Wildlife Grounds Specialist

San Diego Humane Society; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

San Diego Humane Society is hiring a Wildlife Grounds Specialist for our Project Wildlife team at the Ramona Campus. This full-time role supports the rehabilitation facility by maintaining native plant areas, irrigation, and habitat features across 13 acres.

The position requires a high school diploma and at least one year in horticulture or related fields. Starting pay ranges from $22.00 to $24.48 per hour, with 40 hours per week and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
• At least 1 year of experience in horticulture, landscaping, groundskeeping, irrigation, or related fields.
• Experience with power tools and saws; tractors or skid steers preferred.
• Knowledge of Southern California native plants and drought-tolerant landscaping is a plus.
• Ability to balance campus appearance with sustainability and animal welfare.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine and project-based maintenance of plants, gardens, and grounds on the Ramona campus.
• Complete groundskeeping and maintain roads, paths, and service areas; support habitat features.
• Manage irrigation installation, maintenance, and repairs to ensure efficient watering.
• Operate landscaping tools and equipment; apply basic carpentry and repair skills.
• Use tractors or skid steers when trained and authorized.
• Collaborate with wildlife staff to select plants for enclosure needs and habitat complexity.
• Follow safety and biosecurity procedures around animals and high-stress species.

Skills

High school diploma

Horticulture experience

Groundskeeping

Power tools experience

Irrigation knowledge

Plant identification

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Power tools

Saws

Tractors/Skid Steers

Job description

San Diego Humane Society is hiring a full-time Wildlife Grounds Specialist for our Project Wildlife team!

How You’ll Impact Our Mission

At San Diego Humane Society, we’re united by our mission to Inspire Compassion, providing hope and advancing the welfare of animals and people. The Wildlife Grounds Specialist supports the daily operations of a rehabilitation facility focused on the care of apex predators and large birds of prey by maintaining and improving the native plants, gardens, orchards, irrigation systems, landscaped grounds, ponds, and animal habitat support areas.

This role delivers service at the gold standard level in alignment with the SDHS Way, to meet the needs of animals and the people who love them by leading with compassion, finding creative solutions, providing personalized care and building connections. If you’re passionate about making an impact in the animal welfare movement, we’d love to talk to you.

What’s in it for you?

At SDHS, we’re proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and commit to being a place where every person – staff, volunteer, and guest – can feel a sense of belonging. We support and invest in employees through conscious delivery of benefits and a workplace environment based on our Core Values.

As An Employee You’ll Enjoy

• Competitive pay and paid time-off (including your Birthday Day Off!)
• Comprehensive benefits package, training and well-being programs
• 403(b) retirement plan with 5% match after 1 year
• Free pet adoptions, pet vaccines and spay/neuter services
• …and so much more!

What You’ll Do

• Perform routine and project-based maintenance of plants, gardens, landscaped areas, orchards, native plant areas, and grounds throughout the 13-acre Ramona campus.
• Complete groundskeeping activities and maintain campus roads, paths, access areas, service areas, and work zones. Support landscape health through appropriate plant care and invasive species control.
• Manage irrigation installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs in a timely manner to ensure efficient, appropriate, and sustainable watering across the campus.
• Operate and maintain landscaping tools and equipment such as weed-whackers, mowers, pruning tools, irrigation equipment, saws, power tools, and related supplies. Apply basic carpentry, construction, and repair skills to support habitat features, and enclosure support areas.
• Use medium-sized equipment such as tractors, skid steers, or similar equipment, if trained and authorized.
• Collaborate with wildlife rehabilitation staff to identify appropriate plants for animal use, enclosure screening, shade, enrichment, privacy, and habitat complexity.
• Follow all applicable safety, containment, communication and biosecurity procedures when using tools, equipment, approved control methods, and vehicles, including precautions when working in or near animal areas and around sensitive, high-stress, dangerous, or highly specialized wildlife species.

What We’re Looking For

• Requires a high school diploma or equivalent and a minimum of one (1) year of experience in horticulture, landscaping, groundskeeping, irrigation, ranch work, orchard care, habitat maintenance, carpentry, facilities support, or a related field.
• Experience safely using power tools and saws required. Experience with tractors, skid steers, or similar equipment preferred.
• Experience with Southern California native plants, drought-tolerant landscaping, native plant care, and plant identification strongly preferred.
• Must possess the ability to balance campus appearance, sustainability, fire-conscious landscape management, operational needs, and animal welfare considerations.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and be approved by SDHS insurance carrier to drive a company or personal vehicle for work purposes.

Location & Hours:

Based at our Ramona Campus. This position works 40 hours per week.

Pay:

Starting range is between $22.00 – $24.48 per hour.

The listed hiring range for this position depicts the target range of pay rates for candidates. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. Compensation for internal candidates may increase beyond the listed range based on performance over time. For all candidates, the actual starting pay rate is determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to your years of related education and experience, internal pay equity, and position location.