Educational and Experience Requirement
Less than a high school diploma with the ability to read and write. Six months experience as a groundskeeper or experience in a related field. Additional education may be considered in lieu of experience.
Nature & Purpose of Position
Performs skilled groundskeeping and general gardening duties on the University grounds. Maintains lawns and cultivates plants, trees, ornamental shrubbery, and flower beds.
Primary Responsibilities
Plants and trims lawns, trees, bushes, hedges, and shrubs using hand tools or motorized vehicles. Landscapes new ground areas, repairs damaged ground areas, replaces bushes, hedges, shrubs, and trees. Cares for and maintains fields, paths, roads, and buildings. Fertilizes soil when needed for plant growth; plants flowerbeds. Cultivates, prunes, sprays, fertilizes, plants, and transplants a wide variety of shrubs, plants, trees and flowers. Waters shrubbery, hedges, seedlings, flowers, and lawns. Prepares propagation beds, potting materials, and tropical planting. Pots, sprays, and waters greenhouse plants, flowers, and shrubs. Cuts grass using power or hand mowers, trims and edges sidewalks, driveways, and flower beds. Cuts weeds and brush and removes leaves and rubbish from the grounds. Cleans and maintains tools and equipment. Performs general maintenance and cleanup of buildings and grounds. Cleans, repairs, and services equipment used in grounds maintenance such as mowers, tractor/trailers, dump trucks, front-end loaders, high-lift fork trucks, wood chippers, and a variety of hand/power tools. Performs other related duties as assigned.
Other Specifications
Working conditions involve exposure to variable weather conditions, dirt, dust, fertilizer, and insecticides. Work requires the ability to understand and follow established procedures or other guidelines of some complexity which involve making frequent minor decisions. The use of some initiative, independent judgment, or resourcefulness is a recognized characteristic of the job. Uniforms and identification badges are provided by the University according to departmental policy. Attention and care is required in the performance of duties to prevent injury to self or others.
Position requires driving and operating a university vehicle; therefore, a valid Texas driver license and driving record acceptable to the university’s insurance carrier is required.