Senior Park Aide; Tahoma Gateway Area-West

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Job Title: Senior Park Aide

Location: Federal Way, WA
Closes: March 5th, 2026, at 5 p.m. PST

Position status: This is a permanent position.
There is no housing available for this position.

Under the supervision of a Park Ranger, this position is essential to Washington State Park's mission of operating, enhancing, interpreting and protecting our park's recreational, cultural, historical and natural sites. This position assists and contributes towards all aspects of park operations, supporting day-to-day operations for the Tahoma Gateway Area West, and will lead work responsibilities.

This position is not eligible to telework, as physical on-site presence is required to perform essential functions.

The Senior Park Aide position assigned to Dash Point and Saltwater State Parks offers a unique opportunity to work in the cultural nexus of the Puget Sound. These parks expose you to a greater variety of job assignments than many other parks provide. If you are looking for a position that offers you an opportunity to lead a group of diverse individuals as they promote marine and watershed stewardship, forest health, safe equipment operation, visitor services, interpretation opportunities, campground and vehicle maintenance, and some administrative tasks, this could be the right place for you!

• Leads Park Aides.
• Cleans and performs maintenance on campsites, picnic sites, park buildings including restrooms, trails and roads including removing and disposing of ashes in BBQs, cleaning tables, picking up and disposing of litter, removing debris from grounds with hand tools and larger equipment, maintaining light fixtures and painted surfaces.
• Maintains Park lawns using a mower, weed eaters, trimmers and various other tools. This includes cleaning the equipment, fueling and maintaining, recording use and reporting any problems.
• Assists rangers in maintaining all facilities in a condition that is operationally functional, clean in appearance, and safe for the public and staff. This includes park grounds, structures, utility systems, vehicles, equipment, tools, trails, fences, restrooms, turf and irrigation systems.
• Performs noxious weed control, parking lot maintenance, restroom cleaning, trash collection and litter pick up.
• Independently operates Park vehicles to perform maintenance duties.
• Completes and assists with administrative duties as needed; to include daily reconciliation of funds collected, monthly equipment and safety reports, and other tasks, as assigned.
• Assists construction and maintenance staff with completion of projects.
• Assists with daily camping registration program; trains other staff.
• Provide information including educating the public regarding park rules and regulations, local events, activities, walks and talks, and historic information.
• Assist with interpretive programs and develop displays and camp events.
• Participates in agency training requirements and follows uniform standards.

Option 1:

• Twelve (12) months of experience in building maintenance or grounds keeping, or performing semi-skilled/general carpentry, electrical and/or plumbing repair work and a valid unrestricted driver's license (other than corrective lenses) and at least 18 years old.

Option 2:

• Six (6) months cumulative experience as a Park Aide (or equivalent) and a valid unrestricted driver's license (other than corrective lenses) and at least 18 years old.

Option 3:

• Twelve (12) months' experience in a special employment program (Washington Conservation Corps) with a park's agency. A combination of experience (WCC and Park Aide) may be used provided candidate has at least three months experience as a Park Aide (or equivalent) and a valid unrestricted driver's license (other than corrective lenses) and at least 18 years old.

• Experience using a Point of Sale (POS) system.
• Knowledge of state government rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of State Parks rules and regulations.
• Skilled in the use of Microsoft Office products, such as Outlook, Excel, and Word.
• Ability to work independently while using good judgement and problem-solving skills in decision making.
• Awareness and willingness to follow safety policies and protocols.
• Promotes cooperation and an eagerness and capacity to learn new skills.
• Self-starter who can see a project through to completion.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

• Workload Management: Effectively handle and organize multiple assignments and competing priorities and making sound decisions to produce accurate and timely work products. Ability to remain focused on tasks in spite of distractions and interruptions, making the best use of available time and resources.
• Mastery of Computer
  
  Skills:
  
  Use of personal computers, including all associated hardware and software, to produce timely and accurate work products that fully satisfy the demands of the assignment. Ability to adapt through…