Assistant Director of Grounds

The University of North Carolina; Greensboro (NC); On-site; USD 74,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Greensboro in Greensboro, NC seeks an experienced Grounds Maintenance Manager to oversee turf, trees, irrigation, and general campus upkeep. This role requires coordinating a team to maintain athletic fields, Peabody Park, and landscapes across campus.

The position is permanent, full-time within Facilities Operations, focusing on preventive maintenance, safety training, and efficient grounds operations to support the university’s mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in general facilities work.
• All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.
• AS or BS – Horticulture or Turfgrass Management; 10+ years in grounds management; licensed landscape contractor; certified arborist; licensed irrigation contractor; certified turfgrass professional.

Responsibilities

• Oversee turf maintenance on recreational and athletic fields (25%).
• Oversee tree and shrub maintenance campus-wide (25%).
• Oversee irrigation repair and installation (20%).
• Oversee preventive maintenance and repairs on grounds equipment (10%).
• Oversee fertilizer and pesticide application campus-wide (10%).
• Oversee safety training for grounds staff (5%).
• Oversee general campus grounds upkeep and tidiness (5%).

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Team supervision

Safety training

Irrigation systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree and two years in facilities work

Tools

Lawn equipment

Irrigation systems

Job description

Located in North Carolina’s third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal — helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University’s 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B.

Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit

Facilities Operations has the responsibility of providing a wide range of services to the entire UNCG campus. Services include all aspects of corrective and preventive maintenance, operations, grounds maintenance, housekeeping, utility infrastructure maintenance and operations, business operations, safety, regulatory compliance, project management, and renovations. These duties are conducted for a campus consisting of more than 100 buildings totaling 6 million gross square feet on over 275 acres.

Position Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to provide overall management of all activities related to grounds maintenance. The primary duties are:

25% Oversight of Turf Maintenance including recreational and athletic fields
25% Oversight of Tree and Shrub Maintenance throughout campus including UNCG’s Peabody Park
20% Oversight of Irrigation Repair and Installation
10% Oversight of Preventive Maintenance and Repairs on Grounds Equipment
10% Oversight of Fertilizer and Pesticide Application throughout campus
5% Oversight of Safety Training for grounds staff
5% Oversight of General Overall Campus Grounds Upkeep, Cleanup and tidiness
This position is a mandatory position as defined in the Adverse Weather and Emergency Event Policy.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in general facilities work; or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• AS or BS – Horticulture or Turfgrass Management.
• 10 or more years’ experience in managing grounds and athletic fields in a higher education institution.
• Licensed landscape contractor.
• Certified arborist.
• Licensed Irrigation contractor.
• Certified turfgrass professional.

Recruitment Range

Recruitment Range $73,778 - $81,975

Org #-Department

Org #-Department Facilities Operations - 56404

Job Open Date

Job Open Date 08/17/2026

For Best Consideration Date

Job Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

FTE

FTE 1.000

Type of Appointment

Type of Appointment Permanent

If time-limited, please specify end date for appointment.

Number of Months per Year

Number of Months per Year 12

FLSA

FLSA Ex