Careers

Title: Supervisor, Grounds

Department: Facilities Management

Duration: Indefinite

Employment Status: Full Time (40 hours/week)

Job Summary

Reporting to the Grounds Manager, the Grounds Supervisor is responsible for the daily care and maintenance of 122 landscaped acres at the Occidental College Campus and ensure that sustainable and low water landscaping methods are being utilized. Implements best practices in grounds management including maintenance of various equipment types, irrigations systems, athletic fields, tree care, shared maintenance of the pool area with other Facilities teams and coordinating pest control methods. Ensures compliance with current AQMD, OSHA, and EPA regulations.

Job Duties

• 20% - Maintain established and develop best practice standards of grounds maintenance performance and ensure compliance with current regulations related to tree care management, pest management and Department of Agriculture requirements. Ensures maintenance of native plants and ecologically sensitive landscape management practices. Supervise the maintenance of sidewalks, curbs, gutters and other pavements. - (Essential)
• 40% - Responsible for inspecting campus grounds on a daily basis and working effectively with staff to provide high standards of productivity, consistency and quality. Responsible for enforcing safety policies in order to maintain accountability and integrity within the team. Develop and define work schedules and priorities and evaluate work performance. Develop training programs for staff development. - (Essential)
• 15% - Provide recommendation and evaluation for various equipment purchases and other supplies as well as for maintenance and replacement of grounds equipment. Manager related work orders for opening/assigning/ and closing. Monitor the monthly Grounds Operations budget. Ensure that budgetary expectations are monitored. Provide quality assurance and administration of maintenance service and project contracts. Submit task orders for written approvals and work with the Finance team to ensure correct documentation has been gathered so third-party invoices can be processed. - (Essential)
• 20% - Partner with the Irrigation Specialists to track irrigation audits/improvements and monitor water conservation. Manage the cleanliness and functionality of all small fountains on campus. - (Essential)
• 5% - Manage and adjust Trash Company (UWS) campus pickup schedules for trash, recycling, green, metal and wood waste to meet the changing needs of the college. Manage the LACFD Mitigation for Fuel modification zones on campus perimeter. - (Marginal)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, landscape management, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience with grounds maintenance.
• Three years of supervisory experience and a demonstrated ability to provide leadership to a mid-sized Grounds crew.
• Ability to acquire various licenses including Certified Arborist and Pesticide Applicator License within first 6 months of employment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of California native plants and landscapes.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and skill in supervising/performing tasks related to various irrigation systems, grounds maintenance equipment, fertilizers/chemicals/pesticides, related sustainability practices.
• Ability to analyze, synthesize and organize data, and present findings in a comprehensible manner for different audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google drives/folders/forms, Adobe Acrobat, Web Editing, and social media applications or any combination of productivity programs applicable to position responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and thorough; skilled at anticipating and preventing potential problems and handling a wide variety of tasks with efficiency and accuracy.
• Strong commitment to a quality work product.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally, in writing and electronically.
• Effective interpersonal skills as evidenced in the ability to collaborate with a variety of constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, inclusion & diversity.
• Demonstrated skill in adapting to and performing work effectively in high-volume, high accountability, confidential environment with multiple and changing priorities.
• Effective organizational, logistical, time management and planning skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects simultaneously, prioritize and fulfill the functions of an office in a timely manner.
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently.
• Ability to provide effective leadership and training, and to work effectively and professionally across functions, disciplines, levels, and with diverse groups.
• Knowledge of contemporary leadership and management methods to ensure employee success and achievement, and demonstration of related and applicable skills as evidenced by the ability to effectively direct, assess and evaluate performance of direct reports.
• Ability to effectively design, define, describe and document job functions, responsibilities, tasks, and required qualifications associated with supervised positions, and the demonstrated skills in assessing candidates’ experience, knowledge, skills and abilities when hiring for vacant positions, ensuring the best choice of candidate.
• Ability to provide employee development, training and opportunities for direct reports to demonstrate performance achievement and success; recognizing performance of both above standards and needs improvement and respond accordingly.
• Skilled at communicating feedback verbally, in writing and electronically; and documenting performance via introductory and annual performance appraisals.
• Skilled in developing and determining corrective employment/performance/behavioral strategies, as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute performance improvement plans, conducting disciplinary action and/or determining the appropriateness of employment continuation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture.
• Four years of required experience working in a higher educational landscape environment.
• Has various licenses including certified Arborist, Pesticide Applicator license, etc.
• Supervisory experience in a collective bargaining union environment.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE:  $76,000/yr-$80,000/yr

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.  We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.