Athletic Field Specialist

Dickinson; Carlisle (Cumberland County); On-site; USD 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Dickinson College is seeking a dedicated Grounds and Landscaping Specialist to manage athletic fields and campus grounds. The role involves upkeep of turf, irrigation, equipment maintenance, and safety-compliant operations within Dickinson Park and Biddle Field.

The position emphasizes planning and prioritizing daily tasks with minimal supervision, including participation in safety trainings and weather-related emergency responses. A valid driver’s license is required.

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in Horticulture, turf grass management, or agronomy.
• Valid driver's license required to operate company vehicles.
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, turf grass management, or agronomy.

Responsibilities

• Maintains natural and synthetic athletic fields and grounds to a professional level, including fertilization, aerification, pest and disease monitoring and treatment, turf grass establishment and overseeding, weed control, and related maintenance.
• Completes grooming, mowing, trimming and other turf grass maintenance in Dickinson Park and Biddle Field.
• Ensures work is done safely, professionally and productively.
• Attends seminars and safety training as required by the Director of Grounds.
• Maintains pesticide applicator certification via update trainings.
• Maintains pesticide application log.
• Operates, maintains and monitors automatic irrigation systems and makes repairs as needed.
• Maintains and repairs equipment such as mowers, sprayers, tractors, and related tools.

Skills

Valid driver's license

Education

Associate's Degree - Horticulture, turf grass management, agronomy

Bachelor's degree - Horticulture, turf grass management, agronomy

Job description

Posting Details

Dickinson College is a premier four-year residential liberal arts institution chartered in 1783 and widely recognized as a leader in global and sustainability education. Dickinson College is located in Carlisle, named a "most livable city" by Forbes and is minutes from the state capital of Harrisburg. The campus is connected to a vibrant downtown that offers eclectic dining, shopping and entertainment options. Within a two-hour drive are Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; New York City is three hours away.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical insurance plan
• Life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Generous time off
• Parental leave
• Homebuyer assistance
• Tuition benefits for eligible employees and dependent children under the age of 24
• Employer contribution of 8% of base salary to retirement account
• Additional 0.5% matching contribution

Position Department Facilities Management - Grounds and Landscaping

This position serves as the specialist responsible for the care, growth, appearance, maintenance and safety of athletic fields and athletic complex grounds. Additionally, the Athletic Field Specialist functions as a working member of College’s grounds crew (Groundskeeper I), in performing various duties to maintain and assure the attractive appearance of campus through daily execution of planned maintenance activities. Crew members are expected to maintain their individual campus zone with minimal supervision and direction. Crew members should be able to plan, prioritize and execute their activities such that the required work gets done with minimal intervention from their supervisor(s).

Essential Functions

• Maintains natural and synthetic athletic fields and grounds to a professional level. This includes fertilization, aerification, pest and disease monitoring and treatment, turf grass establishment and overseeding, turf grass and landscape weed control, ancillary field maintenance including management of infield and warning track surfaces.
• Completes grooming, mowing, trimming and other turf grass maintenance activities in secondary areas of Dickinson Park and Biddle Field.
• Ensures work is done in a safe, professional, and productive manor.
• Attends seminars and safety training as required by the Director of Grounds.
• Maintains pesticide applicator certification via update trainings.
• Maintains pesticide application log.
• Operate, maintain and monitor automatic irrigation systems and repair as needed.
• Maintain and repair equipment to include mowers, sprayers, tractors, field rakes, etc. Blade sharpening.
• Weekly safety monitoring of all equipment.
• Assist with snow removal from campus sidewalks, parking lots, driveways and steps.
• All grounds crew members are considered "emergency response personnel". As such they are required to report to work even when the college is closed or is operating under a delayed start.
• Grounds crew members can be called in at any time of day to respond to weather and/or other types of emergencies as needed.
• It is expected that the employee has reliable transportation adequate to transport them to work even under adverse weather conditions.

Requirements

• Associate's Degree - Horticulture, turf grass management, agronomy.
• This position requires a valid driver's license for the operation of a company owned, rented or leased vehicle.
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree - Horticulture, turf grass management, agronomy.

EEO/Diversity Statement

The College is committed to building a representative and diverse faculty, staff, and student body. We encourage applications from all qualified persons.

It is a fundamental policy of the college to respect pluralism, civility and mutual understanding within its community. The college does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or any other protected class. We encourage applications from all qualified persons.

Individuals with disabilities who require an accommodation to complete the employment process should contact Human Resource Services at [phone], [e-mail] or by visiting our offices Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET).

All applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the closing date indicated.

Employees must complete the Form I-9 to document verification of their identity and employment authorization. Employment with Dickinson College is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check, which may include a criminal background check, reference checks, verification of work history, and verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, with results acceptable to Dickinson College to ensure a safe learning and work environment for our students, staff, and faculty. A criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law. Federal legislation requires institutions of higher education to inform prospective members of our community about its most recent crime/incident statistics, crime prevention and security programs and activities, policies concerning the reporting of crime, and related information in accordance with the Campus Security Act, commonly referred to as the Clery Act. You can obtain this information by contacting the Department of Public Safety, Dickinson College, 400 W. North St - Rear, Carlisle, PA 17013 or call (717)-245-1349.