White River State Park Groundskeeper

State of Indiana•Indianapolis, IN

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Groundskeeper maintains the grounds and facilities of White River State Park, a 250-acre urban park in downtown Indianapolis. The role frequently interacts with park visitors and may be their first point of contact, so the employee is expected to serve as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic park ambassador while helping maintain a polished visitor experience. The position works outdoors in all weather conditions and requires a flexible schedule, including availability for evenings, weekends, and some holidays. It is an intermittent, seasonal position limited to 180 working days in an eleven-month continuous period, and it does not offer benefits. Responsibilities include maintaining the park’s amphitheater and grounds, removing refuse, caring for landscaped areas, assisting with irrigation repairs, maintaining parking areas and walkways, clearing snow and storm debris, and completing janitorial duties in the Visitors Center. The Groundskeeper also assists with setup and teardown for events and uses grounds-maintenance equipment and tools. The employee receives detailed instruction before and during projects, works with supervisors, maintenance coworkers, administrative staff, and event representatives, and must exercise caution when operating equipment. This position has no direct reports.

Requirements

Demonstrated integrity, reliability, and trustworthiness.
Grounds-maintenance experience.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to use simple hand tools.
Ability to operate grounds-maintenance equipment and assist with repair needs.
Self-motivation and ability to work independently.
Ability to work outdoors and perform physical exertion in varying weather conditions.
Ability to analyze and solve complex challenges.
Willingness to work before and after regularly scheduled shifts when needed.
Availability to work evenings, weekends, and some holidays.
Knowledge of Standard Precautions and proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Ability to perform strenuous physical labor, including heavy lifting, extended standing and walking, bending, reaching, digging trenches, climbing ladders, cleaning debris, mulching, and using hand tools such as saws and drills.
Ability to maintain a safe working environment and exercise caution when operating maintenance equipment.
Effective listening skills to follow supervisor instructions and ability to work as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

Ability to drive a skid steer.
Electrical experience.
Irrigation repair experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable ambassador for White River State Park and assist park visitors.
Maintain the park’s appearance and visitor experience, including the 6,000-seat concert amphitheater and surrounding grounds.
Remove refuse from more than 150 receptacles across the park property, with frequency adjusted to visitor attendance.
Maintain flower, shrub, and tree beds through mulching, weeding, and pruning.
Assist with irrigation repairs, including digging holes with shovels and spades.
Assess lighting needs, including replacement of lights or repair of lighting receptacles.
Maintain sidewalks, stairs, and roadways, including leveling and repairing broken tiles.
Clean the underground parking garage and surface parking lot, including using a power washer.
Remove snow from assigned areas using shovels or snowplows attached to park vehicles or other implements.
Perform leaf and storm cleanup using equipment such as leaf blowers and, when needed, a chainsaw for fallen branches.
Perform daily janitorial duties in the Visitors Center, including sweeping, mopping, and trash removal.
Assist the events team with setup and teardown for third-party rental and community events while ensuring proper care of park spaces.
Operate grounds-maintenance equipment and assist with repair needs.
Perform other duties as assigned.