Job Summary

Maintains campus landscaping and grounds.

Responsibilities

Department Summary: The Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance Department is comprised of a team of passionate individuals who take immense pride in enhancing the University's experience through our landscape and grounds. The selected candidate will be responsible for providing exceptional customer service, engaging with, and supporting various constituencies served by the University.

Typical Allocation of Duties

• Provide care - 45%: Provide care for campus grounds, including mowing lawns, watering flowers and shrubbery, trimming trees and bushes, installing plants, etc.
• Operate equipment - 35%: Operate groundskeeping and maintenance equipment such as blowers, lawn mower, trimmer, and pressure washers.
• Chemical application - 10%: Applies fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides as assigned.
• Other duties - 10%: Assist with storm clean-up. Assist with setting-up for special events.

Supervisor Expectations: This work is outdoors in all four seasons. Able to perform routine tasks with independence; more skilled tasks will be performed with supervision. Able to work as a team member with others in coordinating phases of work. An employee may drive a truck and some light construction equipment, involving responsibility for safe and efficient operation. Adhere to safe practices and follow safety policies and procedures. Employee will be expected to perform regular grounds maintenance duties such as mowing, weeding, leaf removal and operating various types of grounds equipment, including mowers, backpack blowers, weed trimmers, edgers, trucks, and tractors as well as other work deemed necessary by the Grounds Foreman or immediate supervisor. Operating and maintaining hand tools, such as loppers, saws and shovels efficiently. Operating and maintaining landscaping equipment and power tools, such as lawn mowers, trimmers, and pressure washers for cleaning campus fountains, outdoor furniture, and other campus areas. Sharpens tools, such as weed cutters, edging tools, and shears. Plants trees, flowers and bushes; rakes and bags leaves. Cares for the campus grounds, such as mowing lawns; watering flowers and shrubbery; trimming trees, bushes, hedges, & shrubs; eliminating weeds and spraying lawns, shrubs, and trees with fertilizer, herbicides, and insecticides. Walks the assigned campus area, keeping grounds free from trash, litter, and debris, and emptying trash receptacle. Assists in plant set-ups in designated areas for special meetings and events. Performs other related duties as assigned.

An ideal candidate will possess:

• Knowledge of the grounds maintenance trades.
• Experience with grounds maintenance equipment.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• A valid driver's license and pass an annual MVR review.

Required Qualifications

Required Experience: High school diploma and one (1) year of related work experience. Must possess a valid driver's license.

Proposed Salary

$14.71/hr.

USG Core Values

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at <https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct>.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at <https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653>.

Conditions of Employment

Applicants are required to provide: professional references with current contact information, documentation of academic credentials, employment history. Please note that during the search process, VSU reserves the right to: ask candidates who will serve in Positions of Trust to disclose criminal record history during the initial screening process and prior to a conditional offer of employment, view social media outlets, and remove job postings without additional notification. Employment is contingent upon: successful completion of a background check investigation, including a criminal background check, reference checks. Employment may also be contingent upon the job-based requirements if applicable for your position: satisfactory credit check, successful completion of a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR), pre-employment drug testing, confirmation of credentials. After initial hiring, employees will be required to successfully complete all of the following training: New employee orientation, VSU's Annual Compliance Training: USG Ethics Policy, Conflict of Interest/Outside Activities Policy, Drug Free Workplace, Sexual Misconduct and Title IX, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Motor Vehicle Policy, Workers Compensation (new hires), Georgia Open Records Act (new hires), USG Cybersecurity Training (required twice yearly), Job-specific training such as: FMLA and Worker's Compensation, Budget Manager training, Purchasing Training (ePro & PCard), and Defensive Driving.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Valdosta State University is an equal opportunity educational institution. It is not the intent of the institution to discriminate against any applicant for admission or any student or employee of the institution based on the age, sex, race, religion, color, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation of the individual.

Background Check

Position of Trust + Credit.

Accommodations

If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings, apply for a job on this site, or participate in the search process as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Catherine Wills, in the Office of Human Resources at croark@valdosta.edu.