Senior Grounds Maintenance Worker

Title: Senior Grounds Maintenance Worker

Division: Finance and Administration

Department: Facility Operations and Planning

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Salary Range: Grade 8: $17.35/hour

EEO Job Group: 9 E8

Position Summary

The University of Southern Indiana is accepting applications for Senior Grounds Maintenance Worker.

Perform preventive maintenance and general upkeep of University landscaped and turfed areas; roads and walkways; parking lots; lakes, streams, and watersheds; playing fields and recreational facilities; and minor construction related thereto.

Duties/Responsibilities 

• Work from blueprints, landscape plans, sketches, work orders, or oral instructions to landscape areas and construct outdoor facilities.
  
  
• Plan and execute programs within the limits of state certification to apply herbicides and pesticides according to codes and regulations.
  
  
• Organize and lead seasonal or temporary work crews doing seeding, sodding, aerating, fertilizing, mowing, and trimming of turfed areas and removal of trash and debris.
  
  
• Operate complex and specialized grounds maintenance equipment to apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, and to perform ditching, thatching, sodding, aerating, and trimming.
  
  
• Plan and execute basic landscaping designs and plant selections to achieve erosion control and enhance wildlife habitats.
  
  
• Maintain tool, equipment, and supply inventories for the grounds maintenance function and perform maintenance of specialized machines.
  
  
• Coordinate with other departments in making outdoor set ups for athletic and other special events.
  
  
• Plant and coordinate seasonal pruning programs and tend to minor tree plant diseases.
  
  
• Use vehicles, tractors, machinery, and hand tools to do seeding, sodding, aerating, weeding, fertilizing, mowing, and trimming turfed and planted areas.
  
  
• Assist a certified grounds maintenance worker in applying chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides to trees, shrubs, and turf.
  
  
• Operate machines and use hand tools to maintain and develop outdoor facilities to include playing fields, shelter houses, fences, picnic areas, campgrounds, recreation facilities, fishing areas, nature trails, and fences.
  
  
• Plant and prune trees and shrubs.
  
  
• Use hand tools and push machines to do seeding, weeding, sodding, fertilizing, mowing, and trimming of turfed and planted areas.
  
  
• Use hand tools to maintain and develop outdoor facilities to include playing fields, shelter houses, fences, picnic areas, campgrounds, recreation facilities, fishing areas, and nature trails.
  
  
• Maintain roads, walkways, parking lots, and loading docks to include minor paving, patching, grading, ditching, and snow removal. Collect and remove trash and debris as needed.
  
  
• Clean and maintain vehicles and equipment.
  
  
• Make outdoor set ups for special events.
  
  
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Three years’ experience in grounds maintenance work to include the operation of specialized grounds equipment or certifiable skills in herbicides and pesticides leading to accreditation as a "Certified Public Applicator; Category A and B" and as a "Certified Plantsman" and two years’ experience.
  
  
• Ability to obtain certification in application of pesticides and fertilizers within the first 6 months of employment or earliest availability of class schedule.
  
  
• Ability to read, write, and perform mathematical calculations for mixing chemicals and pesticides.
  
  
• Valid driver’s license.
  
  
• Working knowledge of operating machinery such as riding mowers, skid steers, compact tractors, front loaders, dump trucks, snowplows, etc.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills

Working knowledge of plant species and planting schedules.

Regular Work Hours/Travel Requirements

Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Occasional irregular or prolonged hours may be necessary to complete assigned responsibilities.

Position requires extended hours at anytime of the day or night when necessary to complete the responsibilities to remove snow and ice or to perform clean up work after severe weather or other emergencies.

This position is considered essential. When the University closes due to inclement weather or another emergency, this position is required to