Maintenance Staff

Job Description

Job Description

Maintenance Staff

Location: Vista

Schedule : Full-Time / Outdoor

Compensation: $18.00 - $19.00 Hourly Rate, depending on experience

Job Summary

Maintenance Staff are responsible for maintaining plant health and supporting the overall organization, cleanliness, and safety of the nursery yard. This role helps ensure plants are properly maintained throughout the seasons while supporting general yard upkeep and plant care activities.

Maintenance Staff work closely with Yard Management, Inventory, and other nursery personnel to monitor plant condition, address maintenance needs, and maintain a safe and organized nursery environment.

Essential Functions

• Monitor plant health and condition and assist with pruning, fertilizing, and general plant care as needed.
• Evaluate plant condition and determine whether plants can be restored to health or should be classified as spoilage.
• Notify the Inventory Clerk of spoiled plant material and assist with removing or correcting plant issues when possible.
• Tie trees to head-level wire in nursery beds or bins and replace broken plant stakes when necessary.
• Identify plant material and recognize plant quality, health concerns, pests, and disease conditions.
• Alert buyers or management when plant varieties appear overstocked.
• Notify management, sectional care staff, or irrigators when irrigation needs are not being met.
• Maintain nursery organization and cleanliness, including blowing leaves, disposing of trash, organizing storage areas, and returning pallets to designated locations.
• Maintain and properly use company-issued PPE and tools including gloves, safety glasses, and pruning tools.
• Maintain general care of nursery grounds to ensure the yard remains clean, organized, and safe for employees, customers, and vendors.
• Ensure nursery stock is handled carefully, watered appropriately, and placed in designated areas.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist other nursery departments as needed.
• Support general nursery operations and plant handling activities.
• Duties are subject to change at any time per management’s discretion.

Experience & Other Requirements

Required

• Ability to identify plant material and recognize plant quality and health standards.
• Ability to identify common plant pests and disease conditions.
• Ability to follow direction and work effectively within a team environment.
• Ability to communicate concerns regarding plant health, irrigation needs, or yard conditions to management.
• Ability to safely use basic nursery tools and equipment.

Preferred

• Previous experience working in a nursery, landscape, or agricultural environment.
• Experience working with plant maintenance, pruning, fertilizing, or nursery care practices.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position is performed primarily outdoors in active nursery yard environments.

Work conditions include varying weather conditions, uneven ground surfaces, active equipment and vehicle traffic, and exposure to dust, plant material, fertilizers, moisture, and seasonal allergens. Required personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn as applicable.

Physical requirements include:

• Extensive walking throughout the nursery yard during the workday.
• Frequent bending, twisting, turning, squatting, kneeling, and crouching.
• Working on uneven surfaces including dirt, gravel, plant material, and irrigated areas.
• Use of hands and fingers for grasping tools and moving plant material.
• Lifting up to 50 lbs independently (approximately 75% of the time).
• Participating in team lifts up to 100 lbs (approximately 25% of the time).

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Employee Name: ___________________________

Signature of Receipt: _________________________________

Date: ________________