Grounds Technician
Essential Duties—Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Perform a variety of turf grass maintenance activities to include edging, mowing, trimming, and new installations.
- Install and maintain irrigation systems.
- Install and maintain shrubbery, perennials, and annual plant material.
- Pruning and shaping of shrubbery and trees
- Application of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, fertilizers, and nematicides.
- Application of mulch and pine straw.
- Repair and maintenance of brick and concrete sidewalks.
- Parking lot and street maintenance to include cleaning, patching, and general repairs.
- Perform litter control on campus and related recycling operations.
- Perform preventive maintenance on grounds equipment.
- Perform snow and ice removal during inclement weather periods.
- Perform work during normal operations and during critical events as an essential employee.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Knowledge of:
- Methods, materials, tools, and equipment used in landscape and turf grass maintenance.
- Safe and proper application of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and nematicides.
- Plant material installation and maintenance.
- Construction methods and installation of paving, concrete, and masonry sidewalks.
- Identification of plants, turf grass, pests, and diseases.
- Use and maintenance of grounds equipment, power, and hand tools, to include but not limited to, gas powered.
- Basic soil types, amendments, and landscaping design.
- Safe work practices.
- Small engine mechanics
Ability to:
- Perform assigned duties during inclement weather conditions.
- Operate a variety of grounds maintenance equipment, machines, and tools.
- Apply fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, nematicide, and fertilizers safely and effectively.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
- Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
- Understand yearly maintenance schedule and work independently in the absence of the supervisor.
- Lift up to 70 lbs.
- Reach with hands and arms, walk, crawl, stoop, kneel or crouch on a day-to-day basis. Correct visual impairments to include: near and far sightedness, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and focus.
- Make repairs to small engines such as backpack blowers, sting trimmers, zero turn lawnmowers, and utility vehicles.
- An Associate’s degree from an accredited college with major course work in horticulture or a related field; or equivalent. One year of experience directly related to the position duties may be considered in lieu of the degree requirements.
- One year of experience performing grounds maintenance and landscape installation.
- Must have a valid North Carolina driver’s license which requires five (5) years of driving experience with no more than one (1) minor accident or violation in the past three (3) years.
- Possession of or ability to obtain an appropriate valid public pesticide applicator’s license within one (1) year.
- Possession of or ability to obtain forklift certification within one (1) year.
- Completed vaccinations and immunization for Hepatitis B or begun within six (6) months of employment.
