Manager, Grounds

Lynn University; Kentucky; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Lynn University is seeking an experienced Grounds Supervisor to lead landscaping operations across the campus. The role involves coordinating crews, overseeing installation and maintenance of lawns, trees, and beds, and ensuring safety and efficiency in daily activities.

The position requires strong leadership, hands-on equipment operation, and the ability to manage budgets and work with contractors. This full-time role supports a vibrant campus environment and maintenance programs.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large landscaping crews on commercial grounds.
• Ability to prepare clear reports and budgets.
• Strong safety awareness and training delivery.

Responsibilities

• Direct activities of crews performing landscaping, mowing, pruning, or installation work.
• Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications and standards.
• Schedule work for crews considering priorities, resources, and weather.
• Coordinate with other supervisors to align activities across departments.
• Direct application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides when needed.
• Hire and evaluate staff, and take disciplinary actions as required.
• Supervise contracted vendors for landscaping services on university property.

Skills

Lawn supervision

Project coordination

Communication

Safety compliance

Report writing

Equipment operation

Job description

Summary:

Plan, organize, direct, or coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or grounds keeping activities, such as planting and maintaining ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawns, and applying fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. May also coordinate activities of workers engaged in irrigation, installing patios, and similar activities in following a landscape design plan. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and work force requirements; answering inquiries regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.

Job Description:

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Direct activities of workers who perform duties such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
• Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and requirements.
• Schedule work for crews depending on work priorities, crew and equipment availability, and weather conditions.
• Confer with other supervisors to coordinate work activities with those of other departments or units.
• Direct or perform mixing and application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
• Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
• Inventory supplies of tools, equipment, and materials to ensure that sufficient supplies are available and items are in usable condition.
• Investigate work-related complaints in order to verify problems, and to determine responses.
• Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
• Order the performance of corrective work when problems occur, and recommend procedural changes to avoid such problems.
• Perform personnel-related activities such as hiring workers, evaluating staff performance, and taking disciplinary actions when performance problems occur.
• Supervise contracted vendors in the performance of landscaping related duties on university property
• Ensureall appropriatequotes, work orders, certificates of insurance and related items are on file and up to date.
• Provide workers with assistance in performing duties as necessary to meet deadlines. Review contracts or work assignments to determine service, machine, and workforce requirements for jobs.
• Train workers in tasks such as transplanting and pruning trees and shrubs, using equipment, and caring for turf.
• Direct and assist workers engaged in the maintenance and repair of equipment such as power tools and motorized equipment.
• Identify diseases and pests affecting landscaping, and order appropriate treatments.
• Install and maintain landscaped areas, performing tasks suchas repairingsidewalks.
• Maintain required records such as personnel information and project records.
• Perform administrative duties such as authorizing leaves and processing time sheets.
• Plant and maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.
• Prepare and maintain required records such as work activity and personnel reports.
• Prepare service estimates based on labor, material, and machine costs, and maintain budgets for individual projects.
• Recommend changes in working conditions or equipment use, in order to increase crew efficiency.
• Design and supervise the installation of sprinkler systems, calculating water pressure, and valve and pipe coverage needs. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Workingknowledge of desktop computers,Microsoftoffice and related products, computerized irrigation systems.
• Ability to prepare detailed reports.
• Ability to lift, carry, and handle equipment or materials weighing between 50-80 pounds.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, and crouch for extended periods.
• Ability to work outdoors in high heat.
• Ability to operate mowers, power tools, and other machinery with precision and safety.

Minimum qualifications

• 5or more years of experience in a large commercial landscaping operation.
• 3plus years of experience in supervising groundspersonnel.

Accreditation and equal opportunity

Lynn University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, parenting status, veteran status or retirement status in its activities and programs. In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Lynn University does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Inquiries concerning the application of the non-discrimination policy may be directed to the Lynn University Compliance Officer/Title IX Coordinator at 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431, [e-mail], or [phone]; or to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Lynn University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call [phone] for questions about the accreditation of Lynn University. 2020 Lynn University

Americans with Disabilities Act

Please notify us at least five days in advance if a reasonable accommodation for a disability is needed by calling [phone].

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

In compliance with the Clery Act, the University annually provides a report to each student and current employee, as well as to prospective employees and students, that provides a detailed disclosure of information regarding campus security practices (including Emergency Response Plan, Timely Warnings, Emergency Warnings, Missing Persons, fire safety policies, fire prevention data, and Crime Log policies), as well as crime and fire-related incident statistics for the preceding year. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at lynn.edu/securityreport

For your health, Lynn University is smoke- and tobacco-free.