Groundskeeper

State of Florida; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Dental, Vision, and Supplemental

Retirement Benefits

Vacation and Sick Leave

Paid Holidays

Tuition Waiver for Public College

Training Opportunities

Job summary

The Department of Military Affairs in Florida is seeking a Groundskeeper to maintain base lawns, shrubs, trees, and related facilities at the Starke, FL location. The role requires at least one year of grounds maintenance experience and a high school diploma or equivalent.

You will operate mowers and related equipment, perform routine maintenance, and ensure safe, compliant grounds upkeep. This is a full-time, monthly-paid position with benefits including health and retirement plans, paid leave,

Qualifications

• One year experience landscaping or maintaining grounds and property.
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Ability to operate hand tools and basic lawn equipment.

Responsibilities

• Maintain base lawns, shrubs, and trees within defined cut lengths.
• Operate mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, and related equipment.
• Perform routine maintenance on lawn equipment and report needs.

Skills

Groundskeeping

Lawn maintenance

Safety awareness

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

• Training Opportunities

Requisition No: 886881

Agency: Military Affairs

Working Title: Groundskeeper

Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 62000084

Salary: $34,760.00

Posting Closing Date: 11/16/2026

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Department of Military Affairs

• OPEN COMPETITIVE***

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m. on closing date

VACANCY # 62000084

WORK LOCATION: Starke, FL

About The Department Of Military Affairs (dma)

The mission of the Florida Department of Military Affairs is to provide management oversight of the Florida National Guard and provide units and personnel ready to support national security objectives; to protect the public safety of citizens and to contribute to the national, state and community programs that add value to the United States of America and to the State of Florida.

Our Benefits Include

• Health Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Dental, Vision, and Supplemental Insurance
• Retirement Benefits
• Vacation and Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays
• Opportunities for Career Advancement
• Tuition Waiver for Public College Courses
• Training Opportunities
• For benefit information available to State of Florida employees, go to http://www.mybenefits.myflorida.com

Conditions Of Employment

• New employees of the Department of Military Affairs will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screening.
• New employees of the Department of Military Affairs are required to participate in a direct deposit/electronic transfer program.
• The Department of Military Affairs is paid on a monthly basis.
• This position is a Cooperative Agreement position.
• As a CANDIDATE, you are required to provide documentation (i.e., High School Diploma or Equivalency, College Transcripts, ETC.) to verify meeting these Minimum Qualifications.
• Must be able to obtain a completion of a favorable National Agency Check background investigation clearance.

Minimum Requirements

• A High School Diploma or equivalent; AND
• One (1) year experience landscaping or maintaining grounds and property or related work.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to bend, squat, climb, kneel, twist, grasp, push, and pull.
• Must have manual dexterity with hands and fingers.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 50lbs. or more.

Duties And Responsibilities

Ensure proper maintenance of base lawns, shrubs, and trees to include:

• Maintaining all lawns ensuring that the length does not exceed 6 inches between cuttings
• Maintaining all field areas ensuring that the length does not exceed 8 inches between cutting including fence lines
• Maintaining edging along all sidewalks and curb areas once a month during the growing season
• Maintaining hedges and shrubs ensuring that they are trimmed at least once a month during the growing season
• Caring for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch
• Trimming and/or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls
• Picking up and emptying waste and recycling receptacles as required
• Maintaining irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring
• Trimming or picking flowers and cleaning flower beds
• Ability to use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes
• Operate equipment and tools to prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws
• Operate vehicles and powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, chain saws, electric clippers, sod cutters, and pruning saws

Ensures proper maintenance and servicing of mowers, weed eaters, chainsaws, and edging equipment to include:

• Ensures proper maintenance and servicing of mowers, weed eaters, chainsaws and edging equipment to include:
• Performs minor maintenance and repairs on push and riding type mowers and identifies equipment that require contract maintenance to the Facility Manager
• Performs minor maintenance and repairs of weed eaters, chain saws, hedge trimmers, walk behind edgers, blowers and stick edgers
• Responsible for ensuring an adequate supply of oil, fuel, weed eater string, and minor repair parts are on hand to maintain lawn equipment

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Skills in controlling operations of equipment or systems
• The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
• The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
• The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position
• The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Special Reminders

The State of Florida and The Department of Military Affairs participate in the E-Verify program. Federal law requires that all employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of any person hired to work in the United States.

Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov

All members of the Florida Retirement System are required to contribute 3% of their salary on a pre-tax basis.

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

The Department of Military Affairs values and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE

Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE

Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.

Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.