Construction apprentice Jobs in Oakland, CA

Job Overview

Company: Madroño Landscape Design Studio

Location: San Francisco, California

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000–$85,000+ per year, based on experience

Schedule: Field-based, with overtime as project needs require

Service Area: Primarily San Francisco, with occasional projects on the Peninsula

The Role

Madroño Landscape Design Studio is hiring an experienced foreman to lead landscape construction or maintenance crews throughout San Francisco and nearby Peninsula communities.

We are open to candidates whose strongest background is in landscape construction, landscape maintenance, or a combination of both. Our most immediate need is for someone who can lead construction projects, but we also want to meet experienced maintenance leaders who know how to manage crews, routes, properties, and client expectations.

This is a hands-on field leadership role. You will work alongside your crew, organize daily activities, maintain quality and safety standards, and keep projects or maintenance routes moving efficiently.

What You Will Do

Depending on your background and assigned crew, your responsibilities may include:

• Lead and organize a crew of approximately three to four employees.
• Assign daily work and make sure the crew understands priorities, specifications, and safety expectations.
• Work directly alongside crew members when needed.
• Read plans, review layouts, and sequence construction activities.
• Coordinate materials, deliveries, vendors, fabricators, and subcontractors.
• Track project progress and communicate field updates to company leadership.
• Maintain clean, organized, and professional job sites.
• Identify field conditions that may affect schedule, drainage, grading, access, or installation.
• Confirm work is completed according to plans, company standards, and applicable codes.
• Operate landscape tools and compact equipment safely.
• Train and support crew members as they develop new skills.
• Communicate respectfully with clients, coworkers, vendors, and project partners.

Construction-Focused Responsibilities May Include

• Carpentry and fence construction
• Masonry and concrete work
• Grading, excavation, and drainage
• Irrigation installation
• Paver and tile installation
• Low-voltage landscape lighting
• Plant, shrub, and tree installation
• Coordination with specialty fabricators and trade partners
• Job-site preparation and final project cleanup

Maintenance-Focused Responsibilities May Include:

• Managing a scheduled route of residential or commercial properties
• Planning multiple property visits throughout the day
• Directing mowing, pruning, planting, cleanup, and seasonal work
• Monitoring irrigation and general plant health
• Maintaining consistent service standards across properties
• Communicating site needs, client requests, and recommended follow-up work
• Keeping vehicles, tools, materials, and schedules organized

Required Qualifications

• Experience leading crews in landscaping, landscape construction, hardscaping, exterior construction, grounds maintenance, or a related field
• Ability to organize field work and give clear direction to a small crew
• Strong working knowledge in at least one of the following areas:
• Landscape construction
• Hardscape installation
• Landscape maintenance
• Irrigation
• Carpentry
• Masonry
• Concrete
• Grading or drainage
• Ability to perform hands-on outdoor work in changing weather and job-site conditions
• Ability to lift, carry, bend, kneel, climb, and work on uneven terrain, with or without reasonable accommodation
• Reliable transportation and the ability to report to job sites in the San Francisco area
• Professional communication and a respectful leadership style
• Ability to maintain accurate time and project information

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience reading landscape plans or construction drawings
• Experience with high-end residential projects
• Bobcat or compact-equipment operation
• Excavator experience
• Knowledge of Bay Area plant materials and trees
• Experience managing landscape-maintenance routes
• Spanish-English bilingual ability
• Experience working across both construction and maintenance teams

What We Value

• Leads calmly and treats people with respect
• Takes pride in quality work
• Can solve problems without creating unnecessary friction
• Communicates early when conditions, materials, or schedules change
• Helps less-experienced employees improve
• Understands that clean, organized work is part of a well-run project
• Wants to build a long-term role with a stable local company

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual pay of $75,000–$85,000+, based on experience
• Overtime pay when applicable
• Biweekly payroll
• Company truck for foreman responsibilities
• Ability to take the company truck home
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave
• Safety, technical, and equipment training
• Company-provided phone or tablet as needed

About Madroño Landscape Design Studio

Madroño Landscape Design Studio designs, builds, and maintains residential and select commercial landscapes throughout San Francisco and the Peninsula. Our work includes gardens, decks, fences, patios, retaining elements, drainage, irrigation, lighting, planting, and ongoing landscape care. Projects often require our crews to combine practical construction skills with an understanding of plants and outdoor spaces.

We are a small, established company with a strong project backlog and a team that values good work, direct communication, and long-term employment. Many employees have stayed with the company for more than seven years. If you take pride in your work, enjoy being part of a dependable team, and want to build a long-term career in landscaping, we invite you to apply and join the Madroño team.

Madroño Landscape Design Studio diseña, construye y mantiene jardines residenciales y algunos espacios comerciales en San Francisco y la Península. Nuestro trabajo incluye jardines, terrazas, cercas, patios, muros de contención, sistemas de drenaje, riego, iluminación, plantación y mantenimiento continuo de áreas verdes. Los proyectos suelen requerir que nuestros equipos combinen habilidades prácticas de construcción con conocimientos sobre plantas y espacios exteriores.

Somos una empresa pequeña y consolidada, con una sólida cartera de proyectos y un equipo que valora el trabajo bien hecho, la comunicación directa y el empleo a largo plazo. Muchos de nuestros empleados llevan más de siete años con la empresa. Si se enorgullece de su trabajo, disfruta formar parte de un equipo confiable y desea desarrollar una carrera a largo plazo en paisajismo, lo invitamos a postularse y unirse al equipo de Madroño.

Madroño Landscape Design Studio is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on job-related qualifications and business needs without regard to any status protected by applicable law.