Groundskeeper

City of Charlottesville•Charlottesville, VA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Groundskeeper within the City's Parks Division performs routine grounds maintenance and cleaning in city parks, recreational facilities, schools, rights-of-way, and/or the Downtown Mall. The position works under the general supervision of a Groundskeeper Supervisor and maintains grounds, turf, fields, trees, walkways, and assigned public areas. The role involves operating a City vehicle and maintaining basic equipment used in routine maintenance and construction projects. Work is performed according to maintenance standards, safety regulations, checklists, and detailed instructions. The employee is expected to care for assigned equipment and resources, report issues to a supervisor, solve simple problems, and seek guidance when appropriate. The position may involve working weekends, nights, holidays, flexible or non-traditional schedules, additional hours, standby duty, or emergency call-backs. This is a full-time, non-exempt position. The hiring rate is $19.51 to $23.97 per hour ($40,580.80 to $49,857.60 annually), in accordance with the Labor & Trades Collective Bargaining Agreement. The role reports to a Groundskeeper Supervisor. Candidates may qualify through relevant experience in groundskeeping, turf maintenance, landscaping, or a related area, with an equivalent combination of education and experience potentially accepted. The employee must obtain VDOT Flagger Certification within six months of hire and a Registered Technician Pesticide License within 12 months of hire, and must obtain and maintain a Virginia driver's license and acceptable driving record. Successful completion of a pre-employment background check, physical, and drug screen is required. The position requires heavy physical work and is performed outdoors, with exposure to weather, uneven terrain, mechanical equipment, chemicals or hazardous waste, and other conditions described in the posting. Appropriate protective equipment is expected for assigned tasks. The City offers paid holidays, leave, health and life insurance, gym membership reimbursement, tuition assistance, professional development, and retirement plan options.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED and some related experience in groundskeeping, turf maintenance, landscaping, or a related area; or at least two years of related experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
General knowledge of grounds maintenance and manual tasks in the assigned area.
General knowledge of common hand tools and specialized power tools used in the work.
General knowledge of safe operation and preventive maintenance of required mechanical equipment.
Basic knowledge of occupational hazards and safety requirements of the trade.
Basic reading ability to understand commonly used words, simple paragraphs, written instructions, work orders, construction plans, drawings, signs, and notices.
Basic writing ability to provide simple letters, information, documentation, or records concerning maintenance needs, repairs, and related details.
Intermediate math ability, including number systems, simple formulas, fractions, percentages, ratios, proportions, and measurement.
Routine communication skills, including exchanging basic information, explaining issues, listening, and identifying maintenance and repair problems.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, and others.
Ability to perform work under general direction, following instructions, established procedures, and policies, and make choices among a few identifiable procedures or policies.
Basic technical skills appropriate to assigned preventive and routine maintenance, construction, and repair responsibilities.
Ability to work closely with others as part of a team and under sometimes strict time constraints.
Obtain VDOT Flagger Certification within six months of hire.
Obtain a Registered Technician Pesticide License within 12 months of hire.
Obtain and maintain a Virginia driver's license and an acceptable driving record under City criteria.
Successfully pass a pre-employment background check, physical, and drug screen.
Ability to perform heavy manual labor, including lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, handling, grasping, standing for sustained periods, and moving about parks and construction sites.
Ability to communicate information and ideas and exchange accurate information; ability to observe details at close range.

Responsibilities

Maintain parks, schools, the Downtown Mall, rights-of-way, and recreational facilities through groundskeeping and cleaning activities.
Mow and weed grass; plant and mulch; plant trees; fertilize and reseed turf.
Drag and line ballfields, prepare fields after the season by adding dirt and cutting sod, and remove grass from fields.
Prune and trim trees and shrubs, remove limbs, and fell trees as needed.
Find and dig urn graves and mark areas for full graves and headstones.
Manage fallen leaves and clear and remove snow and ice from walkways, parks, and other assigned areas.
Clean up trash and debris.
Operate a City vehicle and operate and maintain basic equipment used in routine maintenance and construction projects.
Complete work according to maintenance standards and properly care for assigned equipment, reporting issues and needs to a supervisor.
Follow safety regulations and standard procedures, use checklists, and follow detailed task instructions.
Seek guidance when appropriate and solve simple problems.
Work weekends, nights, holidays, emergency call-backs, standby duty, or additional hours as needed to provide services to the public.
Maintain regular and reliable attendance and appropriately use and maintain City equipment, tools, work time, and other resources.
Perform additional duties as assigned or needed to support operations.

Benefits

13 paid holidays plus one floating holiday
Vacation leave
Sick leave
Health insurance with employer contribution
Employer-paid life insurance
Gym membership reimbursement
Tuition assistance
Professional development opportunities
Choice of retirement plan: Defined Benefit Pension Plan or Defined Contribution 401a Plan
Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
Eligibility to purchase prior service credit under the Defined Benefit Plan
Portability Agreement for eligible employees