Grounds Enhancement Technician

Ferrum College•Ferrum, VA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

Ferrum College is committed to maintaining a beautiful, safe, and welcoming campus environment for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the broader College community. The Grounds Department plays an important role in maintaining and enhancing the appearance of the Ferrum College campus. Through landscape installation, grounds maintenance, seasonal beautification projects, and support for campus events and operations, the Grounds team helps create an attractive and inviting environment for the entire College community. Ferrum College is seeking a dependable, hardworking individual to help maintain and enhance the beauty, safety, and appearance of the College campus. This position focuses on creating and maintaining attractive campus landscapes, including flower beds, mulch beds, shrubs, trees, lawns, and other landscaped areas, while supporting the overall operations of the Grounds Department. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong work ethic, dependability, attention to detail, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. The position requires the ability to safely operate grounds-maintenance equipment and hand tools while working outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. As an essential employee, this position may be required to work beyond normal business hours and remain on campus during emergencies or critical events, including severe weather, snowstorms, power outages, and other situations requiring continuous campus operations.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED required.
One to three years of experience in grounds maintenance, landscaping, horticulture, or a related field preferred.
Working knowledge of landscape maintenance techniques, plant materials, turf management, and grounds care.
Ability to safely operate motorized equipment and hand tools.
Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Strong work ethic, dependability, and commitment to customer service.
Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions throughout the year.
Must be able to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 75 pounds and perform physically demanding work involving bending, kneeling, climbing, walking, and standing for extended periods.
Work involves extensive outdoor activity in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, snow, and ice.
May involve exposure to dust, noise, landscaping chemicals, and the operation of heavy equipment.
Appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn as required.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of landscaping, horticulture, and grounds maintenance practices.
Ability to safely operate landscaping equipment and machinery.
Ability to identify and address landscape maintenance needs.
Ability to prioritize work and complete multiple assignments efficiently.

Responsibilities

Maintain and enhance the appearance of the College campus through the installation and maintenance of flower beds, mulch beds, shrubs, ornamental plantings, trees, and landscaped areas.
Develop and implement seasonal landscape enhancement projects that contribute to a welcoming and attractive campus environment.
Perform mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, weeding, watering, fertilizing, mulching, and other grounds maintenance activities.
Assist with tree, shrub, and landscape maintenance to ensure healthy and attractive campus grounds.
Perform routine inspections of campus grounds and report safety hazards, equipment concerns, or maintenance needs.
Perform general Groundskeeper duties as needed to support departmental operations.
Operate and maintain a variety of motorized grounds equipment and hand tools, including mowers, tractors, trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, utility vehicles, and other equipment.
Maintain equipment in safe operating condition and report repair needs promptly.
Follow all College safety procedures and applicable OSHA regulations while performing assigned duties.
Safely operate equipment and machinery in accordance with established procedures and safety requirements.
Support campus events by assisting with grounds preparation, setup, cleanup, and restoration.
Assist with snow and ice removal from roadways, sidewalks, parking lots, entrances, and other campus areas.
Assist with seasonal grounds and landscape projects as needed.
Perform other Grounds Department duties to support the safe and effective operation of the campus.
Provide courteous, professional, and responsive customer service to students, faculty, staff, visitors, and members of the external community.
Communicate effectively with supervisors, coworkers, students, faculty, and staff.
Work cooperatively with members of the Grounds Department and other College departments.
Participate in departmental training and professional development opportunities.
Report to work during College closures when directed.
Remain on campus overnight, if necessary, during emergency situations such as severe weather events, snowstorms, extended power outages, or other campus emergencies.
Assist with occasional emergency response and recovery efforts to maintain safe campus operations.
Work overtime, evenings, weekends, holidays, or modified schedules as operational needs require.