candidates who pass the interview phase will be asked to submit their driving record that is no more than 30 days old prior to recieving an offer of employment from the City.

To consistently evaluate driving records, the City has adopted the following Driver Evaluation System to screen applicants:
A  =  Acceptable
B = Borderline
P = Poor
Major Violations include:

• DUI – Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (including marijuana)
• Vehicular Homicide
• Vehicular Assault
• Driving while license suspended or revoked
• Reckless driving
• Negligent driving 1st degree
• Hit and run (bodily injury and/or property damage).

Moving Violations include speeding and other moving traffic infractions, see WAC 308-104-160.  Traffic photo enforcement and parking tickets do not appear on driving records as Moving Violations. If multiple citations are issued on the same day, they will be counted as a single violation. (Sumner Personnel Policy 3.2.1)

 

 Background checks may include:
 

• Prior Employment Verification: confirms applicant's employment with the listed companies, including dates of employment, position held and additional information available pertaining to performance rating, reason for departure and eligibility for rehire. This verification will be run on the past three employers or the previous five years, whichever comes first.
• Personal and Professional References: calls will be placed to individuals listed as references by the applicant.
• Employment Eligibility Verification: Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States.
• Educational Verification: confirms the applicant's claimed educational institution, including the years attended and the degree/diploma received.
• Criminal History: includes review of criminal convictions and probation. The following factors will be considered for applicants with a criminal history:
  • The nature of the crime and its relationship to the position.
  • The time since the conviction.
  • The number (if more than one) of convictions.
  • Whether hiring, transferring or promoting the applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees or its customers and vendors.

The following additional background searches will be required if applicable to the position:
 

• Motor Vehicle Records: provides a report on an individual's driving history in the state requested. This search will be run when driving is an essential requirement of the position.
• Credit History: confirms candidate's credit history. This search will be run for positions that involve management of City of Sumner funds and/or handling of cash or credit cards.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City is an equal employment opportunity employer.  The City employs, retains, promotes, terminates and otherwise treats all employees and job applicants on the basis of job-related qualifications and competence. These policies shall be applied without regard to any individual's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, sensory, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation including gender expression and identity, genetic information, domestic violence victim or other basis prohibited by law. 
Persons needing assistance in the application process may call the Human Resources Office, at 253-299-5595 or email hr@sumnerwa.gov. If you are invited to participate in the selection process and need ADA accommodations, please notify HR before you are scheduled for an interview or testing.

Drug Free Workplace
The City of Sumner is a drug free workplace. The City is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment, free from employees whose job performance may be impaired by the use of prescription, nonprescription, over-the-counter drugs, illegal controlled substances, marijuana and alcohol.
  
 General Hiring Process Information
 

• Submitting a cover letter and resume is not required but is recommended. 
• Applicants must provide professional references with accurate phone numbers and email addresses. References will only be contacted for applicants who progress past the interview process. 
• If multiple applications are received for the same candidate, only the most recently submitted, complete application will be considered. 
• Applications received by the review date will be screened for minimum qualifications and then submitted to a Subject Matter Expert to select which candidates will be invited to interview. Personally identifiable information is removed from the applications during the screening process.
• Applicants who are invited to interview will receive notification by email and will be provided at least one weeks' notice prior to the scheduled interview date. 
• Applicants who are not invited to interview will be notified by email. 
• Interviews may be held through an online meeting platform such as Microsoft Teams. 
• Applicants who pass the interview process may be invited back for a second interview with the department leads or for a walking interview through the department. 
• Applicants who did not pass the interview will be notified by email.