Groundsworker

California State University, Stanislaus; Turlock, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 39,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

California State University, Stanislaus is seeking two full-time Groundsworker positions in Stanislaus - Turlock. The role involves maintaining campus grounds, fields, and facilities to provide a safe, aesthetically pleasing environment.

You will mow, prune, water, fertilize, and prepare athletic fields according to schedules and sport requirements. The successful candidate should have at least one year of related grounds maintenance experience; preferred candidates have extensive landscape,

Qualifications

• No degree required.
• One year of grounds maintenance or related manual labor experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform general grounds maintenance including mowing, edging, trimming, watering, and fertilizing lawns and landscaped areas.
• Plant, cultivate, and care for lawns, trees, shrubs, and flowers.
• Prepare soil and assist with seeding and sod installation.
• Trim and prune trees, shrubs, and hedges for appearance and safe clearance.
• Remove weeds, rake leaves, and clear debris from landscaped areas.
• Assist with routine maintenance of athletic fields and campus activities prep.
• Clean and maintain outdoor areas such as walkways, sidewalks, parking lots, and building access points.
• Collect and dispose of trash and debris from assigned areas.
• Assist with basic irrigation tasks such as adjusting sprinklers and replacing minor components.
• Support general grounds operations and assist skilled staff with specialized tasks.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of campus grounds maintenance.
• Operate small power equipment such as mowers, blowers, trimmers, and similar tools.
• Inspect and maintain tools and equipment; report issues.
• Store and maintain equipment and supplies in good working condition.
• May obtain additional training or certification as needed.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Athletic fields

Irrigation

Large-scale operation

General gardening

Education

No degree required

Job description

Job Details

Job no: 561009
Department: Business & Finance
Work type: Staff
Location: Stanislaus - Turlock
Categories: Unit 5 - CSUEU - Operations and Support Services, Custodial/Facilities, Probationary, Full Time, On-site (work in-person at business location)

Position Description

Two (2) full-time positions available on or after January 4, 2027 for Landscape & Laborer Services.

This position’s responsibilities are carried out under general supervision, and in accordance with schedules or periodic instructions, the Groundsworker performs general gardening work and maintains the grounds in an assigned area of a campus. The Groundsworker performs a combination of unskilled and semiskilled work, which encompasses the maintenance of landscaped areas, parking lots, athletic fields, and surrounding facilities to provide a safe and aesthetically pleasant environment for the campus community. The incumbent shall participate in the preparation and lining of all assigned sport fields to include, proper mowing of turf to the desired height of the sport to be played, but most importantly by the grass cultivar

Job Duties

• Perform general grounds maintenance including mowing, edging, trimming, watering, and fertilizing lawns and landscaped areas.
• Plant, cultivate, and care for lawns, trees, shrubs, and flowers.
• Prepare soil and assist with seeding and sod installation.
• Trim and prune trees, shrubs, and hedges to maintain appearance and safe clearance.
• Remove weeds, rake leaves, and clear debris from landscaped areas.
• Assist with routine maintenance of athletic fields, including preparation for campus activities.
• Clean and maintain outdoor areas such as walkways, sidewalks, parking lots, and building access points.
• Collect and dispose of trash and debris from assigned areas.
• Assist with basic irrigation tasks such as adjusting sprinklers and replacing minor components.
• Support general grounds operations and assist skilled staff with specialized tasks as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of campus grounds maintenance.
• Operate small power equipment such as mowers, blowers, trimmers, and similar tools.
• Perform routine inspection and basic upkeep of tools and equipment.
• Clean, store, and maintain equipment and supplies in good working condition.
• Report equipment issues and ensure equipment is serviced as scheduled.
• May be required to obtain additional training and/or certification as part of professional development, based on department and/or campus needs, to stay current with industry standards.
• At the direction of appropriate administrator, may provide support to other areas as needed.
• The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education:None required.
• Experience:One year of experience in the care and maintenance of landscaped areas or in general grounds maintenance work, or in related manual labor.

Preferred Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Three years of experience working in commercial landscape maintenance, and installation large turf areas such as golf courses, parks or school grounds.
• Experience maintaining athletic fields and sports turf, including field preparation, lining, and turf care practices specific to organized sports use.
• Experience performing irrigation system maintenance and basic repairs, including identifying leaks, adjusting heads, and supporting efficient water usage in landscaped areas.
• Experience working in a large-scale landscape maintenance operation (e.g., campus, parks, or commercial properties), supporting multiple site areas with varied landscape and hardscape needs.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of general gardening and grounds maintenance method.
• General knowledge of proper methods of planting, cultivating, and caring for hedges, ornamental trees, shrubs, lawns, and flowers as well as the use and care of gardening materials, tools, and equipment.
• Ability to recognize the more common species of ornamental shrubs, trees and flowers grown in California.
• Ability to perform strenuous physical work.
• Ability to utilize mechanical aptitude and motor coordination.
• Ability to learn to operate skillfully small trucks and power-driven grounds equipment.
• Ability to read and write at a level appropriate to the position.
• Ability to follow simple oral and written instructions.

Special Conditions

• Position may be required to travel.

License or Certifications

• None specified.

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary Range

Anticipated salary will be $3,822 per month (step 6)per monthplus excellent paid benefits. Future increases, including step advancement, are subject to contract negotiations.(Full Groundsworker range: $3,461 – $4,752 per month.)

• Commensurate with qualifications and experience. As a member of the 23-campus CSU System, we offer an extremely competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, outstanding vacation, health, dental, and vision plans; a fee waiver education program; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); and 15 paid holidays a year.
• Link to (Bargaining Unit: 5)Benefits Summary: CSU Employee Benefit Summary

Background Clearance Notice

Satisfactory completion of a background check (which includes checks of employment records, education records, criminal records, civil records; and may include motor vehicle records, professional licenses, and sex offender registries, as position requires) is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Additional Information

Campus & Area

California State University, Stanislaus serves the San Joaquin Valley and is a critical educational resource for a six-county region of approximately 1.5 million people. The University is fully committed to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion – one in which every person in the University community feels safe to express their views without fear of reprisal. Widely recognized for its quality academic programs, the University has 10 nationally accredited programs and 662 faculty members. 94 percent of full-time faculty holds doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields. The University offers 43 undergraduate majors, 16 master's programs, 7 post-graduate credentials, a doctorate in education and serves more than 10,000 students. New instructional facilities have been built for the unique pedagogy of professional programs, laboratory sciences and performing arts.

Stanislaus State continues to receive national recognition with its ranking as one of the best 384 colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The University was one of 12 public universities in the nation to be recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for demonstrating exceptional performance in retention and graduation rates. In addition, U.S. News and World Report ranks Stanislaus State in its top 10 among public universities in the West, while Washington Monthly honored Stanislaus State as the West’s No. 1 university for the money. Stanislaus State also is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education.

Clery Act Disclosure

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act,the annual security report (ASR), is now available for viewing at https://www.csustan.edu/annual-campus-security-report . The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Stanislaus State for the previous three years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the office of the Clery Director located at One University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The university is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised 7/21/17, as a condition of employment.

Applicants requiring necessary accommodations to the application process may contact the Human Resources Department at [phone]. California Relay Service is available at [phone] voice and [phone] TDD. As a federal contractor, we are committed to attracting a diverse applicant pool. Please consider completing the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form (your response will not be shared with the search committee) at: Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability PDF Form .

CSU Stanislaus hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

The CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. The CSU prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside California.

The individuals who appear to be the best qualified for this position will be contacted by telephone or email for an interview.

Information Contained in This Announcement May be Subject to Change Without Notice

Advertised: October 09, 2026 (9:00 AM) Pacific Daylight Time

Applications close: October 23, 2026 (11:55 PM) Pacific Daylight Time

• Unit 5 - CSUEU - Operations and Support Services 1

• Custodial/Facilities 1

• Full Time 1

• On-site (work in-person at business location) 1

One University Circle
Turlock, California 95382

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