Maintenance crew supervisor, City of Greensboro
Maintenance crew supervisor, City of Greensboro
NAME/AGE: Richard Biggs, 49
TITLE/OCCUPATION: Maintenance crew supervisor / landscaping and maintenance
EMPLOYER: City of Greensboro, Department of Parks and RecreationYEARS IN INDUSTRY: 18
SALARY RANGE: Mid-$30,000s to mid-$50,000s
What does your job entail?Biggs and his crew are assigned to the 250-acre Bur-Mil Park in northwest Greensboro, a county-owned, city-operated public facility. "I supervise and assign projects to five employees. My job is to see that it's done," Biggs said.
Biggs also plans projects and works with and helps select contractors for large maintenance contracts, which are awarded through bids. In addition to landscaping, Biggs' crew maintains and repairs their equipment and irrigation systems and maintains the nine-hole golf course, putting green, driving range, swimming pool, tennis courts, picnic areas and shelters, hiking trails and two fishing lakes, which are also used during dry spells to water the golf course. "We also help other (city-owned or operated) parks on occasion on special projects. It's a teamwork kind of thing," Biggs said. Work crew members carry a two-way radio. "We're in contact with every city park, 911, police and fire," he said. "Occasionally we rescue injured people on our trails and on the golf course."
How did you become involved in this line of work?Biggs worked indoors for an electronics company for 10 years until it relocated overseas. "I wanted to do something outdoors and get on with the city." His father-in-law, a city employee, told him about a job opening at Bur-Mil Park. He applied, got the job and has been there since.
What training or education is required?You must have a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's or CDL license, and no DWI convictions within the past three years. "You also need some horticultural experience and some experience with maintenance of outdoor grounds, plus experience with equipment and all types of tools, from backhoes to weed trimmers and in between." After you're hired, you must obtain a pesticides license within six months.
What does it take to do your job successfully?"You need to be prepared to take on anything that comes your way. It also takes a lot of patience. And it's also physically and mentally demanding. You need to be able to deal with the public in a professional manner. You have to keep a professional sense about you when you're dealing with any problems in the park."
What's most challenging about your job?"Making sure it all gets done each week and gets done successfully." The recent drought has been challenging. "We used the fishing lakes for watering the golf course. When it goes down (the lake level) I panic. Now we have a well that helps keep water in the lakes."
What is most rewarding?"We're like a family around here. Everybody gets along well. I also like seeing people enjoy the park. We provide good, clean areas for everybody to enjoy and I like looking at what we've done every week."
Any advice for someone interested?"You need to really love the outdoors and working with your hands. It's very rewarding work. You're not going to be a millionaire working this job but then everything's not about money." For more information about openings and to apply, check out the city's human resources site online at http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/humanresources/default.htm and click on "Employment Information" on the left side of the page. (According to Biggs, there's a hiring freeze in effect until July 1).
Editor's Note: Every other week in TriadCareers, our Job Talk feature focuses on a different job. We interview an individual in the Triad who has that job to help passive and active job seekers learn more about actual Triad-area careers. TriadCareers is always looking for Job Talk candidates. If you know a person who works in an occupation that would be of interest to job seekers, please contact Nicholas Brown at nbrown@news-record.com or 373-7144.
Richard Biggs is the maintenance crew supervisor at the 250-acre
