Grounds Worker

Founded in 1855, TCNJ offers a highly personalized and collaborative liberal arts education with over 7,400 undergraduates and 700 graduate students. The college is consistently ranked among the top comprehensive colleges in the nation, offering small classes, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and an immersive living-learning experience. With a 4-year graduation rate ranked #1 in New Jersey and #9 among U.S. public institutions, TCNJ is a model for public higher education.

About the role

The Department of Facilities & Administrative Services provides a broad array of services to the campus community, including Access Control Services, Automotive Services, Building Services, Energy & Central Utilities, Facilities Operations, Grounds & Landscape Maintenance Services, Mailing & Receiving Services, Occupational Safety and Environmental Services, and Risk Management Services.

Under the direction of the Head Grounds Worker, the Grounds Worker conducts varied maintenance tasks of institutional grounds.

Responsibilities

• Performs duties involved in the maintenance of institutional grounds, including preparation of soil, seeding, weeding, watering, cutting, and trimming lawns.
• Sprays, prunes, and trims shrubs; plants, transplants, and thins shrubs.
• Removes dirt, rubbish, snow, leaves, and other refuse; assists in the maintenance of roads, lawns, sheds, benches, and parking areas.
• Ensures proper use of equipment, materials, and supplies, including tractors, grass cutters, scythes, hoes, rakes, sprinklers, shears, spraying devices, seeders, and other garden and grounds-keeping tools.
• Reports unfamiliar incidents, conditions, or hazards on the grounds; takes steps to ensure safe and orderly conditions.
• Conducts snow removal, ice control, and responds to other emergency situations, day or night, as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Knowledge of methods used to plan, lay out, and perform lawn and grounds maintenance work.
• Ability to properly use and maintain equipment, materials, tools, and supplies.
• Ability to perform tasks related to the propagation of trees, shrubbery, and perennial plants, including directing the pruning of trees and shrubs, weeding, mowing lawns, and trimming hedges.
• Occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Must occasionally lift and move up to 60 pounds.
• Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check, reference checks, and verification of identity and authorization to work in the United States (Form I-9).

Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position.

In accordance with the New Jersey First Act P.L. 2011 c.70, new public employees in certain positions are required to obtain New Jersey residency within one year of employment.

Pay

Internal salary range (for current NJ state employees with underlying classified status): $40,321.62 - $57,948.52.

External salary range (for candidates who are not NJ state employees): $40,321.62 - $45,609.69 (Steps 1-4).

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours a week.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and prescription plans.
• Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program.
• Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program.
• Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, including group life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employee affinity groups.
• New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (e.g., pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets).
• Access to extensive learning opportunities.