When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

What we offer
We offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer:

• Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service
• Paid personal days;
• Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching;
• Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account;
• Employee and Family Assistance Program;
• Parental leave top up program;
• Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance
• Employee recognition programs.

Applications are being accepted for the temporary position of Healthy Landscapes Program Assistant. Reporting to the Supervisor of Environmental Programs, this position will work as part of a dynamic and collaborative team within the Compliance, Programs and Performance division.

The Healthy Landscapes Program Assistant will educate residents on how to reduce outdoor water use while maintaining a healthy and vibrant yard. This includes conducting on-site landscape visits at residential properties to share educational resources and advice, developing informational factsheets and delivering pop-up events.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Assist with the planning and delivery of the Healthy Landscape program and other water efficiency programs as needed.
• Complete on-site landscape audits at residential properties in Guelph to encourage water efficient, sustainable landscaping. Provide excellent customer service and provide recommendations on:
  • Native plant selection, placement, and planting techniques (including “the right plant in the right place”)
  • Creative landscape design options
  • Water efficient lawn care tips
  • General water-saving landscaping advice 
• Provide administrative support for bookings visits (online and by phone) and responding to resident inquires (by phone and email, including monitoring the general program inbox).
• Assist with the design of educational and promotional materials to increase awareness and understanding of sustainable landscaping (e.g. factsheets, short promotional videos).
• Attend community displays at local events.
• Regular travel within Guelph to assist with program planning and delivery.

Qualifications and requirements

• Post-secondary education (completed or in process) in horticulture, landscape architecture, environmental science, natural resources, or closely related field. Candidates with equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience in working with horticultural practices as they pertain to water efficient plant selection and home landscaping site design principles strongly desired.
• Valid ‘G’, or G2 with minimum two years driving experience, driver’s licence and good driving record. Successful candidates will be required to provide a current driver’s abstract prior to their start date to confirm their license is held in good standing and that it has not been suspended or revoked under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) or Criminal Code of Canada in the last five years. The City of Guelph will take into consideration the number of demerit points.
• Excellent customer service skills
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with the ability to communicate with the public.
• Experience with landscape design software.
• Knowledge of water conservation industry best practices and municipal water systems would be an asset.
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Hours of work

• 35 hours per week Monday to Friday between the hours of 7:00 am and 5:00 pm. The position requires the ability to shift schedules to facilitate community outreach programs, which may include occasional work in the evenings and weekends.
• The regular work schedule for this position will be 11:45am – 7:15pm when landscape visits are taking place (generally Monday-Thursday) and 8:30am – 4pm on office days (generally Fridays)

Pay/Salary
CUPE Local 973 Grade: 3: $20.94-$25.69/hour

How to apply
Qualified applicants are invited to apply using our online application system by January 29, 2025. Please note all applicants must complete the online questionnaire specific to this position at the time they submit their resume and cover letter in order to be considered.

Please visit the job posting listed on our City of Guelph careers page and click on the “Apply for this job” button. Instructions will follow.

The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees feel welcome, valued and engaged. Our employment policies strictly prohibit all forms of discrimination on any of the grounds in relevant laws. All employment practices are solely based on individual merit, qualifications, and organization's needs at the time. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals in our job application procedures. If you need an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process, you may contact us to make your needs known in advance.

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine eligibility for employment. We thank all candidates in advance; however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.