Summer Park Ranger Lead

Do you enjoy mentoring staff, engaging with people, answering questions, walking trails, and spending time outdoors? The Assistant Park Ranger Lead is a seasonal position with Bellevue Parks & Community Services Department's Natural Resource Division. This role involves supporting Seasonal Park Rangers by providing training, assigning tasks, and offering guidance throughout the program. In addition to leadership responsibilities, the Assistant Park Ranger Lead will interact with park visitors, remind them of park rules, patrol and secure parks and facilities in the evenings, and assist with various programs and staffing needs. This position is highly customer-facing and involves daily public engagement. The role reports to the Lake Hills Greenbelt Park Ranger.

The program runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with training sessions scheduled in May. Work hours average 40 hours per week, with shifts from 8:00 AM–4:30 PM and 3:30 PM–midnight. Rangers operate as a team to patrol parks, walk trails, lock gates, and restrooms, and interact with visitors.

• Have a comprehensive understanding of the City of Bellevue Park Ranger Program Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and policies.
• Conduct daily park patrols on foot, by bicycle, and using a city vehicle. Duties include gate and restroom lockups and facility closures.
• Review end-of-shift logs, data collection, reports, and record-keeping for accuracy and professionalism.
• Mentor Seasonal Park Rangers and provide guidance when the direct supervisor is unavailable, typically during evenings and weekends.
• Assist with the training and onboarding of new Seasonal Park Rangers.
• Deliver exceptional customer service to park visitors, providing information about park rules, programs, facilities, and natural resources.
• Educate visitors about park rules and regulations, inspect trails and facilities, issue notices for rule violations, and clean litter within park properties.
• Respond promptly and effectively to emergencies within the park system.
• Support Natural Resource facilities, visitor centers, the Ranger Station, Bellevue Marina at Meydenbauer Bay, and other sites as needed.
• Assist with interpretive programs, including nature walks, education sessions, facility tours, canoe trips, workshops, and special events.
• Manage tasks such as opening/closing facilities, answering phones, greeting visitors, conducting surveys, scheduling, monitoring rentals, cleaning transient camps, and keeping facilities clean and organized.
• Oversee and distribute program marketing materials, such as updating kiosks, distributing brochures, and managing website content, under the direction of the Summer Park Ranger Program Supervisor.
• Communicate professionally and courteously with all park patrons and city staff.
• Participate in team meetings and training sessions as required.
• Provide administrative support and assist with programming needs in other Parks & Community Services Department areas as needed.

• Must be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Worked at least one prior season as a City of Bellevue park ranger or similar position.
• Strong customer service skills, including written and oral English communication, and the ability to address the public in a courteous, diplomatic, and professional manner is essential.
• Completion of at least two years of college in natural resource management, environmental education, or other closely related field or two years of similar previous experience preferred.  
• Computer skills with experience in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, Google Drive, and mobile applications.
• Ability to employ excellent customer service skills in explaining and tactfully providing park rules and regulations.
• Ability to keep organized, current, and accurate patrol logs/reports, activity and incident reports, etc.
• Experience in presenting natural history, environmental interpretation, and other public outreach programs desired.
• Previous experience working in the public sector.
• Ability to load/unload and ride a bicycle and walk as assigned area dictates, example: use bike or foot patrols where conditions call for a closer look or more park patron contact.
• Must be able to safely drive, park, backup, and otherwise safely maneuver a standard sized pickup truck. 
• Must be willing to work non-traditional hours, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.
• Must be able to work with minimal supervision and make decisions independently.
• National Criminal History check is required on all applicants.
• Required to possess a valid Washington driver’s license by date of hire.  Must have and maintain a good driving record according to City standards.        Current original drivers abstract required at time of interview.
• Ability to obtain or currently hold Lifeguard Certification.

Physical Demands

• The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Work involves walking, talking, driving, riding a bike, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms.  Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work involves driving or riding in a City vehicle for up to eight hours per day to access patrol sites.
• The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 50 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
• Work may periodically require the employee to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl.
• Employee must be willing and able to work outside in all weather conditions, including hot weather, rain and snow. 

Definition of a Seasonal Employee:  

• Must be pre-approved by Human Resources to ensure compliance with the legislation.
• Regularly scheduled to work up to 40 hours per week for which the customary annual employment is six months or less.
• "Customary" means that the nature of the position typically lasts for six months or fewer and that the period of employment begins at approximately the same time each year.
   

Salary : $22 - $31