Grounds & Nursery I

State of Colorado; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

13 paid holidays per year

Paid vacation and sick leave

Small crews (8-13)

RTD Ecopass

Free access to Mines varsity sporting

Job summary

The Grounds and Nursery I position at Colorado School of Mines offers hands-on outdoor work maintaining turf, landscaping, and campus spaces. You may assist with irrigation, seasonal plantings, and routine equipment use in a collaborative team.

Weekly duties include event setup, moving furniture, and aiding with snow removal during winter. This essential role requires physical endurance and a positive team mindset.

Qualifications

• One year of grounds care and maintenance experience.
• Ability to work outdoors year-round in varying weather.
• Capable of lifting and performing physical tasks as needed.

Responsibilities

• General Grounds & Turf Care maintenance across campus.
• Landscape enhancements and irrigation-related tasks.
• Snow management and winter readiness responsibilities.
• Event support setup, teardown, and room diagramming.
• Moving and surplus/recycling duties as required.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Equipment operation

Outdoor labor

Tools

Mowers

Trimmers

Blowers

Job description

Looking to work in a scenic, park-like campus environment? Upgrade your view at the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado's oldest public university! Located in Golden, Colorado at the gateway of the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado School of Mines is 13 miles west of downtown Denver and 21 miles south of Boulder. For more information visit us at: www.mines.edu.

We offer a comprehensive portfolio of benefits to our classified workforce, including medical, dental, life, short and long-term disability plans, dependent tuition benefit, and retirement plans. Benefits begin the first of the month following your start date.

Other perks include:

• 13 paid holidays per year
• Paid vacation and sick leave which starts accruing your first month
• Small crews (8-13)
• RTD Ecopass
• Free access to Mines varsity sporting events for you and 3 guests

Position Overview

The Grounds and Nursery I position is part of the Facilities Management Grounds team, which maintains and improves campus outdoor spaces including turf, landscaping, trees, walkways, and seasonal plantings including tasks such as the application of pesticides, while also supporting snow removal, events, and other service needs that keep campus safe and welcoming year-round. The work is very hands-on and outdoors in all weather, with seasonal variety— like landscaping and irrigation in warmer months, leaf cleanup in the fall, snow/ice control in the winter, and event support/moving year-round. The team is close-knit, collaborative, and supportive, often pitching in to cover routes or large projects.

Key Responsibilities

• General Grounds & Turf Care maintenance
  • Provide technical and skilled labor for the maintenance of campus rounds, buildings, athletic fields, and student residences and grounds equipment. Accomplish tasks (i.e. trash and ash urn servicing, planting, mowing, edging, trimming, pruning and clean up of existing campus turf, landscape areas and athletic fields) based on services identified in an annual calendar and/or results from monthly property inspections.
  • Effectively monitor plant and turf grass vigor and identify insect or disease problems. Clean grounds areas of trash, debris, leaves, weeds, etc. Empty trash containers in common areas. Clean walks, steps, parking areas, drains, curbs and gutters. Repair, replace or install campus related signage.
• Landscape Enhancements
  • Participate in maintaining the grounds. This may include minor hardscape repair, athletic field maintenance, irrigation maintenance, planting of trees, shrubs, flowers, turf, mowing, edging, and weeding and trash collection. Assist Grounds Supervisor as needed with oversight of contractor installation of landscape, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, walk ways, parking lots, drainage systems, planters, fields.
• Snow Management
  • As an essential employee during snow/ice storms, must respond to supervisor’s call requests to participate in CSM campus Snow Management Plan which involves snow removal from streets, parking lots, walk ways and steps. Meet specified requirements set forth by the supervisor, division manager and City of Golden for the removal of snow on streets and walks throughout the campus boundaries based on the CSM Snow Management Plan. Perform other duties as assigned.
• Event Support
  • Complete open, set-up, tear-down and secure rooms as scheduled and diagrammed around campus in a timely manner. This may include tables, chairs, audio equipment, fencing, recycle & trash containers, bleachers, score boards, stages and dance floors, etc.
• Moving & Surplus/Recycle
  • Moves office, conference room, or classroom furniture such as desks, chairs, cabinets, easels, bookcases, etc. within rooms and/or across campus and between buildings. Moves furniture or other office/classroom items in support of the set-up and take down activities for campus meetings, classroom activities, public events, or conferences. May load and unload supplies/shipments received using a forklift or manual lifting. Picks up trash and may perform light cleaning duties of the rooms, offices or conference areas. Other related duties as needed may include moving furniture to surplus, hauling away trash, removing old computers to storage, etc.

What Success Looks Like

Successful employees in this role have:

• • A Positive, Team-Oriented Attitude: A willingness to collaborate with and support teammates, self-motivated with a can-do and will-do attitude, and takes pride in keeping campus safe and beautiful.
  • Knowledge of Grounds Maintenance and Equipment Operation: Hands-on ability to use tools, mowers, trimmers, blowers, and other grounds/landscape equipment safely and effectively. Experience with landscape installation and maintenance. Maintain a safe, clean work environment.
  • Physical Stamina and the Ability to Work in All Weather Conditions: This role requires lifting, bending, kneeling and outdoor work year-round, including snow removal, snow plowing, and heavy labor in hot or cold conditions.
  • A Good Work Ethic and are Highly Dependable: Reliable, shows up ready to work, and takes pride in getting the job done right the first time. Able to complete daily duties with minimal guidance.
  • Problem-Solving Skills and Demonstrate Adaptability: Maintains a positive outlook while adjusting to changing weather, priorities, or unexpected challenges.
  • Strong Communication, Interpersonal and Customer Service Skills: Excellent communication skills and an exemplary customer service spirit to meet the needs of team members, students, staff, and customers of Mines.
  • Attention to Detail: Strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize tasks.

Working Environment

Typical working hours for this position are from 7:00am-3:30pm, Monday - Friday. This position works throughout the Mines campus. Responsibilities may require physically demanding tasks that include lifting, climbing, bending, kneeling, etc to regularly operate tools and equipment in varying weather conditions, outdoors year-round.

This position is designated as essential, which means employees may be asked to report to work during emergencies such as inclement weather.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

One year of grounds care and maintenance, greenhouse, or plant nursery general labor work experience.

This experience must be substantiated within the Work Experience section of your application. "See Resume" will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

Substitutions

None.

Conditions of Employment

• Background check
• Motor Vehicle Record check
• Pre-employment physical
• Pre-Employment drug screen

Appeal Rights

As an applicant who has been removed from consideration during the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board and/or request a review by the State Personnel Director. A standard appeal form is available on the State Personnel Board website, https://spb.colorado.gov/forms-and-filing. If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within ten (10) days of your receipt of this notice: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: [phone]. Phone: [phone]. Email address: [e-mail]. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination. Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures are available at spb.colorado.gov.

Additional Information and Reasonable Accommodation Requests

It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at [e-mail] or 303.273.3250 for assistance.

Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a talented student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequality or concerns for safety.

Are you looking for an inspiring, mission-driven workplace where you can contribute to solving the world’s problems and educating the next generation of change makers? Are you an individual who values a community where our individual perspectives and experiences enrich the educational and work experience?

Look to Mines.