Groundskeeper II

Requisition ID: req3578

Job Title: Groundskeeper II

Department: Grounds

Location: Columbus Campus

Employment Type: Staff

Employment Status: Board Approved

Bargaining Unit: Teamsters(Facilities)

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Compensation Type: Hourly

Compensation: $18.25

Schedule: M-F, 7:30am-3:30pm; overtime as necessary

Position Summary


The Groundskeeper II is responsible for minimizing the deterioration of campus grounds, maintaining the campus aesthetic, implementing campus landscape and grounds improvements, and keeping the grounds free from physical hazards to campus users. In addition, this role is required to work after normal hours, weekends, and holidays, as needed to meet seasonal job demand.

Core Competencies

Professionalism, Managing Work, Continuous Improvement, Quality Orientation, Safety Focus, Continuous Improvement, Customer/Student/Employee Focus, Collaboration, Applied Learning, Work Standards

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:


Concrete, Turf, Tree & Equipment Support

Performs minor concrete repairs and patching, cutting, forming, and pouring. Installs brick pavers, including repairing, leveling, cutting, preparing surfaces, and laying bricks. Paints exterior parking and walking surfaces, seals pavement, stripes lots, and performs general cleaning responsibilities to maintain sidewalks, parking lots, campus art, roads and building exteriors.

Performs tasks, such as fertilization, pest and disease identification and treatment related to turf, tree, shrub maintenance and installation. Maintains and produces landscape inventories and other detailed records. Represents department when needed to support campus programs, provides input and data on behalf of department.

Installs exterior signage, maintains inventories and aesthetics, when needed. Keeps record of signage in use and in stock.

Coordinates scheduling and utilizes heavy equipment including forklift, aerial lift, bush-hog, mowers, stump grounder, trucks, utility vehicles, and tractors, as directed. Utilizes concrete saws, power tools, blowers, weed eaters, hand tools, seasonal, and other equipment, as directed. Reads and interprets equipment materials for required maintenance and services. Instructs, demonstrates, trains and shares knowledge with grounds personnel regarding the proper use and general care of vehicles and related power equipment. Performs preventative maintenance of all power equipment, snow removal equipment and all small engines, and other grounds-related equipment.

Responsible for the cleaning, maintenance, and light repair of campus drains.

Landscaping & Grounds Improvements & Aesthetics

Performs tasks related to landscape design and construction, flowerbed design and maintenance. Understands and utilizes the principles of landscape design to include the elements of proportion, order, repetition, and unity.

Maintains irrigation systems to include maintenance, repair, installation and winterization. Supports the development of seasonal flower displays, fertilization, and watering schedules. Takes the initiative to keep the grounds free from physical hazards to
campus users and escalates, as appropriate.

Operations Support & Snow Removal Operations

Provides general maintenance support and assists with set-ups during special events, as directed. Assists the Police Department during evacuations and emergencies. Purchases and picks up supplies and equipment needed to perform the job effectively. Enters, fulfills, and submits completed work orders in an accurately and timely manner.

Participates in snow removal, as assigned. Utilizes shovels, snow blowers, tractors, salt spreaders, and trucks for snow removal. Clean walkways, stairs, parking lots, and roadways of ice and snow. Applies salt, calcium, and sand to various areas to melt ice and provide safe conditions. Assists with flood cleanup.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion


Fosters and maintains a safe environment of respect and inclusion for faculty, staff, students, and members of the community.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

Attends all required department meetings and training.

Works overtime, as required to meet workload demands.

Physical Requirements


Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions described in this position description. While performing duties of this job, the employee regularly exhibits digital dexterity when entering data into computer. The employee frequently sits for periods of time, stands, and walks. Employee converses verbally or manually with others in person as well as by telephone. Vision demands include close, relatively detailed vision when focusing on computer screen. Employee occasionally lifts up to 50 pounds.

Working Conditions

Exposure to direct sunlight, rain, and humidity while working outside for extended periods of time. Exposure to noisy vibrating equipment such as blowers, chainsaws, weed eaters, and other power equipment. Exposure to dirt, dust, debris, and odors. May experience minor cuts, burns, or other situations that may cause injury. Occasional risk of electric shock. Employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic, or caustic materials, and blood borne pathogens.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of: commercial grounds maintenance, methods, techniques, and best practices (applying sprays, planting, pruning, trimming, mowing, planting, etc); tools, materials and equipment used for gardening work; sprayer calibration formulas; native plants and how they help the environment as they relate to managing rain and maintaining healthy soil; vehicle preventative maintenance and repair methods; concrete repairs (forming, estimating, and pouring); paver repairs; grounds maintenance safety practices.

Skill in: estimation of materials; verbal and written communication; operation and use of grounds maintenance equipment; Microsoft Office; turf, tree, and shrub maintenance and installation;

Ability to: understand and follow general instructions; perform manual labor for extended periods of time and perform duties in inclement and/or extreme weather conditions; develop and maintain effective working relationships with associates, supervisors, job contacts and general public; analyze processes and make recommendations for improvement; work independently; gather data, compile information, and prepare reports, maintain accurate and complete work records; identify areas in need of grounds maintenance work and determine appropriate work method.

Minimum Qualifications:

High School Diploma or GED. Five (5) years of experience performing grounds maintenance, turf maintenance, plant health care, landscaping, or closely related field. Three (3) years progressive experience in concrete, paver, and asphalt repair. State Motor Vehicle Operator's License or demonstrable ability to gain access to work site(s). Possession of or ability to obtain required Forklift Operators Certification within 45 days of employment. The Ohio Department of Agriculture Pesticide License in Category 6A or 8, and Core must be obtained within the 180-day probationary period.

Additional Information: Must be insurable to operate a vehicle as a condition of initial and continued employment. May work other off-campus sites.