Urban Park Supervisor

Trustees of University of Pennsylvania; United States; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Urban Park Supervisor role at University of Pennsylvania leads landscaping and grounds maintenance across campus, coordinating snow removal, turf and irrigation management, tree and plant care, and exterior surface upkeep.

This position supervises staff and contractors, ensures safety, complies with union contracts, and partners with campus stakeholders to meet service priorities while maintaining sustainable practices and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Associates degree or Two year college equivalent required or completion of a technical specialty program of eighteen months to three years duration.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of supervisory experience preferably in a unionized work environment and preferably in an academic or similar work environment.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in landscape maintenance.
• Experience using a computerized maintenance management system to monitor and control all aspects of the maintenance operation.
• Proven record of strong customer service skills.
• Knowledge of safety practices.

Responsibilities

• Supervises landscaping and grounds maintenance operations.
• Oversees snow removal and turf and irrigation management.
• Monitors CDL activities for the main campus.
• Supervises maintenance of exterior plant/flower beds, trees, hard surfaces, and athletic fields.
• Coordinates bulk waste management and recycling operations and equipment repairs.
• Manages staff and contractors, allocates work, trains, enforces procedures, and approves expenditures.
• Coordinates work with schools/centers and provides customer follow-up.
• Ensures compliance with union contracts and university policies.
• Develops time/attendance knowledge and payroll input accuracy.
• Contributes to safety, sustainability, and talent management.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Landscape maintenance

Customer service

Safety practices

Unionized workforce experience

Education

Associates degree or 2-year college equivalent

Tools

CMMS

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Urban Park Supervisor

Job Profile Title

Supervisor, Campus Maintenance

Job Description Summary

The Urban Park Supervisor position is critical to maintaining safe, functional, and well-maintained exterior campus environments across the University. The position provides direct supervision and coordination of landscaping and grounds maintenance, snow removal, turf and irrigation management, tree and plant care, hard surface maintenance, athletic field maintenance, and bulk waste and recycling operations. The supervisor is responsible for deploying staff and contractors, assigning and inspecting work, coordinating schedules for weather and athletics-related events, supporting workplace safety, and ensuring compliance with university and departmental procedures. The position also plays an important role in managing a unionized workforce, including adherence to the collective bargaining agreement and participation in grievance and disciplinary processes.

Job Responsibilities

• Responsible for supervising operations of Facilities & Real Estate Services' Urban Park to include: Landscaping
• Grounds maintenance
• Snow removal
• CDL activities for the University of Pennsylvania's main campus.
• Supervises operation of turf and irrigation management, maintenance of exterior plant/flower beds, tree care, hard surface maintenance and maintenance of athletic fields.
• Supervises and coordinates bulk waste management and recycling operations. Coordinates equipment repair.
• Supervises staff and contractors, which includes work allocation, training, enforcement of internal procedures and controls and problem resolution. Administers and approves expenditures.
• Coordination of related work with schools/centers.
• Provides customer follow-up to ensure quality and timeliness of work.
• Supports all designated initiatives while ensuring adherence to collective bargaining agreement.
• Ensure compliance with all University and departmental policies and procedures.
• Manages and participate in grievance/discipline process.
• Works with Managers and vendors to meet established service priorities/requests.
• Develops working knowledge of time and attendance and divisional work order systems including the accuracy of payroll inputs.
• Contributes to safety in the workplace, sustainability efforts, staff training and talent management.

Qualifications

• Associates degree or Two year college equivalent required or completion of a technical specialty program of eighteen months to three years duration.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of supervisory experience preferably in a unionized work environment and preferably in an academic or similar work environment.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in landscape maintenance.
• Experience using a computerized maintenance management system to monitor and control all aspects of the maintenance operation.
• Proven record of strong customer service skills.
• Knowledge of safety practices.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About Facilities & Real Estate Services

The Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES) provides the expertise, business process, policies and standards required to plan, design, construct, operate, maintain and renew the physical assets of the University, excluding the health system. In addition, the Division, comprised of approximately five Departments, is responsible for the strategic planning, management and operation of non-academic University property, and collaborating with the neighborhood to create a safe, diverse and economically vibrant destination. With close to 18M s