Gardener

Position Description

Reporting to the Assistant Director for Grounds and Waste Management and under the leadership of department leads, this position provides gardening, landscaping and sport field maintenance services as an integral part of the operations and maintenance of the university.

This position is represented by Seattle/King County Building & Construction Trades Council.

Essential Functions

Operations and Maintenance (90%)

• Seattle University practices are to organically and sustainably maintain campus landscapes, lawns and sport fields including sustainable design and integrated pest management methods.
• Participate in university Sustainable Landscape as outlined in Grounds Sustainable Maintenance Plan including an IPM program.
• Perform and prioritize tasks and routines related to organic and sustainable commercial landscape maintenance including turf care, weeding, raking, mulching, suppression for invasive species and other weeds common to the Puget Sound area.
• Tree and shrub pruning and trimming in accordance with CPTED, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and professional pruning methods that satisfy university standards of appearance.
  Routinely blow and sweep clean hardscapes, support trash collection and litter control and respond to work orders assigned to Grounds.
• Coordinate with Grounds Lead scheduling maintenance and project work including in spaces that are adjacent to classrooms, residence halls and conference rooms, considering customer requests when space is in use and to avoid potential disruption to adjacent academic, work and living areas.
• Organize assigned work as part of a team and on occasion work independently on the project or problem being addressed.
• Open, review and respond to email and text communications daily. Open work order platform to update, track and complete assigned work orders daily. Accurately complete online payroll web time entry by established due dates.
• Attend and participate in Facilities and Grounds department meetings.
• Prioritize and perform established equipment operations safety rules and regulations; attend safety trainings as required including, follow facilities safety protocol to delineate a work site and maintain a safe and clean tool shed and field house and outdoor work site.
• Work in a safe, clean and respectful manner while performing work anywhere on campus.
• Properly and safely follow training guidelines to operate appropriate tools and equipment for performing required tasks. Secure and account for university-owned tools and equipment, perform minor repairs and maintenance for tools and equipment as needed.
• Safely operate facilities and grounds related equipment including forklift, backhoe frontend loader, brush chipper, pneumatic lift, riding mower, walk behind mower, riding sweeper, riding aerator, dump truck, backpack blower, line trimmer, edger, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, hand tools, and machinery.
• Occasionally and when time away from maintenance duties is approved, perform small scale landscape renovations that help update small campus gardens, organic shrub bed care and multi-functional landscape design to include habitat proliferation, biodiversity, tree care to ISA standard and may include climbing using ladders or pneumatic lift, apply organic IPM practices for disease and insect control and organic weed control.
• Apply planting and pruning practices for CPTED Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design year-round.
  Perform other duties of a similar nature or level.
• Regular communication is essential to Grounds success, routinely notify Grounds Lead and other staff as needed regarding development of work and status of routines, projects and work requests.

Marginal Functions 10%

• Assist with the assignment and coordination of student workers training, safety and daily tasks.
• Supervise student and/or seasonal workers
• Support snow removal, disaster response coordination, ADA regulations, CPTED standards, sport field maintenance, irrigation/drainage maintenance, compost yard operations, clean green recycling operations.
  

Qualifications

• One year degree in horticultural science or similar certificated studies plus advanced knowledge of modern commercial grounds care practices and/or at least two years' experience working in the commercial ground's maintenance field or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
• Ability to lift or otherwise move up to fifty (50) pounds, to operate commercial grounds equipment and to work outdoors in a variety of climates is required.
  Must possess a valid/current Washington drivers’ license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Commercial turf and landscape maintenance experience that includes routines, scheduling and performance of mowing, edging, aeration, spreading organic fertilizer and organic seed.
• Minor equipment repair and maintenance.