Area Manager, Landscape & Aquatics

The Area Manager, Landscape & Aquatics is a self-starter who leads and manages both the Landscape & Aquatics departments for Knott’s Berry Farm and Soak City.  Leads the maintenance actions for landscape, irrigation, pest control, and aquatic features for both parks.  Responsible for the water quality for drinking water, storm water, and water park attractions ensuring safety, quality, and compliance mandates are maintained.

Salary Details: $70,304 / yr – $90,500 / yr

• Provide leadership to the Landscape & Aquatics departments and project plans.  Maintain existing landscaped areas and construction projects.  Projects include water systems, ornamental plants, trees, ground covers, and landscaping structures (e.g., walkways, irrigation, and lighting). Must be able to design small and large landscape areas and their associated irrigation systems.
• Plans, schedules and directs the work of staff to include training, tasking, assigning, and reviewing work, evaluating work performance, coordinating activities, maintaining standards, allocating personnel, selecting new employees, acting on employee problems. Manage department staff within the workforce. Including coaching, mentoring, and developing staff to reach potential and established goals for the individual and division. Identify and develop Crew Leaders.
• To support and participate in the development, implementation and refinement of departmental best practices in all areas of field operations and safety. To keep abreast of new methods that might be applicable to the Company; constantly pursing new ideas, which could be implemented.
• Maintain all field reporting and records required for reporting procedures and are completed accurately and timely to maintain company, State, and Federal regulations. Own the financial relationship between required supplies, materials and contractors to control the spending within the department’s budget.
• Maintain the safety of guests and employees by ensuring proper maintenance of company equipment and enforcing safe work practices at all times. Ensures all work is completed in adherence to safety policies and guidelines. Conducts inspections and safety training on job sites. Investigates any accident or safety violation, prepares appropriate reports, takes action steps to correct and prevent future occurrences. Defines and implements solutions to recurring accidents or hazards.
• Provides technical leadership on landscape irrigation, drainage, and horticulture.  Includes tree care and replacement.  Provides technical leadership for water statements and attractions to meet all regulated mandates for public safety.  Lead landscaping, irrigation, pest control, and aquatics projects to deliver maximum performance and value for the company. Complete projects on time and within budgets. Manages and schedules labor, equipment and material to accomplish production schedules and established budgets.
• Develop scheduled spending and be financially responsible for accurately maintaining budgets for all assigned departmental responsibilities.  Must have a good understanding of modern business practices and procedures, business letter writing and elements of correct English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, punctuation and mathematics. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is desired. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to maintain effective working relationships with others is a must.
• Coordinates the procurement and scheduled use of resources, including labor, equipment and materials to ensure maximum use and completion of work within budget, safety guidelines and quality standards. Includes managing pest control, estimating costs and negotiating prices for plants, equipment, and outside service contracts.
• Adheres to and enforces all Six Flags and Knott’s Berry Farm Park policies and procedures, including safety, attendance and EEO policies, and demonstrates commitment to customer service in all aspects of employment.

• Associate's degree / vocational or technical with emphasis on Landscaping, Horticulture, Landscape Construction or related field is required.
• Cat. B Qualified Applicator Certificate, California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation certification is required.
• Arborist certification preferred.
• At least 6-8 years of relevant work experience preferred.
• At least 5+ years of prior leadership/management experience required.
• More than 5 years' experience successfully managing a large and diverse workforce in landscape maintenance, construction, aquatic facility maintenance and construction for water parks and natural lakes and streams, or a closely related field.
• Ability to work days, evenings, and weekends based on business needs.