Senior Grounds Keeper (Finance)

Department: FMC - Grounds Maintenance Salary: Commensurate with education and experience
Description:

The Senior Grounds Keeper performs general grounds work which includes keeping the campus clean of all trash and debris, mowing, trimming, fertilizing, pruning, weeding, raking, seeding, planting flowers and maintaining flowerbeds, trees, and shrubs. Keeps storm sewers clean during inclement weather. Works in the Greenhouse and Nursery operations and maintenance of interior/exterior plants. May perform minor maintenance on roads, curbs, sidewalks, and storm drains. May operate various grounds equipment and is subject to appointment to hurricane ride-out crew.

Schedule:

Monday - Friday, 6:00am-2:30pm

Duties:

• Applies herbicides to different kinds of weeds to prevent propagation. Maintains pesticide records, safety data sheets, and schedules.
• Maintains inventory of necessary chemicals/fertilizers/seeds for horticultural needs.
• Maintains and inventory of plants within the greenhouse and ensure quality growth utilizing growth methods to ensure good quality and quantity for each planting season. Identify diseases on plants and flowers for its treatment.
• Maintains/Cares of all interior and exterior plants, flowerbeds, and grass areas throughout the campus. Stump grind, fertilize, grow, plant, prune, trim, mulch, and weed all trees and hedges on campus.
• Operates weed eater, mower and edger around all trees, light poles, ditch lines and curbs on campus. Power blows all hard surfaces and brush cuts fence lines.
• Operates grounds equipment (weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, pressure washers, tamping machines, mowers, edgers), heavy grounds equipment and utility vehicles.
• Prepares for hurricane, freezes, and events. Assists other personnel during inclement weather.
• Picks up all trash and debris campus-wide daily. Repairs potholes in streets and parking lots.
• Assists other Grounds Keepers to maintain water, fertilize, prune, spray, clean, propagate, transplant, and change out interior plants. Performs related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

1. High School diploma or GED.
2. Three years of ground-related experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two years of education beyond high school (college or technical school)
• Five years of grounds related experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of safe operations for all equipment and knowledge of types of fuel and oil for all equipment.
• Knowledge of plant propagation techniques and growth techniques in greenhouse and nursery production.
• Knowledge of proper tree and shrub pruning methods.
• Ability to design new flowerbed construction, patterns, color schemes and replant.
• Ability to work alone and in inclement weather.
• Ability to plan, schedule, and propagate seasonal color change-outs.

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check and this position also requires a motor vehicle background check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are an Equal Opportunity Institution.