Lead Groundskeeper

Title: Lead Groundskeeper

Position Purpose:

The Lead Groundskeeper assists the manager in directing employees and all activities in order to meet department operational goals. The expectation is that the Lead Groundskeeper will assign tasks and direct small groups of staff in the performance of those duties, and act as a liaison with internal and/or external contacts related to operational issues. They are also expected to perform the functions of a regular Grounds & Maintenance Worker as needed.

This position may be considered "Essential Personnel" in the event that:

• An emergency occurs on the Bates campus or in the vicinity that would impact Bates.

• Inclement weather forces the closing of campus.

• Other emergency events deemed appropriate.

Job Duties:

Shared Lead General Responsibilities

• Acts as interim Supervisor or Shop Manager in their short term absence.

• Assists the Supervisor/Manager in providing daily direction to employees, including assigning work orders and project tasks.

• Assists in Quality Assurance (QA) checks on staff work as needed, and provides feedback to employees.

• Promotes and adheres to all safety requirements in performing work.

• Orders parts and materials and assists in tracking inventory.

• Involved in planning and estimating for work orders and projects executed by the shop.

• Provides Supervisor/Manager with input and recommendations for HR processes, including staff evaluations, hiring needs, and potential discipline.

• Acts as the a point of contact for daily radio calls and urgent requests.

• Coordinate all work through the Work Order system to ensure all activities are documented, and foster a Work Order culture among other staff members by ensuring time is recorded on work orders on a daily basis, and encouraging or assisting others to do the same. Provide input to create preventive maintenance work orders where appropriate.

• Assist in developing Standard Operating Procedure documentation to outline the service level to be provided and to ensure all parties are aligned with expectations.

• May assist the manager in preparing and monitoring the budget.

• Provides training to all regular and new employees where applicable.

Grounds Leads Specific Shared Responsibilities

• Coordinate event support and planning, including setup, breakdown, and needed coverage during an event. Maintain inventory of event support supplies in the shop and in the field and transport items to event and staging areas. Lead the setup and QA checks of stages set up for events. Participate in major campus event logistics planning meetings with campus partners.

• Coordinate, plan and execute snow removal activities, providing support and direction for staff and filling in gaps in staff coverage where needed.

• Plan and execute furniture moving services around campus.

• Coordinate major grounds maintenance activities such as Fall leaf cleanup, Spring cleanup, and grounds quality assurance daily checks.

Grounds Lead - General

• Primary responsibility for Campus lawn and turf management.

• Create and manage mowing and trimming schedule.

• Track lawn health and make recommendations weed/pest control and fertilization.

• Schedule lawn aeration, overseeding, and compost applications as needed.

• Hire and manage summer lawn crew help.

• Waste Management Operations.

• Maintain the trash/recycling truck schedule.

• Work with trash truck operators to ensure coverage as needs change.

• Work with 'Talkin' Trash' committee to improve service and promote interdepartmental communication.

• Maintain stock of waste receptacles and deliver as needed for events.

• Monitor dumpster usage on campus, order dumpsters as needed for events, and schedule pickup of all dumpsters on campus.

• Responsible for cleaning outdoor trash receptacles, and trash pickup around dumpsters.

• Track litter on campus and schedule 'bucket and tong' work.

• Moving Services.

• Schedule furniture and office moves and deliveries around campus.

• Responsible for working with students and scheduling bed adjustment requests.

• Small Project Management.

• Make recommendations and perform work as needed for small landscape and construction projects. Examples include, filling potholes, small trenching and excavation projects, regrading.

• Stormwater infrastructure.

• Schedule annual sand cleanup and winter damage repair efforts in the spring.

• Maintain catch basins, scheduling cleanout services on a regular basis and keeping drains cleared at surface level.

• Maintain Strawberry Avenue property.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent.

• Associates degree in horticulture or landscaping desired.

Experience

• 3 years of experience working directly in horticulture, gardening, general grounds maintenance and landscaping.

• Must have valid Maine driver's license with safe driving record.

• Ability to work from ladders, use tools and machinery when necessary to execute all types of grounds maintenance.

Skills and Knowledge

• Good organizational and computer skills.

• Must possess general leadership skills in order to direct grounds crew.

• Establish and maintain good working relationships with supervisors, subordinates, co-workers, and outside contacts.

• Ability to perform manual tasks requiring strong physical strength.

• Ability and willingness to work weekends, evenings, on-call and other non-traditional schedules.

• Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.

Benefits:

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, 9% retirement contribution with potential for an additional 3% match, 10 days of vacation*, 13 paid holidays, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug- and smoke-free workplace.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the college's policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu.

About Bates:

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces - intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology - that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine's second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.