Grounds & Nursery I

University of Colorado • Colorado Springs, CO

7d • Onsite

About The Position

This position helps create and maintain an attractive, safe, and welcoming campus environment in General Funded spaces at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. The role maintains landscaped areas and floral displays, cares for campus grounds, supports recycling efforts, collects litter and debris, performs routine grounds-equipment maintenance, and assists with seasonal snow and ice removal. It is designated as an essential service position, requiring the employee to report without delay or interruption to provide essential or emergency services. Employees may be assigned to various shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, depending on operational needs. The work is onsite and may involve exposure to hazardous materials, cleaning products, infectious materials, human blood or bodily fluids, extreme temperatures, atmospheric conditions, electrical shock, and toxic or caustic chemicals. The position is overtime-eligible and non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The position's listed areas of responsibility are landscape maintenance (65%), maintaining a clean and safe campus (10%), equipment and system maintenance (5%), snow removal and other duties as assigned (15%), and chemical application (5%). The employee uses judgment to prioritize work, assess turf and equipment conditions, respond to hazards, determine appropriate weed-control methods, and report or request repairs when needed.

Requirements

• One year of experience in grounds and nursery, landscaping, storm water maintenance, outdoor services, or another related occupational field.
• Valid driver's license.
• Colorado residency at the time of application.
• Successfully pass a background check.
• Pass pre-employment drug testing.
• Be able to push, pull, lift, and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Submit a resume with date ranges, full- or part-time status, and hours worked per week.
• Veteran applicants must submit a DD-214.

Nice To Haves

• One year or more of experience in an essential personnel role.
• Two years of experience in grounds and nursery, landscaping, storm water maintenance, outdoor services, or another related field, preferably in a higher education or institutional environment.

Responsibilities

• Maintain landscaped areas and campus grounds within an assigned zone, prioritizing turf maintenance based on campus foot traffic and building activity.
• Assess turf stress and report findings to a Grounds & Nursery II employee or supervisor.
• Pick up litter and debris along assigned routes and assess the cleanliness of benches and tables.
• Identify sidewalk hazards, take temporary steps to mark them, and communicate them to a supervisor.
• Assess handrail paint condition, create work orders when needed, and schedule rail painting.
• Assess grounds-equipment condition, determine cleaning schedules, check and replenish fluids according to specifications, and assess mower-blade condition; sharpen blades or request maintenance-team sharpening.
• Prioritize surfaces for snow removal, identify weather-related slip and fall hazards, and apply ice melt according to manufacturer recommendations.
• Operate snow-removal vehicles and determine snow-push locations while considering effects on roadways and parking spaces.
• Respond to emergencies and perform short-term reassignments as needed.
• Determine appropriate timing and conditions for pre-emergent chemical applications and decide whether weeds should be removed manually or treated chemically.
• Support campus recycling efforts and maintain floral displays.

Benefits

• Medical insurance, with the lowest-cost option costing the employee $0.
• Dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• Paid vacation and sick time accruals; stated starting accruals are 8 vacation hours and 6.66 sick hours per month, prorated for part-time employees.
• Mandatory retirement plan: employees contribute 5% of annual compensation and the University contributes 10%.
• Tuition Assistance Benefit for the employee or a dependent.
• Paid parental leave after 12 months of employment.
• Off-campus housing resources.
• Overtime eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed