Grounds Worker

The University of North Carolina; Greensboro, Northern (NC, KY); Hybrid; USD 35,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

University of North Carolina Greensboro is seeking a Grounds Worker to perform campus landscape maintenance, including turf care, tree and shrub care, and general grounds upkeep. The role supports Facilities Operations for a campus of over 100 buildings and 6 million gross square feet.

Primary duties include mowing, edging, irrigation maintenance, and equipment upkeep. Candidates should have knowledge of cleaning procedures, ability to follow instructions, and be capable of heavy physical work;

Qualifications

• Some knowledge of cleaning procedures, ability to follow instructions and to perform medium to heavy physical work.
• Special certification may be required for some of these positions.
• Valid NC Driver’s License

Responsibilities

• Turf care including mowing, weed eating, edging, overseeding, sodding, liming, soil testing, weed control, insect and disease control, irrigation system maintenance.
• Tree and shrub care including pruning trees and shrubs.
• General grounds upkeep and tidiness to keep campus neat and clean.
• Skills in the use and upkeep of machinery, tools, and grounds equipment.

Skills

Cleaning procedures

Follow instructions

Physical stamina

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Applicants are required to upload a list of at least three (3) professional references that includes:

• Name,
• Company Name,
• Type of reference (Professional, Supervisor, Colleague, Academic, or Personal). One (1) of those references will need to be a current or previous supervisor.
• Email Address
• Contact Phone Number

Requisition Number

Requisition Number S3157

Position Number

Position Number 014284

Position Classification Title

Functional Title

Functional Title Grounds Worker

Position Type

Position Type Staff

University Information

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 all administrative departments, student programs, and all academic schools and departments. 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 over 100 buildings totaling 6 million gross square feet on over 275 acres.

Position Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to perform maintenance to the campus landscape and auxiliary properties.
30% – Turf care

30% – Tree and shrub care

20% – General Overall Campus Grounds Upkeep, Cleanup, and Tidiness

20% – Skills in use and maintenance of Machinery, Tools, and Equipment

This position is a mandatory position as defined in the Adverse Weather and Emergency Event Policy.

Minimum Qualifications

Some knowledge of cleaning procedures, ability to follow instructions and to perform medium to heavy physical work; an equivalent combination of training and experience. Special certification may be required for some of these positions. Special note: this is a generalized representation of positions in this class and is not intended to identify essential functions per ADA . Examples of competencies are typical of the majority of positions, but may not be applicable to all functions.

Additional Required Certifications, Licensures, and Certificates

Valid NC Driver’s License

Preferred Qualifications

Alternate Option

If no applicants apply who meet the required competency level and training & experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicants are required to upload a list of at least three (3) professional references that includes:

• Name,
• Company Name,
• Type of reference (Professional, Supervisor, Colleague, Academic, or Personal). One (1) of those references will need to be a current or previous supervisor.
• Email Address
• Contact Phone Number

Recruitment Range

Recruitment Range $35,384 - $38,449

Org #-Department

Org #-Department Grounds - 56405

Work Hours of Position

Work Hours of Position 6:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., M-F

Number of Months per Year

Number of Months per Year 12

Posting Requirements

Job Family

Job Family Institutional Services

Career Banded Title

Open Date

Open Date 08/20/2026

Close Date

Close Date 09/03/2026

FTE

FTE 1.000

FLSA

FLSA Non-Exempt

If other, please indicate

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

Salary Grade Equivalency

Key Responsibilities

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Key Responsibility

Turf Care

General grounds maintenance including the following tasks:

• Mowing
• Weed Eating
• Edging Walks and Drives
• Overseeding
• Sodding
• Liming
• Soil Testing
• Pre and Post Emergent Weed Control
• Insect and Disease Control
• Irrigation System Maintenance

Key Responsibility

Tree and Shrub Care

• Prune trees and shrubs per established best management practices.

Key Responsibility

General overall upkeep of Campus, Cleanup, and Tidiness

• Maintain the campus in a neat fashion.
• Identify and remove fallen limbs, litter, and remove debris from sidewalks, streets, and curbs with a leaf blower or other means deemed necessary.

Key Responsibility

Skills in the use and upkeep of machinery, tools, and other grounds equipment

• Consistently demonstrates the ability to use common tools and machinery associated with grounds maintenance.
• Performs daily and weekly maintenance on equipment to ensure optimal performance and longevity.

Competency

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Competency

Competency Knowledge- Technical

Competency Description

• Maintains an inventory of cleaning materials, supplies and equipment to ensure appropriate levels needed to perform work.

Competency Level Advanced

Competency

Competency Communication

Competency Description

• Leads by example in overcoming communication problems in the work area.

Competency Level Advanced

Competency

Competency Interpersonal Skills

Competency Description

• Crosses work units when problem solving.

Competency Level Advanced

Competency

Competency Customer Service

Competency Description

• Anticipates customer needs, and addresses and resolves promptly and respectfully. Representatives the work area when needed to customers on matters of concern.

Competency Level Advanced

Competency

Competency Safety and Health Compliance

Competency Description

• Performs routine servicing of tools and equipment safely to ensure safe operation.

Competency Level Advanced

ADA Checklist

"R" for Rare (0-30%), "O" for Occasional (30-60%), "F" for Frequent (60-90%), "C" for Constant (90-100%)

Physical Effort

Physical Effort Hand Movement-Repetitive Motions - F, Hand Movement-Grasping - F, Holding - F, Finger Dexterity - F, Vision-Skilled Trades - F, Reading - F, Writing - F, Eye-hand coordination - C, Vision-Color Distinction - C, Vision-Preparing/Analyzing figures - F, Vision-Visual inspection - C, Hearing - C, Talking - C, Standing - F, Sitting - F, Walking - C, Lifting-0-30 lbs. - F, Lifting-30-60 lbs. - R, Lifting-60-90 lbs. - R, Pushing/Pulling - F, Bending - F, Squatting - F, Reaching - F

Work Environment Driving - Car/Truck - O, Driving - Standar/Automatic - O, Driving - Mower/Forklift - F, Night/Dark - O, Extreme noise levels - F, Extreme temperatures - F, Outside - C, Ventilation ConditionsDust - F, Ventilation ConditionsFumes - F, Overtime - O

Required Documents

• Resume/CV
• List of References

Optional Documents

• Cover Letter

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please indicate how you learned of the vacant position for which you are applying:
  • UNCGjobsearch Website
  • Greensboro News & Record
  • Carolina Peacemaker
  • Other Newspaper
  • The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Inside Higher Ed
  • Other Professional Journal
  • NCWorks.gov
  • UNC System Job Board
  • Other Online Job Board
  • Personal Networking
  • Other
• * If you selected "Other", please provide the name of the resource here.

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Are you eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship for employment at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro?
  • Yes
  • No