Groundskeeper

Job Description

Job Description

Are you looking to work with a great team of professionals who provide top notch landscaping and athletic field maintenance in a gorgeous Olmsted designed campus?  This is the role for you!  Under the supervision of the Manager of Grounds, the Groundskeeper will execute on all matters related to grounds, landscaping, athletics fields/facilities, and natural resources with a team of 8 groundskeepers across a 350-acre campus with buildings totaling over 600,000 square feet.

Schedule

This role will work Tuesday through Saturday 7AM – 3:30PM with some overtime work as needed. Seasonally respond to the need for snow removal, athletic fi eld support, emergency closings, and other special circumstances.

This is a full time benefits eligible role. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Participates in the execution of routine maintenance schedules for grounds, landscaping, athletics fields/facilities, and natural resources on campus.
• Collects and discards litter or other waste materials.
• Operates a variety of maintenance equipment such as shovels, rakes, or saws to complete assignments.
• Operates power equipment and other vehicles such as tractors, mowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, or other similar machines.
• Ensures proper hydration of lawns, trees, and plants using sprinkler systems, hoses, watering cans, or irrigation systems.
• Trims trees and vegetation and maintains flower beds.
• Maintains sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, memorial sites, or other features; performs general cleaning and snow removal.
• Plans and cultivates lawns, turf, or gardens and, based on landscaping designs, determines further work that should occur.
• Prepares chemicals as needed for application by mixing according to directions.
• Applies fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees by spraying or spreading.
• Where artificial turf is used, periodically replaces cushion pads; vacuums and disinfects turf after use.
• Performs regular and seasonal maintenance on irrigation systems including any necessary winterizing procedures.
• Installs and maintains specialty features such as rock gardens, retaining walls, decks, or playground equipment.
• Maintain and improve the integrity of the school’s grounds, playing fields, forests, ponds, undeveloped lands, etc.
• Delivers and spreads topsoil and/or straw over newly seeded areas.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Respect for diversity of identities and experiences, an orientation toward equity and inclusion, and cultural competency in all aspects of School life.
• Organized with attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of community groups including students, parents, staff, faculty, and city/state officials.
• Sufficient ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English to complete work efficiently, effectively, courteously, and to coordinate with other leaders within the department and across the organization. Ability to analyze emergency situations accurately and take prompt action.
• Ability to partner and coordinate with other teams and departments to accomplish the school’s goals.
• Ability to prioritize, plan, and organize work.

• Remain standing and walking for 8 hours per day regularly and up to 12 hours per day as needed seasonally.
• Ability to go up and down flights of steps.
• Ability to lift, push, and pull heavy objects.
• Ability to stoop, squat, bend, kneel, crouch, and lift.
• Ability to walk behind and safely operate complex mobile machinery.
• Ability to sit and safely operate complex mobile machinery.
• Must be able to lift and/or move, without assistance 10 pounds at a time regularly, 50 pounds frequently, and 100+ pounds occasionally.
• Ability to traverse various areas of the facility (including unpaved areas, dirt paths, uneven terrain, etc.) to conduct inspections and execute grounds maintenance.
• Ability to withstand exposure to inclement weather (rain, snow, sleet, freezing temperatures, etc.).
• Ability to see with normal parameters.
• Ability to hear within normal range.
• Reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.
• Communication skills using the spoken and written word.

• Education sufficient to read, write, and speak as needed for the job.
• Possess and maintain valid driver’s license.

• Able to successfully complete MVR, CHRI, CORI, and SORI checks.