Employment Opportunity - Operator 1 - Parks and Recreation

In the warmer months, you might start your day preparing a sports field, mowing a Town property, checking a playground, or maintaining the dog park. When arena season arrives, your work shifts indoors to ice preparation, equipment checks, facility maintenance, and helping the Sportsplex get ready for programs and events. This role may be a good match for you if you enjoy practical work, changing priorities, and seeing the results of your effort in spaces the community uses every day.

The Town of Olds is hiring an Operator 1 – Parks & Recreation to help keep our parks, trails, outdoor amenities, and Sportsplex safe, clean, functional, and ready for residents and facility users.

Your work changes with the seasons.
During parks season, you will help keep sports fields, green spaces, flower gardens, trees, trails, playgrounds, outdoor buildings, cemetery grounds, the splash park, and the dog park ready for public use. Your day may include cutting grass, pruning trees, grinding stumps, removing snow, completing minor repairs, inspecting equipment, or responding to maintenance needs across Town-owned properties.

While assigned to the Sportsplex, you will prepare and maintain ice surfaces, operate an ice-resurfacing machine, complete routine refrigeration plant and HVAC checks, and care for arena equipment. You will also complete custodial and routine building-maintenance work and help set up and take down tables, chairs, and equipment for facility activities and special events.

Depending on the season, you will use equipment such as front-end loaders, skid-steer loaders, mowers, tractors, chainsaws, string trimmers, stump-grinding equipment, and an arena ice-resurfacing machine.

You will know you are succeeding when:

• Parks, recreation amenities, and ice surfaces are ready for the public when scheduled.
• The equipment you use is inspected, cleaned, and kept in safe working condition.
• You identify and report facility or equipment concerns before they interrupt service.
• Seasonal maintenance work is completed safely, reliably, and according to schedule.
• Residents and facility users receive respectful and helpful service.
• Coworkers can rely on you to complete your work independently and contribute to the crew.

You have:

• You have at least one year of experience in parks, arena operations, grounds maintenance, recreation facilities, or similar hands-on work.
• You have safely operated parks or arena equipment, such as loaders, mowers, tractors, chainsaws, string trimmers, or an ice-resurfacing machine.
• You have completed work involving horticulture, general maintenance, basic carpentry, fencing, trail maintenance, or related tasks.
• You have Grade 12 or equivalent, a valid Class 5 driver’s license, and a valid Intermediate First Aid and CPR C certificate.
• You have Arena Fundamentals and Parks and Sport Fields Operator Level 1 certifications, or you can obtain both within one year of hire.
• You have followed safety procedures, worked with limited supervision, contributed to a crew, and communicated respectfully with members of the public.

Your experience does not need to come from a municipality. Relevant experience may come from parks, landscaping, agriculture, recreation facilities, arenas, public works, property maintenance, construction, or another hands-on operating environment.

What the Work Is Really Like.
This is an on-site operational role. You will work outdoors in heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind, as well as in cold indoor arena and ice-surface environments.

This position has no direct reports. During parks season, you will receive day-to-day direction from the Supervisor – Parks.  While assigned to the arena, you will receive direction from the Supervisor – Sportsplex.  During your shift, you may travel between the Sportsplex, parks, trails, and other Town-owned properties using a Town vehicle.

Why This Role Is Different.
This role gives you the opportunity to use different skills as the seasons change. You may spend one season working across parks, trails, sports fields, and outdoor amenities, then move into arena operations and ice maintenance as community needs change.

Your work is visible. Residents, athletes, families, community groups, and facility users see and experience the results every day.

Review the detailed Operator 1 – Parks & Recreation job description to learn more about the role.

Compensation and Work Schedule.

• Wage range of $29.72 to $33.63 per hour.
• A regular schedule of 40 hours per week.
• Parks hours are generally 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday
• Sportsplex hours are shift based as the Sportsplex operates 7 days a week from 6:00 am to midnight. 
• May participate in rotational standby, call-out, and emergency response duties as assigned. 
• Health benefits and participation in the Local Authorities Pension Plan.

Apply
Ready for hands-on work that changes with the seasons and makes a visible difference in the community?
The Town of Olds welcomes applications from candidates with different career paths and backgrounds. You may not have performed every task listed, but we encourage you to apply when your experience is relevant and you can meet the essential requirements of the role.

Apply through the Town of Olds Careers page. Submit a resume showing how your experience relates to this opportunity by September 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

Apply for the Operator 1 – Parks & Recreation position.

The Town of Olds thanks all applicants for their interest. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.