Grounds Specialist

GROUNDS SPECIALIST
To provide students and staff of the District with safe, attractive well maintained grounds and superior sports fields.
Qualifications: Love what you do, working in a school environment. Applicant must have a high school diploma, demonstrate aptitude or competence for assigned responsibilities, ability to perform work in varied climate conditions, ability to work well under stress, experience in maintaining grounds equipment and machinery, valid State of Maine Vehicle License appropriate to vehicles driving and acceptable driving record for the District's insurance.
Reports to: Lead Groundskeeper, Facilities Manager
Responsibilities:

• Maintains and cares for school grounds including sports fields.
• Prepares seeding or transplanting beds by cultivating soil and adding fertilizer or chemicals, if needed.
• Helps plant seeds, bulbs, tree seedlings, and shrubbery so that resulting growth will produce an attractive appearance.
• Aids Lead Groundskeeper with different varieties of lawn and flower seeds to determine those best suited to the soil.
• Prunes trees and trims hedges to promote growth and improve appearance.
• Mows lawn with hand or power mower uses weed trimmers and leaf blowers as season requires.
• Helps to connect sprinkling equipment and waters lawn and flowerbeds.
• Pays attention to the flowers, shrubs, and trees for evidence of insects, fungi, and other pests and notifies the Lead Groundskeeper who determines if sprays or dust chemicals should be applied.
• Adjusts and repairs such equipment as lawnmowers, sprinklers, and hedge shears.
• Shovels snow from sidewalks and driveways and spreads sand, salt, or other products to prevent slipping.
• Collects and disposes of leaves and refuse.
• Maintains and does repairs to bleachers and other out buildings.
• Works to repair outdoor chairs and benches.
• Works inside during winter on assigned custodial jobs.
• Follows articles written in the bargaining agreements set forth by the Association and Board.
• Carry the on-call phone as assigned (compensated task).
• Continual education to stay up to date on changes needed to improve job efficiency.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned by the Facilities Manager &/or Lead Groundskeeper.

Core Competencies:

• Attention to detail: you're obsessed with accuracy and embrace the importance of "getting it right"; you triple-check documentation to ensure you can stand by your work; your discipline enables you to work error-free despite repetitive nature of tasks
• Team player: you support your colleagues and have their backs; you pinch hit for one another when needed; you approach your work with a team mentality to ensure collective success
• Critical judgment and decision-making: you apply informed judgment to resolve difficult issues; you confront emerging challenges and recommend thoughtful, creative, and impactful solutions
• Commitment to processes and procedures: you (and your teams) standardize, follow, and refine approaches and systems; you collectively identify and document process solutions
• 100% follow-through: you have a no-dropped-balls policy, stay on top of all specific tasks/follow-up items and general areas of work to meet deadlines consistently; you clearly communicate steps taken
• Calm in the storm: you stay grounded and focused when problems emerge; you stand ready to provide support, identify options, and delegate tasks as needed
• Embrace diversity: you value a diversity of perspectives, styles and beliefs; you understand the difference between tolerance and inclusion

Reasonable Accommodations: RSU 21 will provide accommodations to an individual with a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or applicable law, who has made the district aware of their disability, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship to the district.
Terms of Employment: Twelve-month year. Salary to be established by Collective Bargaining Agreement and Board policies.
Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with this document by the Principal and/or Facilities Manager.
Revised Date: 4/19/2022
Superintendent Approved: 4/19/2022