Operator 1 - Parks & 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 getting the Sportsplex ready for programs and events.

If you enjoy practical work, changing priorities, and seeing the results of your effort in spaces the community uses every day, this role may be a good match for you.

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.

What You’ll Do.

Your work changes with the seasons.

During parks season, you’ll help maintain sports fields, green spaces, gardens, trees, trails, playgrounds, cemetery grounds, the splash park, dog park, and other Town-owned properties. Your day may include cutting grass, pruning trees, grinding stumps, removing snow, completing minor repairs, inspecting equipment, or responding to maintenance needs.

At the Sportsplex, you’ll prepare and maintain ice surfaces, operate an ice-resurfacing machine, complete routine refrigeration plant and HVAC checks, care for arena equipment, and help with custodial, building-maintenance, and event setup work.

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

You’ll know you’re succeeding when public spaces and ice surfaces are ready on schedule, equipment is kept in safe working condition, maintenance concerns are identified early, and residents and facility users receive respectful, helpful service.

You Have:

• At least one year of experience in parks, arena operations, grounds maintenance, recreation facilities, or similar hands-on work.
• Experience safely operating parks or arena equipment.
• Experience with horticulture, general maintenance, basic carpentry, fencing, trail maintenance, or related work.
• Grade 12 or equivalent, a valid Class 5 driver’s licence, and valid Intermediate First Aid and CPR C certification.
• Arena Fundamentals and Parks and Sport Fields Operator Level 1 certifications, or the ability to obtain both within one year of hire.
• Experience following safety procedures, working with limited supervision, contributing to a crew, and communicating respectfully with the public.

Your experience does not need to come from a municipality. Relevant experience may come from 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 role that includes outdoor work in heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind, as well as work in cold indoor arena environments.

Parks hours are generally 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Sportsplex hours are shift-based because the facility operates seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to midnight. You may also participate in rotational standby, call-out, and emergency response duties as assigned.

You may work independently, as part of a crew, and across Town-owned properties using a Town vehicle.

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

Compensation & Benefits.

• $29.72–$33.63 per hour
• 40 hours per week
• Health benefits
• 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?

Apply through the Town of Olds Careers page by submitting a resume showing how your experience relates to this opportunity.

Applications close September 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

The Town of Olds welcomes 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. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.