Yard Tree Assistant Community Service Aide

The Position Do you love working with trees, exploring the city, and connecting with communities? Spend your summer outdoors collecting data on Portland's trees and assisting with our Yard Tree Giveaway Program! Job Appointment: Two Casual, full-time appointments available

Work Schedule: 7am-3:30pm; July through mid-September: Monday-Friday Late September - December: Tuesday-Saturday Work Location: This position is based at Delta Park: 10910 N Denver Ave, Portland OR, 97217. Field work will occur in various neighborhoods across Portland. City vehicles will be provided for transportation to field sites.

Benefits: These positions have limited benefit eligibility. Please review the Benefits tab for more information.

Language Pay Differential: Employees who speak one or more languages in addition to English and who use their language skill to assist the community, may receive additional pay. More about the process can be found here.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland's online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.



Position Summary:
This is not a desk job! You will spend much of your time outside, in all conditions, learning about trees in the city.


As a Yard Tree Giveaway Assistant, you will work with a team of people committed to caring for Portland's trees and growing a more equitable urban forest. You will learn how to identify tree species and monitor their progress, support tree giveaway events, and plant young trees for the public.


In this position you will communicate with Portlanders of all backgrounds. Candidates who speak Spanish or languages other than English are strongly encouraged to apply.



What you'll get to do: Collect data on trees planted through the Yard Tree Giveaway Program using a mobile GIS app. Manage data and inspect records in Excel and ArcGIS. Deliver, plant, and monitor hundreds of trees around Portland; driving is a large component of this job. Interact in-person with diverse residents and provide them information on young tree care. Communicate with diverse customers by phone, text, and email to coordinate visits and answer questions. Help people register for the Yard Tree Giveaway over the phone; answering the phone and talking to people about trees is a large component of this job. Support Yard Tree Giveaway events by loading tools and trees, setting up event locations, and staffing the events.
These positions are made possible through funding by the Portland Clean Energy Fund Equitable Tree Canopy Program.
About Urban Forestry and Portland's Forest:
Urban Forestry's mission is to manage and ensure Portland's urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Portland's urban forest is valued at over $6 billion and comprised of over 1.2 million park trees, 218,000 street trees and 2.9 million private property trees. The Urban Forestry team is responsible for the overall management, stewardship, and improvement of this essential infrastructure system. Urban Forestry's work includes delivery of sustainable and equitable forest services to all Portlanders; establishing and enacting best management practices, plans, policies, and technical standards for tree care and protection and urban forest expansion; implementing, enforcing, and proposing improvements to the City's tree regulations; providing tree maintenance services including 24/7 response to tree emergencies on City properties and public streets; tree planting and expansion of urban forest services; measurement and assessment of urban forest coverage, health, and services; offering community education and stewardship programs; and oversight and support of the City's volunteer advisory tree board. Portland is a Tree City USA for 46 years, a Tree City of the World and the Urban Forestry program is accredited by the Urban and Community Forestry Society (formerly the Society of Municipal Arborists).

About the Bureau:
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is committed to the overall Citywide vision that race will have no detrimental effect on people of color, refugee and immigrant communities in accessing our parks and natural areas, or from the benefit of our services. We recognize, understand, and encourage celebration of the differences that surround us. Diversity and equity are vital to PP&R's ideals and values. The City of Portland, Oregon is a growing and diverse city of 650,000 residents, nearly 20% of whom speak languages other than English at home. PP&R values a diverse workforce and seeks ways to promote equity and inclusion within the organization and with the public. PP&R encourages applications from candidates with knowledge, ability and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities with diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Although not required, PP&R encourages candidates that can fluently speak another language to include that information in their application materials. Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position duties and responsibilities, day to day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: ********

Have a question?
Hannah Zeilenga, Recruiter
To Qualify The following minimum qualifications are required for this position: Experience communicating with and providing customer service for people with culturally diverse backgrounds, through multiple forms of communication. Experience working with trees. Experience collecting and/or managing data using tools such as ArcGIS and Excel. The following are also required: A valid state driver's license and acceptable driving record. Must be at least 18 years of age by July 1, 2024. The ability to perform outdoor work in all weather conditions; to stoop, bend, sit, stand, and walk over uneven terrain; to lift up to 30 pounds. The availability to work Saturdays in the fall. Although not required, you may have one or more of the following: Fluency in a language other than English, especially Vietnamese, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, or Cantonese. Excellent organization skills and an attention to detail. The Recruitment Process STEP 1: Apply online between May 6th and May 13th Required Application Materials: Resume Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions) Optional Application Materials: If you would like to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your Veteran documents (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.) by the closing date of the recruitment. Application Tips: Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or personal and professional experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement. Your work history should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions. Do not attach any additional documents. All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment. Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of May 13th, 2024 An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their work history and supplemental questions. Your work history and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our pass/fail evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification. You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of May 20th, 2024 Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list. Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list. Step 4: Selection (Interview): Early/Mid-May Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview. Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list. Step 5: Offer of Employment: Late May/June Step 6: Start Date: July 2024 A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met. Timeline is approximate and subject to change. Additional Information Click here for additional information regarding the following: City of Portland Core Values Recruitment Process - Work Status Equal Employment Opportunity Veteran Preference ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer