Landscape Technologist Apprentice

The University of British Columbia; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of British Columbia is seeking a Landscape Technologist Apprentice to support maintenance of the Vancouver campus. Under supervision, you will perform horticultural tasks and contribute to soft/hard landscape projects, with an apprenticeship expected to take about four years.

Based in the Municipal Services group, you will work with landscape technologists, apprentices, and labourers to ensure high-quality landscape care, irrigation, and field maintenance while progressing through

Qualifications

• Valid Class 5 BC Driver's Licence.
• BC Pesticide Applicator's Certificate (required at completion of apprenticeship).
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Must be flexible in their work and demonstrate an ability to adapt to new departmental processes and procedures

Responsibilities

• Performs routine maintenance in horticultural settings and landscape tasks.
• Performs specialized grounds keeping tasks such as design, soft/hard landscape construction, pruning, propagation, and pesticide applications.
• Assigns work to labourers and supervises the quality of their work.
• Participates in training of labourers.
• Keeps written records of fertilizer and pesticide use as necessary for documentation.

Skills

Communication

Flexibility

Diversity & Inclusion

Teamwork

Job description

Staff - Union Job Category CUPE 116 Job Profile CUPE 116 Salaried - Apprentice Trades 2 Job Title Landscape Technologist Apprentice Department Soft Landscape | Municipal Services | Facilities Compensation Range See details below. Posting End Date September 10, 2026 Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date. Job End Date Ongoing There are two vacancies available.

Note: Salary will be determined on a pro-rated and incremental scale, which will increase over a 4-year period to align with the Apprentice’s progression in the Landscape Horticulturist Technologist program. By completion of program requirements, the incumbent will be at the wage of CUPE 116 Schedule C, PG 14 (Landscape Technologist 2): $7,186 - $7,435 - $7,666 CAD Monthly.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

UBC Facilities provides comprehensive facilities maintenance, operations and renovation services for lands and buildings owned by the University of British Columbia. The Municipal Services group is responsible for providing waste management services, soft and hard landscape services, as well as moving and general labour services for all of the Vancouver campus. Under the supervision of a Landscape Technologist the Landscape Technologist Apprentice is responsible for the maintenance of all hard/soft outdoor surfaces for the University of British Columbia Point Grey Campus. The Landscape Technologist Apprentice performs horticultural tasks as well as skilled soft/hard landscape practices such as design, construction, pruning, nursery work, propagation, pesticide and chemical application, asphalt and concrete repair. The apprenticeship will take approximately 4 years to complete and will require a combination of at-home learning, distance education, online, in‑school and at‑work learning.

Organizational Status

The Landscape Technologist Apprentice reports to the Manager, Municipal Services and receives daily work assignments and directions from the Sub‑head Landscape Technologist or Head Lanadscape Technologist. The successful applicant will work in a team comprised of Landscape Technologists, Apprentices and Labourers.

Work Performed

• Performs routine maintenance in all types of horticultural situations or in a specific field of expertise, such as, irrigation, playing field maintenance, landscape construction, tree maintenance.
• Performs most or all specialized grounds keeping tasks, such as, design, soft/hard landscape construction, on a small or large scale, pruning of trees and shrubs, propagation of plant material, pesticide and chemical applications, turf installations, asphalt and concrete paver installation and maintenance and the maintenance of accession records and inventories.
• Assigns work to labourers, and supervises the quality of their work.
• Participates in the training of labourers.
• Evaluates planting beds, trees, lawns, specialty plantings and soil conditions to determine plant health, soil fertility and the general condition of the campus landscape; reports findings to supervisory staff and makes a joint determination of the correct course of action for proper care; initiates input into the plant accession system to endure the correct identification and labeling of plants in the gardens' plant collections.
• May be responsible for special collections areas, such as, the Rose Garden or specialized landscapes such as the C.K. Choi Building, the Asian Centre, or the athletic fields.
• Operates standard power equipment, such as, walk behind mowers, line trimmers, blowers, hedge trimmers, lawn‑edgers to perform soft/hard landscape activities; carries out routine minor maintenance on small equipment and reports faulty equipment to the appropriate staff.
• May be required to drive a truck and use specialty equipment, such as, large chain saws, power‑spraying equipment, riding mowers, tractors, bobcat, high lift, tree climbing equipment, asphalt roller and other equipment needed for specialized tasks.
• May design, install and maintain landscape drainage, sprinkling and irrigation systems excluding piping from the main water line to the backflow prevention device; maintains irrigation.
• Acquires materials and equipment as required for the job in coordination with Assistant Head and Head and with Stores or the Tool Crib.
• Works in the Nursery in areas of maintenance, propagation, pruning and spraying and assists in maintaining inventories.
• Keeps written records of fertilizer and pesticide use as necessary for documentation for the government, department and the University and for future reference.
• Communicates to the clients about work intentions and considers client needs in order to establish a good working environment and to provide knowledge wherever possible.
• Works in a correct and safe manner and follows established policies and procedures.
• Performs work, such as, power line vegetation management program, in coordination with other trades.
• Acts upon trouble calls as directed by supervisory staff.
• Carries out any other related duties as required in keeping with the qualifications and requirements of positions in this classification.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Determines the sequence of work, safe work methods and equipment to be employed and how best to complete the work based on technical knowledge of the work and related departmental guidelines and policies; inappropriate decisions may result in minor service delays and/or costs.

Supervision Received

Reports to the Manager, Municipal Services. Works under general supervision from the Head Landscape Technologist and from written or oral instructions, blue prints, drawings and work orders.

Supervision Given

Assigns and monitors the work of labourers and apprentices as the need arises.

Minimum Qualifications

• Valid Class 5 BC Drivers License.
• BC Pesticide Applicator's Certificate (required at completion of apprenticeship)
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Must be flexible in their work and demonstrate an ability to adapt to new departmental processes and procedures

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to communicate in a clear, attentive, and polite manner.
• Ability to make thoughtful, informed, and thorough decisions.
• Excellent customer service skills with the ability to effectively resolve client complaints in a calm, non‑confrontational manner, and by exercising sound judgment.
• Ability to work in a team environment and develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships with supervisors and peers.
• Previous related work experience and supervisory experience is considered an asset.

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities globally. A large part of what makes us unique is the community of engaged students, faculty, and staff who are collectively committed to shaping a better world. Recognized as a leading employer in British Columbia and Canada, UBC supports inspired students, faculty and staff on their journey of discovery, and challenges them to realize their greatest potential. New ideas, changing infrastructure, innovative technology, and fresh approaches are opening up possibilities for the future of research, teaching, and work. Are you ready to embrace the future together? Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, and/or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If you have any accommodation or accessibility needs during the job application process, please contact the Centre for Workplace Accessibility at [e-mail].