Groundsworker - Gardener

Peralta Community College District; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Peralta Community College District seeks a Groundsworker - Gardener to perform skilled grounds maintenance across athletic complexes and campus landscapes. The role involves planting, pruning, irrigation maintenance, equipment handling, and seasonal grounds work.

The position requires one year of experience in commercial grounds-keeping, a valid CA driver’s license, and the ability to work with diverse campus communities. Candidates should be able to operate mowers, saws, and sprinkler systems.

Qualifications

• One year of continuous full-time paid professional experience in commercial grounds-keeping and gardening duties or equivalent.
• Must possess a current valid California Driver’s License.
• Must be insurable under Peralta Community College District's current policy.
• Understanding and respect for diverse backgrounds of Peralta Colleges’ students, faculty, staff and community.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate, water, fertilize, and trim lawns, shrubs, hedges, trees and ground cover.
• Spray shrubs, trees, weeds and lawns.
• Prune trees and other plants.
• Plant, transplant, fertilize and propagate ornamental plants.
• Mow and edge lawns with hand and power equipment.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Mowing

Equipment operation

Safety awareness

Tools

Power mowers

Tree saw

Sprinkler systems

Job description

Class Purpose

Under general supervision, the Groundsworker - Gardener performs avariety of skilled gardening and grounds maintenance dutiesmaintaining Athletic complexes, landscaped areas and/or campusgrounds.

Examples of Duties

Examples of duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cultivates, waters, fertilizes, and trims lawns, shrubs,hedges, trees and ground cover.
• Sprays shrubs, trees, weeds and lawns.
• Prunes trees and other plants.
• Performs varied duties in the planting, transplanting,fertilizing and propagation of ornamental plants.
• Mows and edges lawns, using hand and power equipment, includinggang mowers.
• Uses hand tools to work soil and to remove weeds, undergrowth,and debris from grounds and landscaped area.
• Sweeps walkways, driveways and parking lots using streetsweeper, and picks up paper and rubbish, and empties garbagecans.
• Assists in the installation of landscaping projects.
• Renovates athletic facilities and other landscaping.
• Helps in the installation of and repair of sprinklersystems.
• Cleans drainage and other similar areas.
• Prepares and maintains softball, baseball, football and soccerfields.
• Mounts signs.
• Checks and services mowing tractor, power mowers, trimmers, andall gardening equipment.
• Lubricates and sharpens mowers.
• Makes adjustments to and repairs sprinkler systems and fullirrigation including valves, timers, and any irrigation repairsneeded. Trims trees from ground and ladder, using tree saw, chainsaws and loppers.
• Sprays chemicals.
• Drives district vehicles to haul supplies and equipment to andfrom work areas.
• May perform general custodial duties either seasonally orincidental to grounds-keeping activities.
• May dig post holes and trenches.
• Performs minor maintenance and repair to power mowers, edgers,rototillers, vacuum sweepers, etc.
• May perform minor asphalt repair work.
• May install sign posts.
• Performs minor fence repair.
• May stripe parking lots.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

1. One (1) year of continuous full-time paid professionalexperience performing commercial grounds-keeping and gardeningduties or any combination of training and experience that couldlikely provide the desired knowledge and abilities.
2. Must possess a current valid California Department of MotorVehicle Driver’s License.
3. Must be insurable under Peralta Community College District'scurrent insurance policy.
4. Understanding of, sensitivity to and respect for the diverseacademic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnicbackgrounds of Peralta Colleges’ students, faculty, staff andcommunity.

Knowledge of:

• Safety procedures, methods, supplies, and tools used inplanting, cultivating, and caring for lawns, shrubs, andtrees.
• Gardening materials, tools, and equipment.
• Common plant diseases, ant insect pests, and approved method ofmaterials used for controlling an eradication.
• District's educational mission.
• Plant cultivation, irrigation, spraying, andfertilization.
• Operation and maintenance of motorized equipment used ingrounds maintenance work.
• Using computer to input/update work orders.
• Soil preparation.

Ability to:

• Perform skilled grounds maintenance work.
• Operate and maintain power mowers and other grounds maintenanceequipment.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with thosecontacted in the work.
• Safely use the hand and power tools of gardening andgrounds-keeping work.
• Perform heavy physical labor.
• Follow verbal and written directions.