Job Details

The Groundskeeper performs a variety of landscaping and grounds maintenance tasks to care, maintain and preserve the plants, shrubs, trees, hedges, flowers, and lawns on hard and soft landscape of the campus grounds. Responsible to mow, edge, trim, prune, rake, remove weeds and/or dead trees/roots, fertilize, and plant flowers, shrubbery or trees maintaining lawns, fields and flower beds. Water various grounds areas by hand or manual operation of the irrigation system; perform minor repairs of the irrigation system by replacing sprinkler heads, risers, broken lines, valves, timers or controllers. Vacuum, pressure wash, sweep or blow down hard surfaces; install, repair and maintain the hard surface areas such as walkways, roadways, pavers, and stepping stones. Services and repairs landscape equipment and tools. Assists with the integrated pest management program (IPM): control and eradication of insects, rodents, and weeds. During times of operational need may perform other landscaping and refuse duties as assigned, or assist with event set-up/clean-up.

Facilities Services is one of the largest departments at UC Riverside employing nearly 400 career employees. Facilities Services provides exceptional service in maintaining an environment conducive of teaching, learning, living, working and research for the entire campus community. The department maintains buildings, facilities, and landscape totaling over 6 million square feet across 1,350 acres of campus. We are a team of service-oriented professionals focused on exceptional client engagement, continuous improvement and development opportunities.

*The work schedule for this position is Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM*

One year of experience in grounds maintenance or landscaping; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, skill and ability to safely use and maintain landscaping hand and power tools/equipment, such as mowers (including riding mowers, self-propelled and push mowers), edgers, hedge trimmers, chain saws, power blowers, vacuum, rototillers, saws, clippers, seed and fertilize spreaders, and high pressure washers. Skill, knowledge and ability in using mechanical tools required to maintain all landscaping related equipment such as hand wrenches, gas/oil mixing and hand files.

Ability to read write and communicate effectively in the English language with co-workers, supervisors, and the general public. Ability to follow oral and written instructions.

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Ability to work effectively; following through on assignments with minimal direction and fluctuating workload.

Experience using irrigation systems.

Physical requirements: ability to perform heavy/physically demanding tasks which require pushing, pulling, walking, standing, reaching, bending, twisting, stooping, kneeling, squatting, stretching, reaching above shoulder level and lifting up to 75 pounds. Ability to safely work from ladders up to eighteen feet high and on the roofs of buildings up to four stories high. Ability to work with all hand and power tools or equipment common to the landscaping trade that require constant pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, squatting, kneeling and reaching from ground level to overhead.

Environmental requirements: ability to work for prolonged periods of time in conditions with excessive noise requiring ear and eye protection from equipment, chain saws, power mowers, edgers, blowers, vacuums, and hedge trimmers. Ability to safely work around moving machinery and equipment. Ability to work for extended periods of time in extreme inclement weather conditions ranging from high heat with humidity, to freezing and rainy conditions. Ability to work in wet, malodorous and dusty conditions due to plant pollens, grass, tree and shrub clippings, fertilizers, animal droppings and fumes due to gas powered engines.

Hired candidate must pass a background check through the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); must obtain or possess a valid CA Driver License in accordance with California Department of Motor Vehicles; must participate in the campus DMV pull; and successfully complete a pre-employment physical examination.

Prior experience and skill in prioritizing work orders, routine work, emergency requests, combined with the knowledge to choose the proper materials and equipment to accomplish the work in the most expeditious and safe manner.

Willingness and ability to work scheduled, unscheduled and emergency overtime.

Experience working with a diverse student, staff, faculty and visitor population and ability to provide exemplary customer service.

Knowledge of UC/UCR policies and systems.

In the Heart of Inland Southern California, UC Riverside is located on nearly 1,200 acres near Box Springs Mountain in Southern California; the park-like campus provides convenient access to the vibrant and growing Inland region. The campus is a living laboratory for the exploration of issues critical to growing communities' air, water, energy, transportation, politics, the arts, history, and culture. UCR gives every student, faculty and staff member the resources to explore, engage, imagine and excel.

UC Riverside is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse research universities in the country boasting several key rankings of which we are extremely proud.

• UC Riverside was included in the (August 2018) edition of The Princeton Review's "The Best 382 Colleges."


• Shanghai Jiao Tong University (August 2017) Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked UC Riverside among the top 151 institutions. This survey bills itself as "the most trustworthy precursor of global rankings of the world's top 500 universities."


• In 2016, UCR was recognized for graduation rate success by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) for achieving near parity across racial-ethnic, socio-economic, and gender boundaries.


• UCR ranks among the Top 15 Public Research Universities in the nation, as identified by the 2017 Washington Monthly.


• In 2017, two separate reports from the Education Trust celebrated UCR as a national leader for African American and Latino student success. UCR was one of just three schools to be named top-performing institutions in both reports and the only California campus recognized among 18 top-performing colleges and universities in the nation for high black student graduation rates.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

For information about our generous employee benefits package, visit: Employee Benefits Overview