Grounds Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Grounds Manager is responsible for the year‑round maintenance, safety, and operational readiness of all exterior areas. This position oversees groundskeeping, landscaping, snow removal, parking operations, building maintenance, and general facility upkeep to ensure a safe and positive experience for guests, staff, and the community. The Grounds Manager provides supervision, scheduling, training, and performance oversight for grounds personnel, including year‑round and seasonal staff.

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

Summer Operations

• Plan, assign, and supervise all landscaping and grounds maintenance activities, including mowing, trimming, pruning, and vegetation management.
• Oversee the maintenance and appearance of gardens, green spaces, and public‑facing outdoor areas.
• Direct the repair and upkeep of area roadways and parking lots, including pothole patching and surface maintenance.

• Manage the maintenance of drainage ditches, runoff zones, and erosion‑control areas to ensure proper water flow and site stability.
• Conduct routine inspections of outdoor areas to identify maintenance needs and ensure compliance with safety standards.
• Responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing building maintenance projects to ensure facilities remain safe, functional, and well-maintained.
• Other duties as assigned.

Winter Operations

• Oversee all snow removal activities, including plowing, sanding, shoveling, and ice mitigation across parking lots, walkways, roadways, and building entrances.
• Direct the operation of snow‑removal equipment such as plow trucks, skid steers, and snow blowers, ensuring proper use and maintenance.
• Manage parking operations for all locations, including signage placement, traffic flow, and guest safety.
• Conduct daily inspections of exterior areas to identify hazardous conditions and ensure timely corrective action.
• Coordinate roof snow clearing and ensure all work is performed in accordance with safety protocols.
• Maintain adequate supplies of sand and traction materials and ensure proper placement at building entry and exit points.
• Responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing building maintenance projects to ensure facilities remain safe, functional, and well-maintained.
• Other duties as assigned.

Leadership and Operations

• Supervise, train, and evaluate grounds staff, ensuring adherence to safety procedures, operational standards, and organizational policies.
• Develop and manage seasonal work schedules, staffing plans, and task assignments to meet operational needs.
• Ensure proper care, maintenance, and documentation of all equipment, vehicles, and tools used by the grounds team.
• Maintain accurate records of inspections, maintenance activities, equipment usage, and incident reports.
• Coordinates with vendors and contractors to support successful project execution within the facility.
• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate procurement of supplies, materials, and equipment as needed.
• Collaborate with departments to support organizational goals, events, and daily operational requirements.
• Ensure the cleanliness and upkeep of exterior areas, including trash removal around buildings, parking lots, and roadways.
• Coordinate and execute special projects—including construction of signage, custom features, and unique installations—ensuring alignment with operational needs, safety standards, and overall site aesthetics.

• Coordinate event setup and teardown, ensuring all items are installed and dismantled safely, efficiently, and on schedule.
• Promote a positive, safety‑focused work environment aligned with Hilltop Ski Area’s mission and values.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Experience supervising groundskeeping, landscaping, facilities, or maintenance operations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of landscaping practices, snow removal operations, and equipment operation.
• Ability to work outdoors year‑round in varying weather conditions.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively to changing operational needs.
• Must be at least 18 years of age to work and submit to a background check.
• Valid driver’s license required; experience with heavy equipment preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to lift 50+ pounds, push, pull, or carry objects, use abdominal and lower back muscles to provide support over time without fatigue and to effectively jump, sprint, or throw an object. Excellent stamina is required. The employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and in outside conditions that include inclement weather, heat and humidity, and exposure to dust and asphalt. The noise level in the work environment is generally loud.

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.