PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintains the appearance and conditions of grounds at State facilities.
• Cleans grounds by sweeping, raking, shoveling, and removing debris, leaves, branches, etc.
• Clears sites and prepares them for planting by raking, tilling soil, adding mulch, and digging.
• Plants seeds, bushes, trees, etc. using hand or power equipment.
• Cuts grass using lawnmowers; fertilizes and waters grounds; prunes bushes and trees; removes or transplants bushes or trees.
• Removes dead trees by cutting and splitting logs using chainsaws, sledgehammers, and wedges.
• Loads trucks with debris, logs, dirt, etc. using hand or power equipment.
• May construct, repair or paint fences.
• Maintains roads, walkways, and parking lots at State facilities.
• Breaks up concrete to repair holes using hand or power equipment.
• Mixes and applies concrete and asphalt for patches.
• Removes trash and debris from roads, walkways, and parking lots by sweeping and shoveling by hand.
• Removes snow and ice from walkways by shoveling and operating snow removal equipment.
• Plows roads and parking lots with trucks and tractors.
• Mixes salt, sand, and calcium for use on walkways and roads and spreads by hand or power equipment.
• May perform a variety of manual tasks in support of the building and grounds program.
• Sets up and removes snow fences and markers at fire hydrants and catch basins.
• Performs routine building maintenance work and minor maintenance on tools and power machines.
• Loads and unloads trucks and moves furniture on campus and in the community settings
• Shovels, digs ditches, and installs signs.
• May lead Individuals and others in the performance of grounds and maintenance activities

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• Able to work independently or as part of a work team.
• Able to operate a variety of hand and power equipment in a safe manner.

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Please note:

• If you are currently a New York State employee serving in a permanent competitive qualifying title and eligible for a transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law, you may be appointed to this title as a permanent competitive employee.
• Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume/cover letter.
• For CSEA positions: Local Bidding Agreements will be honored.
• The assignment of PS&T employees will be made in accordance with any agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding between PEF and the local DDSO regarding the posting of job vacancies
• All OPWDD employees must be eligible and maintain eligibility for full and unconditional participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Continued employment will depend on maintaining eligibility.
• If you are employed by State government you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments have been made under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. For more information on PSLF, please visit www.studentAid.gov/publicservice.
• Employees on long term leave can bid on positions but must be able to report to work within fourteen (14) days and be able to perform the essential functions of their positions with or without reasonable accommodation (RA). If an employee believes that they need a reasonable accommodation, they should contact the NYS OPWDD Workforce and Talent Management Central Office at (518) 473-4785 or Email at accommodationrequests@opwdd.ny.gov to obtain information and RA forms.

NYS offers Incredible Benefits!

• Savings programs such as the U.S. Savings Bond and the College Savings Plan.
• Voluntary pre-tax savings programs such as Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account offer employees’ options to pay for uncovered health care expenses or dependent care expenses.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) an assessment and referral service that connects employees with local service providers and support services to address their personal needs.
• Life insurance and Disability insurance.
• The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement plan that offers employees the option to invest a part of their salaries for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.

Paid Holidays and Leave

• Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave
• Five (5) days paid personal leave each year.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year.
• Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events.

Health Care Coverage
Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost.
Retirement Program
Participate in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which is recognized as one of the best-managed and best- funded public retirement systems in the nation.
Professional Development and Education and Training
NYS offers training programs and tuition assistance to eligible employees to maintain and increase their professional skills and prepare them for promotional opportunities. For more information, please visit https://goer.ny.gov/training-and- professional-development.
Additionally, the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) offers certain professional training opportunities for PEF represented and M/C designated employees that may grant continuing education credits towards maintaining professional licensure. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/public-service-workshops-program-pswp.
OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas, and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.