University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Job Description

The Assistant Grounds Supervisor provides a safe, attractive, and environmentally compliant outdoor environment for the UTC Campus and UTC students and staff on a 140- acre campus. This requires a commitment 24/7/365 throughout the year. As assistant supervisor in this area of responsibility, it requires working all weather conditions, campus events, and any campus emergency.

Responsibilities

• Supervises and participates in providing expertise for the cultivation and maintenance of specialized athletic and recreational turf areas on campus, ensuring field conditions are adequate for the safety of participants in athletic events
• Includes design, layout, installation, operation, and maintenance of irrigation systems for fields and campus, and specialized requirements for baseball facilities
• Supervises assigned crew in horticultural area, ensuring proper manning for multiple projects and completion of assigned tasks
• Trains and advises this crew on proper care and maintenance of ornamental plant areas on campus
• Supervises and participates in the performance of specialized tasks associated with horticultural areas including design, planning, preparation, planting, and care of ornamental flower and shrub beds, trees, and special plant collections
• Prunes and cares for flowers, shrubs, and trees in accordance with proper principles
• Operates and utilizes specialized landscaping equipment in the performance of various landscaping tasks, especially those related to horticultural activities, such as the use of tractors, loaders, sprayers, mowers, tillers, cutters, blowers, grass trimmers, aerifiers, and vacuum machines
• Applies chemicals and fertilizers to specifications, including the use of herbicides, fungicides, soil fumigants, growth retardants, and insecticides
• Stores, maintains, mixes, and applies agricultural and commercial chemicals in conformance with state and federal regulations
• Cleans and maintains lawns, streets, walks, parking areas, etc., especially removal of snow and ice from walkways and salting of walkways during icy periods

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Ability to obtain a Category 3 pest management certification
• Ability to perform supervisory duties
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Must be familiar with the cultivation and maintenance of specialized athletic turf
• Must be familiar with the preparation and maintenance of turf grounds requirements of a similar nature with baseball infields
• Must be familiar with planting and pruning techniques for ornamental plant cultivation
• Must be familiar with the operation of required tools, including mowers, backhoe, grass trimmers, pruners, chain saws, and edgers
• Experience in the layout, installation, operation, and maintenance of irrigation systems

The review of applications will begin June 25, 2025, will continue until the position is filled.

Qualifications

Minimum: Requires a high school diploma and six months of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Preferred: A Category 3 pesticide certification and experience in grounds development and care of similar size, scope, and scale in an institutional or higher education setting is preferred.