Grounds keeper

About the Role

The Groundskeeper performs routine mowing, trimming, landscaping, grass maintenance, minor repairs to grounds, event support, and other tasks (including snow/ice removal) necessary to maintain a safe and attractive environment. This position also assists with other departmental needs.

Responsibilities

• Maintains campus lawns by mowing, trimming, edging, and hand blowing areas.
• Performs general lawn maintenance including aeration, irrigation, fertilization, and seeding.
• Operates riding mowers, tractors, backhoes, pickups, edgers, vacuums/sweepers, sprayers, and aerators as needed.
• Uses hand tools to remove snow and ice from stairs, walks, and ramps.
• Operates salt spreaders, tractors, and Bobcats to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, drives, and parking lots.
• Maintains campus trees, shrubs, and hedges by planting, pruning, watering, spraying, weeding, hedge trimming/cleaning, and mulching.
• Performs general maintenance of sidewalks and parking lot areas by making minor repairs using hot and cold patch as needed.
• Prepares landscape areas and flowerbeds, including annual flower planting and mulching.
• Applies herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to control weeds, insects, and diseases affecting campus plant life (may require specific training).
• Operates departmental vehicles such as trucks, UTVs, tractors, and other specialized equipment as assigned.
• Maintains surface drainage by keeping catch basins free of debris during heavy rainstorms and removing snow and ice in winter.
• Removes fall leaves by raking/vacuuming and properly disposing of them on a seasonal basis.
• Picks up campus litter and empties campus trash receptacles, cleaning around them as needed.
• Performs other related duties as required or assigned through the work order system.

Requirements

• High school graduate or GED required.
• Valid driver’s license required.
• Six months of experience in grounds keeping or landscaping services preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills

• Ability to read procedure manuals, work orders, equipment operating instructions, and general correspondence.
• Effective communication with staff, students, administration, and visitors.
• Ability to read and accurately complete maintenance requests, time sheets, and supply requests.
• Basic arithmetic skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using units of American money, weight, volume, and distance.
• Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to work both individually and as part of a team in a service-oriented environment with frequently changing priorities.
• Good problem-solving skills and sound judgment.
• Understanding and application of University and Departmental policies and procedures.
• Ability to use or repair small/light equipment and minor repair/service of small/medium equipment and machinery, such as vehicles or commercial mowers.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to walk, use hands to finger/handle/feel, reach with hands and arms, stand, and work on feet for several hours at a time.
• Frequently required to bend, stoop, climb ladders/stairs, lift and/or move up to 50 lbs, and talk or hear (including use of telephones and two-way radios).
• Occasionally required to sit, work overhead using a ladder/scaffolding/bucket lift, and lift and/or move materials up to 80 lbs.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color perception, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to smell.
• Typically works outdoors in all seasons and weather conditions, often with loud power equipment.
• Occasionally required to work outside in inclement weather performing duties such as cleaning entrances, shoveling snow, or hauling trash.