What are the responsibilities and job description for the Grounds Supervisor position at Spring Grove Cemetery & Funeral Homes?
Summary/Objective
The position of Spring Grove Grounds Supervisor is established to perform support and assistance to the Director of Grounds and Operations at Spring Grove.
The position of Spring Grove Grounds Supervisor is established to perform support and assistance to the Director of Grounds and Operations at Spring Grove.
Essential Functions
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The following duties are an overview of the primary duties and responsibilities of the Spring Grove Grounds Supervisor and should not be considered an all-inclusive list.
- Leadership and Development
- Interface with customers in-person
- Operate grounds equipment
- Maintenance of grounds areas
Primary Duties:
Leadership, Team Management & Employee Development
- Directly manage, lead, and develop a team of grounds personnel, ensuring high levels of productivity, safety, and performance.
- Provide daily supervision, work assignments, and operational guidance to grounds staff.
- Coach, mentor, and train employees on equipment operation, horticultural practices, pesticide applications, safety procedures, and company standards.
- Conduct employee performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback to support professional growth and development.
- Identify training needs and coordinate employee training programs to improve skills, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
- Foster a positive, accountable, and team-oriented work environment focused on quality service and continuous improvement.
- Manage employee scheduling, attendance, timekeeping, and payroll records for direct reports.
- Ensure compliance with all company policies, safety procedures, and regulatory requirements.
- Assist with recruiting, onboarding, and training new team members.
Grounds Management, Turf & Pest Control
- Manage aquatic applications to maintain lakes free of algae and excessive weed growth through bi-weekly treatments adjusted for weather conditions.
- Apply pre-emergent herbicides to all mulched beds during the fall or early spring seasons.
- Perform glyphosate applications to mulched beds, curbs, and paver areas 3–4 times annually, including one application prior to Memorial Day; remove vines, volunteer growth, and tree suckers as needed.
- Coordinate with outside contractors to perform two annual pre-emergent and post-emergent applications across approximately 150 acres of turf.
- Oversee fall granular fertilizer applications to approximately 150 acres of turf each October.
- Perform ornamental tree and shrub applications as needed to control Emerald Ash Borer, insects, diseases, and fungal issues.
- Help control stinging insects throughout the summer and fall seasons.
- Manage Phorid fly control programs within mausoleums.
- Oversee rodent control efforts in buildings and throughout cemetery grounds.
- Identify and coordinate turf renovation projects, focusing on weak or weed-infested areas, primarily during August and September.
- Coordinate seeding of stump removal sites throughout the grounds.
- Oversee burial site sodding operations from October through June, including site preparation, watering, mowing, and post-installation maintenance.
- Identify, flag, and coordinate repairs of sunken areas throughout the property, including filling and sodding as necessary.
- Maintain inventory levels of chemicals, seed, sod, and other grounds-related materials.
- Maintain detailed and accurate records of all chemical applications.
- Ensure continuous compliance with all Ohio Department of Agriculture pesticide regulations and licensing requirements.
Administrative & Budget Responsibilities
- Manage departmental payroll and employee records.
- Develop, monitor, and maintain the grounds department budget.
- Track expenditures and ensure efficient use of labor, equipment, and materials.
Operational & Seasonal Responsibilities
- Serve as Supervisor of Interments every fourth Saturday. Subject to change with business needs.
- Fill in as Sexton when needed, including leading interment crews, engineering burial sites, meeting with families, and preparing daily burial schedules.
- Support cemetery events throughout the year, including evenings and weekends as required.
- Assist with holiday flower placement programs for Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day.
- Assist with weekly grounds cleanup, flower removal, and post-holiday cleanup activities.
- Provide support to interment, mowing and trimming, and horticulture crews during periods of increased workload or staffing needs.
- Participate in snow removal operations during and after winter storm events as a member of the Snow Team.
Grounds – Spring Grove
- Assist with Flower placements
- Assist with transporting flowers from the Customer Service Center (where they are delivered) to a service.
- Assist with escorting services, when backup is needed.
Values we look for:
Customer Service Orientation: Demonstrates a commitment to anticipating, understanding and responding to both internal and external customer needs. Is sensitive to the unique needs of customers in the Death Care Industry. Takes responsibility for meeting customer needs and promptly solving customer problems.
Problem Solving: Can identify the root cause of a problem. Able to consider alternative solutions and determine the best cause of action to rectify the situation. Demonstrates logical approaches to problem resolution.
Safety and Security Consciousness: Demonstrates an understanding of and sensitivity to one’s own safety. Knows and follows safe practices and regulations. Seeks improvements in safety and security processes.
Communication: Expresses ideas clearly and concisely.
Interpersonal Sensitivity: Demonstrates sensitivity to the emotional and related needs of others. Is respectful of others and enhances confidence and self-esteem in co-workers and others.
Uniform Requirements
- Blue polo and Gray work pants.
- When escorting – Dress slacks, button down shirt, tie, suit jacket, dark shoes.
Work Environment
This position operates outdoors in all weather conditions. The work is repetitive and physically demanding, requiring frequent bending, kneeling, lifting, and reaching.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk and/or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit; stand; walk; bending; kneeling; lifting; and reaching with hands and arms. Required to lift up to 50 pounds.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time Exempt position. Business days and hours of work are:
This is a full-time Exempt position. Business days and hours of work are:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Subject to change business needs)
- Position requires Grounds Supervisor to work every fourth Saturday for coverage as determined by need, (Subject to change to business needs)
Travel
Local travel is required between campuses for support.
Local travel is required between campuses for support.
Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Experience
- High School diploma or equivalent required.
- Experience in hoist operations a plus.
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
- Must have ability to work independently and have good problem-solving skills.
- Pesticide License, Turf, Hort and aquatic knowledge of seeding and sodding care.
- Displays a “Customer First” attitude.
This position description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of accountabilities, duties, responsibilities of requirements. Any individual may be required to perform any other job-related activities or functions requested by his/her manager, subject to reasonable accommodation. The Spring Grove Family reserves the right to modify this job description to reflect changes in essential job duties made necessary by changing organizational needs, subject to reasonable accommodation.