Job Description
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a Grounds Maintenance/Landscaping Instructor to join the team at the State Training School (STS) in Eldora.
This is a close-knit environment with a strong professional learning community structure. There are no extra duties beyond the 7:00am – 3:30pm schedule and you can request to use your vacation time as soon as it accrues. We offer several days throughout the year to work on curriculum development and courses for re-licensure are provided as part of the workday. There is approximately 1 month of orientation to become familiar with the school and facility.
Our vocational programs teach students vital skills that can lead to success in their trade, meaningful employment, or furthering their education. Grounds Maintenance/Landscaping is an important piece of our program. Vocational Education is at the heart of the mission of the STS. It is an irreplaceable piece in the successful development of young men within the facility. The STS provides an environment rich in educational challenges that will allow you to practice your craft in a meaningful manner. You will have an opportunity to fine tune your skills by addressing the educational challenges that come from working with a diverse group of young men.
The qualified candidate must possess a Career and Technical License or be eligible and able to obtain a Career and Technical License through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, meeting all endorsement requirements for the teaching assignment: 5-12 Grounds Maintenance/Landscaping (Career and Technology) License. If you have experience in the grounds maintenance and landscaping industry, you may qualify for the Career and Technology License.
The Programs Available For Residents Include
- General education studies
- Special education programs
- Title I
- High School Equivalency Diploma (formerly GED)
- Competency-based Special Education programs
- Counseling
STS provides a holistic social, behavioral, psychiatric, academic, and vocational program that utilizes counseling, treatment and consequences paired with praise for young men, ages 12-18 years old, who were adjudicated delinquent. You will be well served by the existing structure which provides you with administrative office staff and security. We can assist well qualified candidates in education who have a desire to teach Science to obtain conditional licensure. If you enjoy rewarding yet challenging work helping young men find stability in their lives and security in their future, this is a great opportunity to consider. Your work at STS has the potential to help pull these young men together and change their future.
If You Are Proficient In
- handling a diverse caseload of emotionally disordered students with mild to moderate needs
- teaching in an individualized manner to reach the students
- providing both individual and classroom instruction
- a career at STS is definitely something to consider!
Working at STS comes with a special perk! This location offers access for staff to the impressive on-campus gym during off student hours. This includes 3 full size basketball courts, two fully stocked weight rooms with machine and free weights, showers, and lockers. We also provide a cardio room
for staff only featuring exercise mats and advanced treadmills and stationary bikes. Usage of these resources is completely free for all STS staff.
We Have a Great Total Compensation Package, Including
- Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) (Employee contributes 6.29%/State of Iowa contributes 9.44%)
- Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan) (State of Iowa matches up to $75/month)
- Health, Dental and Vision Insurance (See below for additional information)
- Vacation Leave (96 hours/year to begin, and increases with years of service)
- Sick Leave (144 hours/year)
- Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Life Insurance ($20,000 paid for by the State of Iowa)
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Free On-Campus Workout Facilities
For Additional Information On Benefits Click Here .
Click here to see how we compare with other employers or offers by using our Total Compensation Calculator.
Eldora Highlights
STS is located in Eldora, a quaint community with a population of approximately 2,800 residents, located in north central Iowa. Eldora is an Iowa River Greenbelt Community and the Iowa River Greenbelt Scenic Drive winds through a picturesque landscape of valleys, woods, and streams. With easy access to the Iowa River and Pine Lake, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, and fishing, as well as the many educational opportunities, cultural activities, and entertainment events nearby, including a picturesque 9-hole golf course surrounded by Pine Lake State Park.
Eldora is 45 minutes away from Ames and Cedar Falls, 30 minutes from Marshalltown, and only 20 minutes from Iowa Falls. Des Moines, Iowa’s capital, is just 1 hour and 15 minutes away.
- Ames, Iowa is the home of Iowa State University, featuring one of the nation’s premier Engineering schools and leading Veterinary and Agricultural programs. https://www.iastate.edu/
- Cedar Falls is the home of the University of Northern Iowa, https://uni.edu/
- Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. https://ecc.iavalley.edu
- Des Moines has one of the nation’s finest State Fairs and is home to the Iowa Cubs, Wells Fargo Arena host site of NCAA Basketball, premier concerts, and Lauridsen Skatepark, the nation’s largest skatepark.
The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer
HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the DHS system to apply. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).
Our agency uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify .
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Certification or eligibility for certification as a Vocational Instructor by the Iowa Department of Education in an occupational area offered by a state institutional vocational program, which are as follows:
- agriculture
- auto body
- auto mechanics
- auto servicing
- baking
- building maintenance
- building trades
- cooking
- computer programming
- computer service/repair
- electrical work
- horticulture
- household repairs
- housekeeping
- machine tools
- painting
- printing
- small engine repair
- welding
- woodworking
For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.