"26-81 Groundskeeper - Grounds Department"

Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University of Pennsylvania Facilities Division invites applicants for the position of Groundskeeper.

The shift available is Monday through Friday: 6 AM to 2 PM.

We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good. As part of this community, the Facilities Division designs, constructs and maintains a dynamic, safe, and sustainable campus to continually advance its nationally benchmarked living and learning community.

WCU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; generous retirement plans; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

The Grounds Maintenance Department maintains 300 acres of University grounds. Our groundskeepers, equipment operators, and supervisory staff are dedicated to providing exceptional service.

The Groundskeeper provides manual work in the maintenance of the University grounds including lawn, shrubbery, mulched bed, tree, hardscape, parking lot, sidewalk, step, and ramp maintenance.

The ideal candidate is professional, punctual, has an eye for detail and can follow instructions while working with little supervision.

Responsibilities include:

• Mow, string trim, edge, seed, fertilize, aerate, sod, spot spray, and top-dress lawns
• Plant, transplant, weed, water, mulch and prune shrubbery
• Snowplow, shovel and spread salt
• Operate riding and push lawn mowers, snow blower, chain saw, hand tools and vehicles within driver's license certification
• Seasonal leaf and debris removal
• Line fields for WCU club and band events
• Remove litter and debris campus wide
• Maintain storm drains
• Empty, remove, and replace trash/recycling cans and cigarette urns as directed
• Clean and maintain tools, equipment, materials, and supplies
• Other duties as assigned

As a member of the Facilities Divisional staff, this position is deemed essential. Essential employees must remain or report to work during partial or full day closings of the University due to hazardous road conditions, emergency circumstances or for other reasons.

Minimum Qualifications:

• One year of experience in groundskeeping work; OR
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training
• Valid driver's license

Required knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Knowledge of groundskeeping and simple horticultural practices
• Knowledge of the care of lawns, flowers, trees, and common shrubs
• Knowledge of the potential hazards of toxic chemical pesticides and herbicides, and the safety precautions required to minimize these hazards
• Ability to interpret pesticide and herbicide label directions and related literature
• Ability to maintain and make ordinary repairs to machinery, equipment and improvements, such as walks, lanes parking places, sheds, and benches
• Ability to lay out and participate in planting, watering, sodding, spraying and trimming and cleaning work in lawns, gardens and walks
• Good physical condition to permit long hours of outdoor physical labor

Preferred Qualifications:

• Outdoor labor experience
• Landscaping experience
• Bulk trash removal experience
• Customer service experience

About West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University (WCU) of Pennsylvania is among the top regional comprehensive public universities in the nation, serving more than 17,500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a national reputation for excellence, value, and student success. Founded in 1871 as an institute for teacher preparation, West Chester offers more than 118 undergraduate and 103 graduate programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the main campus in West Chester, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the Philadelphia campus, and online. Five colleges and two schools comprise the University: Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the School of Music, and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies. Located in Chester County (25 miles from downtown Philadelphia) the area combines the best of enjoyable daily living with easy access to the full spectrum of country and city attractions. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.