Grounds Supervisor

The UWC-USA program – a two-year experience that integrates our Academic, UWC

CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service), and Residential curricula – prepares students

to serve as catalysts for greater unity, peace, and sustainability in the world. We

support students in practicing our mission during their two years on campus and

challenge them to embody it for a lifetime.

The Grounds Supervisor is responsible for the overall care, maintenance, and

enhancement of the UWC-USA campus grounds, athletic fields, landscaping,

irrigation systems, and outdoor spaces. This is a hands-on supervisory role that

combines leadership of the grounds crew with active participation in groundskeeping

tasks. The Supervisor ensures high-quality grounds operations, manages staff

scheduling and training, and supports sustainability goals while collaborating with

other Finance and Operations teams and the broader campus community.

Supervision Leadership

Supervises grounds crew team members, including scheduling, training, and performance

appraisals, in cooperation with the Director of Facilities.

Oversees and assigns daily tasks; conducts staff meetings and monitors performance to

ensure quality standards.

Assists in hiring, onboarding, and disciplinary processes for grounds staff.

Provides leadership during large campus events (e.g., Graduation, Reunion, summer

programs, housing turnover, other campus events).

Grounds Landscaping Maintenance

Mows, trims, and waters lawns; prunes shrubs and trees; maintains flower beds, brush piles,

and compost areas.

Plans, plants, and maintains landscaping in accordance with the approved landscape plan.

Prepares and maintains athletic and recreational fields to ensure safe play conditions.

Applies fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides as needed, in compliance with safety and

regulatory standards.

Maintains and repairs irrigation systems.

Performs snow and ice removal to ensure safe access to facilities.

Removes refuse and debris, maintaining campus cleanliness.

Facilities Support

Assists with minor repairs to walkways, parking lots, fencing, and outdoor structures.

Coordinates with maintenance and custodial staff on joint projects or urgent needs.

Supports campus safety by promptly addressing outdoor hazards.

Administrative Budget Duties

Prepares purchase requests and orders supplies, equipment, and materials in cooperation with

the Director of Facilities.

Maintains inventory of tools, supplies, and grounds-related equipment.

Manages vendor and contractor work related to grounds, landscaping, irrigation, and snow

removal.

Helps develop department budget and track budget expenditures to ensure cost-effective

operations.

Collaboration Communication

Works closely with all school divisions to meet campus-wide needs.

Participates in campus sustainability initiatives to help UWC-USA meet its sustainability goals

Communicates effectively with staff, students, and faculty regarding grounds-related issues.

As a member of the leadership team of the school - Participates in campus committees,

meetings and other activities

Hands-On Work

Actively participates in daily grounds tasks alongside team members.

Responds to and remedies grounds-related work orders in a timely and professional manner.

Position Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

High School Diploma or GED.

3–4 years of relevant groundskeeping, landscaping, or facilities maintenance experience.

1 to 2 years Supervisory experience preferred, with ability to lead, train, and evaluate staff.

Valid NM Driver's License; must be insurable by the school's insurance carrier and meet driving

criteria in school policy.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

Demonstrated history of excellent customer service

Computer literacy (work order systems, email, purchasing systems, Google Office Suite).

Ability to operate and maintain hand tools, power equipment, irrigation systems, and small

machinery used in groundskeeping.

Knowledge of horticulture, native plants, and sustainable landscaping practices.

Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize responsibilities for self and team.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships across diverse campus

constituencies.

Strong communication skills and commitment to collaborative teamwork.

Ability to understand and follow safety procedures, and to enforce them with staff.

Knowledge of and ability to repair grounds equipment to keep it working in a safe condition.

Knowledge of Basic Plumbing, heating, and electrical.

Preferred / Nice to Have

Herbicide/Pesticide applicator licenses.

Irrigation technician certification.

Landscape maintenance, design, or installation training

OSHA or other safety certifications.

Working Conditions

Work involves frequent lifting, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing, and reaching, often

outdoors in all weather conditions.

Moderate to heavy physical activity required, including handling objects up to 75 lbs.

Requires standing, kneeling and/or walking for extended periods of time (7 hours per day).

Exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, odors, loud noise, and potential hazards requires adherence to

safety protocols.

Environmental Chemical Exposure:

The employee may be exposed to a variety of environmental and chemical hazards in the course of

duties, including:

Exposure to outdoor weather conditions, including rain, snow, cold, heat, etc

Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used in grounds maintenance.

Fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaning agents used in equipment maintenance.

Sanitary sewer, wastewater, or storm drainage that may contain biological, chemical or other

contaminants.

Dust, fumes, and airborne particulates during mowing, trimming, debris removal, etc.

Appropriate PPE (such as gloves, respirators, eye protection, and chemical-resistant clothing)

must be used. All work must comply with OSHA standards, product Safety Data Sheets (SDS),

and UWC-USA's Health Safety policies.

On-call rotation required; must be available to work shifts, weekends, and holidays as needed.