Head Groundskeeper
THE POSITION
The Head Groundskeeper serves as a working supervisor, leading, coordinating, and participating in the care and maintenance of the school grounds and the daily preparation of athletic fields. This position reports directly to the Director of Facilities & Operations and supervises the grounds staff. It is a full-time, year-round role. The ability to respond to emergencies and work outside normal hours, including for snow removal, is required. This is a non-exempt position.
Primary responsibilities include the care and maintenance of:
- Roads, parking lots, sidewalks, stairways, decks, and walkways
- Playgrounds, courtyards, swimming pools, and athletic fields
- Lawns, pastures, landscaped areas, ponds, streams, and wooded areas
- Exterior signs and outside lights
Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences.
We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education.
We support young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.
The Park School is a non-sectarian, independent, gender inclusive day school of 803 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1912 as one of the early progressive schools, The Park School continues to practice a distinct educational philosophy. The core values today, as in 1912, are a belief in children’s capacity to love learning, to grow academically and emotionally when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers, and to develop self-discipline, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills through deep exploration and constant challenge. At every grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten through Upper School, Park actively encourages questioning and conversation as essential elements of the learning process. The school philosophy emphasizes a belief in positive expectations and expects that students, as they mature, will take increasing responsibility for their own learning.
Specific Job Responsibilities
LEADERSHIP & SUPERVISION
- Schedules, assigns, and directs the daily work of the grounds staff.
- Trains staff on proper procedures, safety protocols, and equipment use.
- Establishes daily and weekly work priorities for the team.
- Delivers performance feedback to staff and offers input on disciplinary matters.
- Inspects completed work to ensure it meets quality and safety standards.
REVIEW, PLANNING & ADMINISTRATION
- Conducts a weekly review with the Director of Facilities Operations to schedule work and resolve pending issues.
- Conducts a monthly review of budget reports for compliance and adequacy.
- Conducts a quarterly inspection (in February, May, August, and November) by walking the campus grounds with the Director of Facilities Operations to evaluate conditions and needs.
- Prior to winter and spring breaks, prepares and reviews a list of all major projects to be completed.
- Annually, by mid-May, prepares and reviews a list of major repairs, maintenance, and equipment replacement needs.
- Maintains detailed records of work performed, equipment maintenance, and pesticide applications.
- Prepares reports for the Director of Facilities & Operations as required.
- Coordinates or places orders for materials and supplies; maintains inventory records for tools and equipment.
INSPECTIONS & CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
- Daily: Checks for trash, fallen tree limbs, and unknown vehicles left overnight; takes corrective action.
- Weekly: Checks all public trash containers for appearance and repair, and ensures they are being emptied.
- Weekly: Checks all campus areas for misplaced materials, trash, or equipment; returns items to storage or discards them.
- Continually:
- Checks all ground lights and ballasts; addresses outages and problems promptly.
- Monitors staff work to ensure instructions and job responsibilities are followed.
- Monitors trees, shrubs, and landscaped areas for proper maintenance and determines when professional assistance is needed.
- Monitors all turf areas (fields, lawns, pastures) for proper maintenance and determines when professional assistance is needed.
- Maintains a current inventory of all maintenance and grounds equipment valued at $100 or more.
- Monthly: Inspects all playground equipment and base materials. During warm months, also inspects public areas for bees and wasps; takes corrective action as required.
MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
- Maintains all athletic fields in playing condition.
- Maintains all lawns, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs, the pond, stream, pastures, paths, and woods in good order.
- Interprets landscape designs and athletic field layouts; estimates time, materials, and labor for projects.
- Ensures all litter and debris are regularly removed from the grounds.
- Oversees the upkeep, maintenance, and condition of all athletic and playground equipment, benches, fences, trash cans, storage sheds, signs, bridges, walkways, gates, lights, parking areas, and stairways.
- Oversees snow and ice removal operations, including shoveling, plowing, and salting.
- Identifies turf and ornamental problems and applies pesticides in accordance with regulations.
- Coordinates with the school’s pest management company; maintains accurate service logs and performs quality assurance oversight of their services.
- Repairs turf damage caused by vehicles as soon as possible after it occurs.
QUALIFICATIONS & LICENSES
- Possession of a high school diploma or equivalent is required.
- A minimum of three (3) years of experience in grounds maintenance, with at least one (1) year in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
- Possession of a valid driver’s license is required; a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is preferred.
- Certification in pesticide application must be obtained within six (6) months of employment.
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid DOT Medical Card is required.
JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of grounds maintenance, construction, and repair.
- Knowledge of the care and planting of turf, shrubs, trees, and plants.
- Skill in operating and maintaining grounds equipment, including commercial mowers, tractors, skid-steers, and snowplows.
- Ability to lead a team, maintain records, prepare reports, and use basic computer software (e.g., Word, Excel).
PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
- The role requires performing heavy physical labor, including frequent walking, standing, bending, and lifting objects over 50 pounds.
- Work is performed primarily in an outdoor environment in all weather conditions.
- Must be able to operate vehicles, power tools, and heavy equipment requiring coordinative and manipulative skills.
PAY
$28 – $35/hr.
BENEFITS
Park’s benefits include a 403(b) retirement plan with matching contributions, and medical, dental, and vision insurance for individuals and families. Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts are also available. Employees receive disability and parental leave, along with paid time off. Other resources include an Employee Assistance Program, a Computer Buying Program, and various wellness initiatives.
Additionally, the school offers the following distinctive programs:
- Tuition Remission: Under current policy, employees who have been employed at Park full-time for two years are eligible to receive full tuition remission for their children who attend Park. (Employee children must meet the same standards for admission as all other applicants.) During the first two years of employment, employees may apply for financial assistance through Park’s need-based tuition assistance program.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Send cover letter, résumé, and completed employment application (found here). Email preferred:
CONTACT
[email protected]
The Park School
2425 Old Court Road
Baltimore, MD 21208
The Park School of Baltimore does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee’s duties.
