Employment opportunities

Position description

Position title: Maintenance technician - grounds

Reports to: Director of facilities

Position summary:

This position is responsible to perform maintenance of the grounds ensuring an attractive and safe grounds area/s for the public, faculty and staff. This position is responsible for up keeping lawns, trees, shrubs, flowerbeds, athletic fields and other landscaping elements of Saint Martin’s Abbey and Saint Martin's University. The work in this position involves the use of large and small equipment, including tractors, mowers, loaders, trenchers, chainsaws, weed-eaters and other maintenance equipment. This position performs routine do semi-skilled grounds construction and maintenance work.

Mission and strategic plan

The grounds team members provide the grass roots effort to supporting the sixth imperative of “Achieve a High Standard of Excellence”. Their daily efforts ensure expectations of the community for a clean and safe environment. An excellent learning environment is a key building block and a direction connection to an excellent learning experience.

Level of supervision and supervisory responsibility

General Direction: The employee carries out work assignments in accordance with the policies and objectives established by the supervisor. The employee plans and organizes the work, determines the work methods which will be employed and assists in determining priorities and deadlines. Completed work is reviewed in terms of the employee’s effectiveness in producing the expected results

Responsibilities and essential functions

Groundskeeper

  • Cut lawns, using power mower. Trim and edge around walks, flower beds, and walls, using clippers, weed cutters, and edging tools. Prune shrubs and trees to shape and to improve growth or remove damaged leaves, branches, or twigs, using shears, pruners, or chain saw. Clean equipment using appropriate materials.
  • Plant grass, flowers, trees, and shrubs, using shovels, hose or sprinkler system.
  • Rake and bag leaves. Clean grounds and removes litter. Clean equipment using appropriate materials.
  • Spray lawn, shrubs and trees with fertilizer, herbicide, and insecticide using sprayer.
  • Drive truck and load fallen limbs and roadside trash onto truck, and delivers refuse to landfill.
  • Returns all equipment to the designated location at the maintenance facility and cleans the maintenance areas.

Grounds maintenance

  • Operate snow removal equipment to maintain streets, sidewalks, and driveways. Spread salt on public passage ways to prevent ice buildup.
  • Cleans out drainage ditches and culverts, using shovel and rake. Performs ground maintenance duties, using tractor equipped with attachments, such as movers, lime or fertilizer spreaders, lawn roller, and snow removal equipment.
  • Sharpen tools, such as weed cutters, edging tools, and shears, using sharpener. Make minor repairs on equipment, such as lawn mowers, spreaders, and snow removal equipment, using hand tools and power tools. Replace worn or damaged parts, such as hoses, wiring, and belts in machines and equipment, such as vehicles, riding mowers, etc.

Other duties

  • May makes minor repairs to fences, gates, garden walls, and walks, using carpentry and masonry tools. May assist in the painting of fences and outbuildings. May assist in the repair of streets and sidewalks with asphalt, cold patching materials, and concrete, using shovel, hand roller, trowel, level, and long-handled tamp.
  • Reports observed maintenance needs to lead/senior groundskeepers and/or director, facilities management. Makes log entries as required in preventative maintenance logs.
  • May assists in the maintenance of building plumbing and electrical systems, including the replacement of worn or defective parts, such as switches and fuses.
  • May operate machinery to dig trenches for water and sewer pipe.
  • May set up or removes folding tables, chairs, barricades, traffic cones or similar objects.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

  • Ability to read and understand basic operating and maintenance manuals, simple instructions and short memos. Ability to keep and maintain accurate written records and time sheets.
  • Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to members of the campus community and the general public.
  • Operate power driven machinery and hand tools in a safe manner. Demonstrates safe, efficient mechanical operation of tractors and other motorized equipment.
  • Knowledge of fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides used in grounds care and gardening. Demonstrates knowledge of horticulture to ensure the successful growth of plants, trees and shrubbery.
  • Knowledge of methods and materials used construction/maintenance work.
  • Knowledge of the principles of operation of diesel and gasoline engines.
  • Mechanical aptitude; knowledge of maintenance tools.
  • Maintains awareness of proper safety precautions at all times.
  • Constantly observes condition of property and immediately reports and/or initiates action to correct unsafe conditions. Maintains safety of self, personal protective equipment and clothing at all times.
  • Positively motivates student workers.
  • Communicate effectively with staff, faculty, students and management with the ability to work well with other people of diverse background.
  • Must be able to work well in a stressful environment with little or no supervision.
  • Must be supportive of a Catholic, Benedictine philosophy of education.

Minimum qualifications:

  • High school diploma or GED.
  • Two years prior experience in lawn care and landscaping. Grounds maintenance training, horticultural and arborist training preferred.
  • Pesticide handler training preferred. Must obtain WADA Pesticide Applicators License within twelve (12) months of employment.
  • Possession of a valid standard Driver’s License with no major violations.
  • Successfully pass a criminal background check.

Physical demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Physical strength, stamina and agility.
  • Ability to follow oral and written directions.
  • Works with cleaning fluids, chemicals, pesticides, and insecticides, paints, cleaning agents or similar solutions using only normal protective equipment.
  • Coordinates the movement of more than one limb simultaneously (Example: operating the clutch and accelerator on a car).
  • Moves debris, dirt or other material from one place to another using a shovel, spade or other tool.
  • Operates power driven machinery such as a lawn mower, vacuum sweeper, buffer or other similarly sized equipment.
  • Must wear appropriate safety gear/apparel as directed and abide by the University, state (WISHA), federal (OSHA) safety policies and procedures.
  • Moves objects (50-75 pounds) long distances (more than 20 feet).
  • Ability to be mobile campus wide for appropriate business needs.
  • Operates a variety of standard office equipment requiring continuous or repetitive arm-hand movements.
  • Reading, writing, speaking, hearing, standing, bending, sitting.
  • Lifts arm above shoulder level (Examples: painting, stocking shelves, or working on the underside of vehicles).
  • Bends or stoops repeatedly or continually over time (Example: reading a water meter).
  • Walks over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces.
  • Works in a variety of weather conditions with exposure to the elements.

The principles of the Catholic Benedictine tradition, equal employment opportunity, and nondiscrimination are fundamental to the mission, goals, and objectives of Saint Martin’s University. The University does not discriminate in employment or in the delivery or administration of its educational programs, policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic or other University programs on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion (except as a bona fide occupational qualification for certain select positions), marital status, national or ethnic origin, military or veteran status, age, or disability.

Students or employees with concerns or complaints about discrimination on the basis of sex in employment or an education program or activity, or any other inquiries related to the University's non-discrimination policy, may contact the following individual:

Cynthia Johnson
Director of Human Resources/Title IX Coordinator
5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey WA 98503
360-491-4700
CJohnson@stmartin.edu

Consistent with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the regulations adopted under that law, the University has designated the above individual as the University's Title IX Officer, responsible for coordinating the University's Title IX compliance. Individuals may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 915 2nd Avenue, Room 3310 Seattle, WA 98174-1099, Telephone: (206) 220-7900, TDD: (206) 220-7907.