Grounds Specialist

Cemetery Groundskeeper

Entry-level role maintaining the grounds provided at a cemetery or funeral home location(s). Performs all groundskeeping and maintenance matters on the properties and maintains the overall appearance of a cemetery, mausoleum or funeral home location. Incumbent gains an understanding of how a cemetery operates.

Job Responsibilities

• Mows grass, plows snow, waters lawns, fertilizes and trims shrubs, tends flower beds and regularly inspects assigned work areas to ensure proper standards are maintained
• Operates lawn and grounds equipment including push and power mowers, snow blowers, weed eaters, leaf blowers and other related power equipment
• Removes debris and trash from grounds. May include turning down vases and removing wilted flowers
• Participates on teams for openings and closings for interments, entombments and inurnments
• Assists in determining the location and layout of individual graves with assistance, complying with verification procedures
• May perform minor repairs to the cemetery, building systems or equipment
• May perform some of the duties associated with cremations such as maintaining inventory and complying with federal and state cremation regulations under supervision
• May assist in moving and installing burial vaults
• Must follow safety rules and ensure compliance with the operating procedures of corporate, federal, state and local regulations, including OSHA regulations and Safety and Environmental guidelines
• This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the essential functions or duties related to this job

Minimum Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required

• Minimum (6) months relevant experience in landscaping, general construction, warehouse, physical labor demonstrating steady employment
• Funeral industry experience preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to operate hand-held tools and equipment, including, but not limited to a shovel, pick, rake, sledgehammer, lawn mower, weed trimmer and leaf blower
• Ability to accurately use measuring devices (i.e. tape measure, yard-stick, etc.)
• Ability to work in extreme weather conditions
• Physically agile and dexterous
• Ability to operate equipment in a safe and careful manner
• Ability to effectively work with others to accomplish tasks
• Ability to communicate effectively with associates, contractor personnel and client families
• Basic computer skills to enable retrieving and responding to email communications

Work Environment

• Work outdoors during all seasons and weather conditions
• Comply with Field dress code policy

Work Postures

• Frequent, continuous periods of time standing, up 6 hours per day
• Climbing stairs to access buildings frequently

Physical Demands

• Lifting, pushing, pulling up to 50 pounds

Work Hours

• Working beyond "standard" hours as the need arises
• Schedule may fluctuate, if a need arises, to an earlier or a later shift