Irrigation Specialist

AIMS Communit College; Greeley (CO); On-site; USD 51,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits start immediately

100% employer provided medical & dent

Summer 4-day work week

Tuition waiver & reimbursement

PERA employer

Free parking on all campuses

Job summary

Aims Community College seeks an experienced grounds and irrigation technician to maintain and repair campus landscapes and irrigation across multiple sites. You will manage scheduling, perform preventive maintenance, and oversee the irrigation system to ensure efficient water use and healthy turf and plantings.

The role requires five years in grounds maintenance, two years with irrigation systems, and the ability to read plans, operate tractors, and use AutoCAD as part of landscape projects.

Qualifications

• Five (5) years of experience in grounds maintenance or related field.
• Two (2) years installing, maintaining, and repairing irrigation systems.
• Ability to operate tractors and other grounds equipment.
• Pre-employment physical and MVR checks required.

Responsibilities

• Irrigation systems: schedule and monitor operation of commercial controllers.
• Maintenance and repair of pumps, backflows, and electrical valves.
• General grounds work: trees, shrubs, fertilizing, drainage checks.
• Snow/ice removal and seasonal landscape projects as assigned.
• Operate and maintain grounds equipment and tools.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Irrigation systems knowledge

Safety certifications

Ability to read plans

Operate tractors & equipment

Education

Associate’s Degree in Landscape Architecture or Horticulture

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Minimum Hiring Annual Salary:

$50,622.00

Maximum Hiring Annual Salary:

$54,672.00

To attain the maximum annual salary, employee must meet all minimum qualifications plus:

• 5 (five) years of additional applicable work experience and/or degrees higher than minimum qualification degree. Degrees higher than the minimum qualification degree can be used in combination with additional work experience.
• Acombination of related education, on-the-job work experience, certifications and/or licenses that results in a candidate successfully meeting the minimum qualifications of the position, may be considered.

The stated salary amounts are not guaranteed in the event employment ends with Aims during any fiscal year.

Included with Aims Full-time Employment is a generous package of Benefits, most are listed below:

• Benefits are effective immediately
• 100% employer provided medical & dental coverage employees (employee only option)
• 85% employer provided medical & dental coverage for employee’s spouse and/or family
• Voluntary vision insurance
• Staff Annual Leave (minimum accrual of 15 days) & Sick (minimum accrual of 12 days)
• 17 paid holidays and 3 personal days each year
• Summer schedule: 4-day work week - Fridays Off
• Employer paid long-term disability and life insurance premiums
• Tuition waiver & reimbursement for employees
• Tuition waiver for dependents
• PERA employer (see www.copera.org for comprehensive benefits)
• Additional supplemental benefits & retirement programs available
• Access to the PERC (Aims gym) for employee & one guest
• Free parking on all campuses

Job Description:

Aims Community College actively supports an environmentthat embraces the College’s Mission, Vision, Values and a culture of innovation and care. The College embraces and seeks to hire individuals who want to be a part of this environmentand have the skill sets necessary to be successful in this position.

Aims Community College operates across five campuses: Greeley, Fort Lupton, Windsor, AFTC, and AMTC in Loveland. This position is responsible for the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of approximately 100 acres of irrigated landscape at the Greeley Campus. The irrigation system is a large, complex commercial system that includes a variety of sprinkler heads, miles of underground piping and control wiring, electric valves, six backflow prevention assemblies, and two raw-water pump stations. This role is key to ensuring the irrigation system operates efficiently and reliably while maintaining the campus landscape to a high standard.

Irrigation systems: 50%

• Responsible for all phases of the campus irrigation system. Including round-the-clock scheduling of sprinkler operation via linked commercial irrigation controllers (a.k.a. timers, clocks) acting in tandem.
• Monitor functioning and consequent adjustment, repair, or replacement of commercial, large-volume sprinklers, spray heads, and drip systems across acres of turf grass, trees, flowers, and shrubs.
• Preventative maintenance (lubrication and monitoring, regulation of outflow) of pumps, backflows, and related irrigation clocks and equipment. Biannual closing (for winter to prevent freezing) and opening (in spring at onset of sprinkler season) of sprinkler line drains and blowing out of lines for winter with commercial air compressor.
• Repair of underground, high-pressure-rated sprinkler lines (encompassing all turf areas) up to 8” diameter. Commercial sprinkler head repair, including electrical diagnostic procedures, and subsequent repair of commercial irrigation electric valves throughout the system.
• Inventory and replacement of complete irrigation parts supply.

General Grounds Work: 25%

• Tree, shrub removal, trimming, and pruning.
• Fertilizing turf areas, trees, and other landscaping areas.
• Apply herbicides and pesticides.
• Chip tree branches for mulch.
• Regularly check drainage areas to ensure they are clear of debris.
• Be aware of stormwater violations.
• Collect and dispose of debris and litter.

Snow & Ice Removal: 5%

• Plow parking lots with a pickup-mounted snowplow.
• Hand-shovel specific areas not accessible by motorized vehicles/equipment.
• Distribute sand, ice melt, or equivalent by means of specialized equipment.
• Follow-up.

Landscape Projects: 5%

• Design, install, and maintain new and existing landscape projects. Includes: Utilization of AutoCAD computer program and hand-drawn prints for irrigation and landscape design.
• Installation of design projects in the field, direction and oversight of other grounds employees, use of commercial power equipment (i.e. for trenchers), technical equipment (transits, underground locators), and hands-on skills to accomplish work.

Commercial Grounds Equipment & Tools: 5%

• Operate commercial grounds equipment such as tractors and backhoes. (For example, operate a backhoe in sensitive areas to avoid compromising above-ground structures, underground items, and the wall integrity of the excavation area).
• Operate snowplow (For Example, near cars, curbs and other structures that could damage area and equipment).
• Operate commercial riding deck mowers and weed eaters (For Example, areas where students and faculty are present to prevent flying debris from causing possible injury).
• Operate commercial and residential-type power tools and shop equipment.

Structure Maintenance: 5%

• Build landscape structures in accordance with existing codes.
• Preventative maintenance and repair existing landscape structures such as benches, pump houses, playground equipment, and storage sheds.

Other Duties as Assigned: 5 %

Minimum Qualifications:

• Five (5) years of experience in grounds maintenance, construction, or a related field. Of the five (5) years, two (2) years must be of knowledge and/or experience installing, maintaining, and repairing irrigation systems used in various commercial and industrial settings, ensuring efficient water distribution to plants, turf, and landscapes, and promoting healthy growth and optimal resource utilization, or an equivalent combination of education and/or work experience.
• Safety Certifications for the following equipment (or ability to become certified within twelve (12) months of hire): Forklift, Skid loader
• Ability to prepare and interpret plans and sketches.
• Ability to operate tractors and other commercial grounds equipment.
• Ability to understand and execute verbal and written instruction.
• Ability to use necessary hand tools associated with the trade.
• A pre-employment post-offer physical evaluation will be required of the selected candidate.
• This position requires the use of a company vehicle for business travel. The selected candidate must successfully pass an MVR and be insurable under Aims insurance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, or another related field.
• Experience troubleshooting and diagnosing backflow prevention systems.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting and servicing irrigation pumps and related equipment.
• Experience diagnosing and resolving valve-related issues within commercial irrigation systems.
• Knowledge and experience with two-wire irrigation system installation, troubleshooting, and repair.
• Working knowledge of Baseline irrigation control technologies, including zone programming, start times, run times, and seasonal adjustments.
• Experience with the pressurization, testing, and blowout/winterization of commercial irrigation systems.

For information on our hiring practices, please visit our resource page: https://www.aims.edu/departments/human-resources/hiring-process.

Aims Community College is an equal opportunity employer. Selection will be based solely on merit and will be without discrimination based on age, ancestry, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or veteran’s status. The screening committee will select finalists for interviews. The goal of Aims Community College is to enhance the diversity present in the district we serve. To comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, if hired, you will be required to provide documents within three (3) business days of hire date to show your identity and your authorization to work. This law applies to all persons hired.

Employees in these positions may be asked to participate in temporary assignments lasting less than nine (9) months (such as curriculum development, short term projects, meetings and substitute duties) which could amount to additional temporary pay.

Upon hire, all positions at Aims Community College require a criminal background check and may require industry specific screenings such as an MVR, physical and/or drug screen. Keep in mind, a conviction does not automatically preclude candidates from being employed. The nature of a conviction will be considered relative to the duties of the position.