Superintendent of Grounds

ICCFA - International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina, seeks a Superintendent of the Grounds to oversee maintenance of a 72-acre, park-like historic cemetery. The role leads a foreman and six full-time staff, directing grounds operations year-round while ensuring a welcoming rest space that honors the site’s 155-year history.

The successful candidate will be a strong communicator and self-starter, able to balance big-picture planning with hands-on work, including assisting with grave space sales

Qualifications

• Experience supervising a grounds team and directing maintenance tasks.
• Strong communication with families, visitors, and staff.
• Self-motivated leader able to plan and execute grounds projects.

Responsibilities

• Supervising the grounds crew and overseeing daily operations.
• Maintaining cemetery equipment and keeping repair records.
• Managing groundskeeping, mowing, plantings, and seasonal projects.
• Assisting families with pre-need/at-need sales and paperwork when needed.

Skills

Grounds crew supervision

Communication skills

Self-starter

Grounds maintenance

Tools

Cemetery equipment maintenance

Job description

Executive Summary

Historic Oakwood Cemetery

Raleigh, North Carolina

701 Oakwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA

Position Announcement 2026

Historic Oakwood Cemetery seeks a well-rounded and dynamic Superintendent of the Grounds to oversee the overall maintenance program at Raleigh’s oldest non-profit Cemetery. Historic Oakwood Cemetery, a beautiful 155-year-old park-like sacred space of 72 acres. An Arbnet certified Level 1 Arboretum, Oakwood is home to over 900 trees, including many specimen and champion varieties. Historic Oakwood Cemetery proudly continues to serve families for burial services, as well as a noted outdoor museum. Oakwood continues to be a Cemetery full of life—an active burial ground, a certified wildlife habitat, and sacred grounds which host educational programs and community events.

The Superintendent’s work will continue within the tradition of the Cemetery’s long history but also bring a new and modern perspective to overseeing the historic grounds. They will be a leader, able to manage and direct the grounds crew as they work year-round to maintain the grounds. They will be a strong communicator, acting as the ambassador on the grounds to families and visitors alike. A self-starter, the Superintendent will look at the cemetery grounds from both the big picture and in the details, ensuring the cemetery is as welcoming and comforting as it has been throughout its history.

The Superintendent reports to the Executive Director at Oakwood Cemetery but has the primary responsibility of the outside operation of the Cemetery and any other related functions. All grounds crew, property, tools, and equipment are under control of the Superintendent. This position also steps in to assist the Executive Director inside- working with families and selling grave space when needed.

Job duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervising, working with, and motivating grounds crew members including training reviews and discipline. The grounds crew consists of a foreman and 6 other full-time employees who handle different functions of grounds maintenance and grave preparation.
• Maintenance of all cemetery equipment, including records of repair and recommendations for new purchases
• Groundskeeping including mowing, leaf and decoration removal, maintenance of cemetery plantings, overall grounds upkeep. The Superintendent and Foreman work together to determine daily job plans, larger projects, and seasonal work. The superintendent is a working position, while cross training does exist, this candidate must be flexible enough to jump in to mow or dig, when necessary.
• Assisting families with pre and at need sales and the necessary paperwork to complete that task.

The Organization

A place of unique significance, meaning and value to Raleigh, Wake County, the state of North Carolina, and thousands of citizens for nearly 160 years, Historic Oakwood Cemetery provides a beautiful park-like setting for the final resting place of a fascinating cross section of over 25,000 of the area’s citizenry, including many prominent city, state and national leaders.

Among the many beautiful monuments and statuary within the cemetery are those of seven governors, five United States Senators, eight Supreme Court Chief Justices of North Carolina, four Civil War generals, two Secretaries of the United