Diversity Statement:

Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

Department: Grounds

Salary/Rate: $14.22/hr at level 1 : $16.49/hr at level 2

FTE: Hours determined by department

Position Summary:

Facilities Management and Planning administers custodial services; building maintenance and alterations; utilities operations (heating and cooling); landscape services; capital construction review as it pertains to future maintenance; property control and inventory; delivery services; stores operations and other support activities necessary for the benefit of administration and academic areas of the campus community. The SOU campus includes 175 acres of grounds, 140 of which are under active use and maintenance. Facilities Management maintains 21 major buildings comprising over one million square feet of building space. The department is staffed by approximately 45 full time personnel and is responsible for approximately 9% of the total campus budget.

Minimum Classification Qualifications:

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WORKER 1
Pesticide applicator’s license may be required based on position duties; AND
One year of experience as a grounds keeper; OR
Two years experience in any occupation providing knowledge of horticulture and grounds keeping practices and procedures.

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WORKER 2
Pesticide applicator’s license may be required based on position duties; AND
Two years experience as a grounds keeper which included plant care; OR
An Associate’s degree in Landscape Technology or Horticulture; OR
Completion of a Landscape Certification program or license in a horticultural specialty.

Preferred Qualifications:

-

All Listed Duties:

Duties for Grounds Maintenance Worker 1
Allocation of work may vary by position and will include one or a combination of duties and tasks listed.

Typical tasks: mows and edges lawns and fields with use of push and riding lawnmowers, tractors, and power edgers; plants, transplants, fertilizes, and waters lawns, shrubs, bedding plants, ground cover, and trees with tools such as hoes, trowels, and shovels; cuts, trims, and prunes trees, shrubs, bedding plants, and ground cover with use of hand or power tools; eradicates weeds using both manual and mechanical methods such as: pulling, tilling, or using line trimmers; prevents weeds by mulching; calibrates, mixes and applies pesticides and herbicides according to manufacturer’s instructions; installs irrigation and sprinkler systems by digging trenches by hand or with a tractor, lays and connects pipes, valves, sprinklers and controls, fills in trenches, and flattens or grades roads with bulldozer or road grader.
Area Maintenance. Typical tasks: removes leaves, brush, and debris using rakes, blowers, vacuums, and shovels from building roofs, sewers, utility tunnels, streets, and sidewalks; removes trash and litter from lawns, parking lots, building entrances, and adjacent roadways and sidewalks under agency jurisdiction; empties trash cans as needed; transports litter, plant debris, and trash to dump or incinerator by truck; removes ice and snow from walkways, parking lots, and building entrances with use of plows, shovels, blowers, or salt; cleans drains, catch basins, and gutters; removes stains and spills from parking lots and walkways; fills potholes; repairs benches and signposts; assists in the maintenance of athletic fields and facilities.
Equipment Maintenance. Typical tasks: troubleshoots and performs minor repairs on tools and equipment such as lawnmowers, chain saws, and blowers; refers major repairs to repairperson; performs minor maintenance on grounds vehicles and power equipment by checking fluid levels, lubricating and cleaning after use; repairs and tests irrigation and sprinkler systems as needed; performs periodic cleaning of tool and shop areas.
Miscellaneous. Typical tasks: assists other departments as needed for special events or emergency situations.

Duties for Grounds Maintenance Worker 2
In addition to performing the work of a Grounds Maintenance Worker I, duties include one or more of the following:

Employee oversight: Assigns work to other employees; assists supervisor by planning, assigning, and inspecting the work of classified staff in the unit, adjusts work assignments and schedules to maintain adequate staffing levels and responds to fluctuating workloads; monitors employee performance and provides input to supervisor; assesses training needs of staff and assists supervisor in providing appropriate instruction; assists in providing initial orientation to new employees. Plans, coordinates, directs, and trains the work of a grounds maintenance crew which may consist of lower level grounds maintenance worker(s), laborers, students, and/or temporary employees.
Landscape Maintenance Plan Design. Plan, design and install a landscape maintenance program. Typical tasks: designs, installs, and maintains irrigation and sprinkler systems which includes preparing the plans, specifications and materials lists, ordering parts and equipment, and ensuring the installation is done according to specifications; performs on-site inspections of work areas to determine landscaping needs and evaluates the quality of the work being done; takes and tests soil samples to determine the need for chemical additives or natural nutrients; identifies and diagnoses plant and lawn diseases and administers or directs the administration of the remedy; identifies specific areas appropriate to specific plant types and recommends planting and landscaping strategy to supervisor; reviews and interprets site plans and architectural drawings to determine planting or landscaping needs; reviews work plan with supervisor to set priorities and monitor goals.
Specialty Assignment. Typical tasks: Applies specialized skills in specific landscaping area on a campus-wide basis, such as tree trimming, pesticide applications or irrigation planning. Provides instruction to and inspects work done by others in the specialty assignment.

Quicklink Posting: 7146