Position Title
Grounds and Landscape Technician
Position Type
Classified Full Time
Number of Months Assignment
12
Starting Date
As soon as possible
Current Work Schedule
Monday thru Friday 5:00am – 1:30pm. Days and hours of employment may change depending on District needs.
Salary
$5,216.02 – $6,682.82 monthly- Successful candidate will start at step 1 except in cases where District deems appropriate.
Shift Differential
$175.00 per month
Department
Facilities Services (Dept)
About Rio Hondo College
About Río Hondo College
Río Hondo College welcomes and embraces all students in their educational and career pathways. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), our College has a student population of 22,000, of which 18,000 are Latinx students. We were the first college in Los Angeles County to provide two years of free tuition to first-time, full-time college students through our Río Promise program. We are proud to acknowledge that many of our students have transferred to high ranked institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, USC and UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, and Whittier College to name a few.
Strengths
Our caring and dedicated student-centered staff, faculty, and administrators are devoted to the advancement of educational justice, equity, and opportunity for all our students. Our College’s 900 employees, with close to 600 faculty, hold themselves accountable for the academic success of disproportionately impacted student populations. Our entire staff, with unwavering team collaboration, work hard to ensure our students reach their full potential by eliminating gaps in academic outcomes that traditionally hinder students of color.
Río Hondo College is committed to the recruitment of qualified and diverse employees who are dedicated to our students’ success. We recognize that diversity in an academic environment fosters cultural awareness, promotes mutual understanding and respect, and provides suitable role models for our students. We are steadfast in our hiring practices and staff development processes which reinforce the goals of equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion. Our practices and processes also support the importance of a workforce that reflects the community and the diverse student population we serve.
Río Hondo College employs approximately 55% tenured track faculty of color; 60% part-time faculty of color; 85% classified staff of color; and 50% administrators of color.
Río Hondo College offers 30 associate degrees that guarantee transfer (ADTs) to Cal State Universities, a bachelor’s degree in Automotive Technology, more than 60 certificates, a Pathway to Law School, dual enrollment with K-12 districts, state championship speech & debate team and excellent athletic teams, student leadership opportunities, travel abroad experiences and more.
In collaboration with the communities in Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, El Monte, South El Monte, Whittier, portions of Norwalk, La Mirada, Downey, La Puente, the City of Industry, Los Nietos and Avocado Heights, Río Hondo College provides an exceptional academic curriculum to meet the unique needs of our region and strengthen our communities.
Basic Function
Under the direction of an administrator or manager, performs a variety of semi-skilled grounds and landscape maintenance responsibilities of District/college public access grounds, athletic fields, and venues; performs routine responsibilities related to sprinkler repair and maintenance; assists with repair and maintenance of complex irrigation systems. The Grounds and Landscape Technician works under general guidance within established guidelines in the area of assignment.
Representative Duties
1. Performs a variety of grounds and landscape responsibilities to ensure the common areas of the District and/or college are kept clean and safe, clear of trash and debris from common areas including but not limited to public walkways, culverts, stairways, roadways, planters, athletic fields, venues, and parking lots. E
2. Assists with District and campus daily grounds and landscape inspections; checks for broken water lines, control lines, sprinkler heads, pop ups, and leaks; performs routine repairs and maintains sprinkler valves, pop ups, and sprinkler heads; replaces valve diaphragms; assists with the installation and repair of drip line irrigation systems; identifies broken equipment and partners with grounds and landscape crews to replace broken or damaged parts to maintain above and below ground grounds and landscape equipment is in proper working condition; notifies Lead staff and/or manager as appropriate. E
3. Operates a variety of grounds and landscape maintenance of equipment, machinery, tools, and motorized vehicles including but not limited to power mowers, power sweepers, tractors, dump trucks, forklifts, jackhammers, chainsaws, mowers, edgers, saws, weed eaters, blowers, rakes, shovels, chippers, compressors, and other hand and power equipment/tools to conduct work; performs minor and/or routine repairs and maintenance of grounds equipment. E
4. Mows, trims, edges, rakes, fertilizes, aerates, and waters flower beds, hedges, trees, lawns, and landscaped area; weeds, mulches, fertilizes, irrigates, and sprays lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers; prunes trees, plants, and shrubs; removes and hauls cuttings to trash and appropriate recycle bins; installs sod, reseeds, fertilizes, and renovates lawns and fields; removes landscaping, trees, shrubs, grasses, and plants, and re-plants as necessary; monitors health and appearance of lawns, bushes, trees, and flower beds; diagnoses and treats pest, disease, and weed problems. E
5. Prepares and loosens soil for weed extraction; fertilizes, waters, and cultivates trees, grass, flowers, and shrubbery. E
6. Cleans and maintains landscaped, paved, pathways, walkways, and common areas; rakes lawns and leaves; sweeps or operates grounds equipment to clean sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots to remove litter, trash, and organic debris; collects trash, debris, cuttings, and performs general grounds cleaning as assigned; inspects and cleans storm drains and gutters; removes collected materials to trash and recycling receptacles, as appropriate. E
7. Prepares chemical solutions, sprays landscaped areas with insecticides, herbicides, and other chemicals for insect, weed, and rodent control; ensures hazardous materials are used, stored, and discarded in accordance with safety standards, practices, and guidelines related to hazardous waste. E
8. Performs a variety of routine, semi-skilled work in the installation, operation, repair, and maintenance of sprinkler systems for landscaped areas; inspects and services irrigation systems to ensure safe and proper operation; assists with calibrating irrigation systems and sets irrigation clocks and timers; adjusts watering schedules according to weather; repairs sprinkler heads. E
9. Operates a variety of equipment and machines related to sprinkler system maintenance and repair such as backhoe, ditch trencher, skip loader, bobcat, excavators, rotary mowers, and reel mowers. E
10. Operates computer programs related to the sprinkler and irrigation systems; partners with the Grounds and Landscape Lead to schedule and troubleshoot alerts of Cal Sence computerized Central Irrigation System. E
11. Maintains and troubleshoots simple error messages and issues related to irrigational flow meters, evapotranspiration (ET) gauge, hub, automatic and manual controllers. E
12. Inspects, cleans, and performs routine and general maintenance on grounds maintenance and landscape equipment and tools; changes oil and filters, sharpens blades, and replaces parts, as needed. E
13. Tracks inventory of grounds and landscape materials, stock, and equipment; maintains adequate stock, parts, and supplies; orders parts and supplies as needed.
14. Tracks, maintains, and updates routine records such as service records and stock invoices, as needed; provides assistance to other grounds and landscape staff as required. E
15. Establishes and maintains sprinkler system preventive maintenance programs; estimates cost and time requirements required for repairs; assists with preparing new irrigation system specifications; contacts vendors to obtain price quotes and estimates for equipment; maintains and reviews all blueprints. E 16. Prepares stadium and fields for athletic games and other activities; prepares, lines, and marks athletic fields, adjacent areas, or related areas as assigned. E
17. Assists with other maintenance work as required; moves and sets up furniture and equipment as requested. E
18. Performs a variety of grounds maintenance and repair duties; installs traffic signs; patches cement and asphalt to repair holes and maintain roads and sidewalks. E
19. Performs semi-skilled work in the installation, maintenance, repair or modification of irrigation system and related parts, components, and equipment; uses tools and equipment in performing repairs to manual and automatic irrigation system. E
20. Checks, repairs, maintains and adjusts automatic timing devices; clears obstructions from valves or sprinkler heads; repairs main line leaks, wires tracking. E
21. Performs a variety of clerical and administrative responsibilities in support of the department’s day-to-day activities and/or operations utilizing a variety of communication modalities including but not limited to answers and responds to phone calls, emails, text messages, and chat platforms; opens, screens, and distributes mail and correspondence; photocopies documents and requests duplication services; ensures maintenance and repairs of assigned work areas, facilities, or equipment; enters various requests for services from IT, Facilities, and Maintenance; contacts vendors for equipment service, when needed; follows-up with vendors to ensure satisfactory completion of requests; may perform simple repairs or maintenance to standard office equipment. E
22. May be assigned some building maintenance and cleaning duties.
23. May train and provide work direction to student assistants, student workers, and short-term, temporary staff.
24. Performs related duties that support the overall objective of the position.
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of:
- District and college policies, procedures, rules, and regulations related to the area of assignment.
- Federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations and District policies and practices pertinent to the area of responsibility.
- California Education Code and Title V as it relates to the area of assignment.
- Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
- Methods and operation of materials, tools, and a variety of power equipment and large-powered equipment used in grounds maintenance activities.
- Proper use and maintenance of tools and power equipment used in grounds and landscape work.
- Manual, automatic, and computerized sprinkler and irrigation systems.
- Basic grounds and landscape maintenance procedures including mowing, edging, raking, and weeding.
- Safe work procedures in the operation of hand and power tools and equipment.
- Cultivating, fertilizing, watering, and spraying flowers, trees, and shrubs.
- Operation and maintenance of hand and power tools and equipment used in grounds keeping.
- Lawn and maintenance such as mowing, trimming, and cutting procedures.
- Requirements of maintaining grounds and athletic fields in a safe, clean, and orderly condition.
- Chemicals and hazardous materials used in grounds maintenance.
- Health and safety regulations in the storage and disposal of chemicals and hazardous materials related to the area of assignment.
- Effective communication skills both verbally and in writing.
- Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
- Best practices and procedures on use of various office equipment.
- Record-keeping, filing, file sharing, and filing system methods and techniques related to the area of assignment.
- Computer software programs, applications, databases, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Banner or work ticket systems; computer hardware and peripheral equipment as it relates to the area of the assignment.
- Effective communication techniques and interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy.
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
Ability to:
- Perform the essential responsibilities of the position.
- Perform semi-skilled grounds maintenance duties including prioritizing and scheduling work on school grounds and athletic fields.
- Plan, organize, and prioritize workload to meet schedules and timelines.
- Perform a variety of semi-skilled grounds maintenance and repair work.
- Work collaboratively with grounds and landscape staff while performing grounds maintenance activities.
- Mow, edge, water, weed, fertilize, and cultivate lawns, flower beds, athletic fields, and other landscaped areas.
- Maintain and repair sprinklers and simple watering systems.
- Utilize appropriate safety precautions.
- Operate a variety of grounds maintenance equipment including power mowers, tractors, power sweepers, forklifts, dump trucks, jack hammers, chain saws, and other hand and power equipment.
- Operate a variety of power and hand tools and light motorized equipment including but not limited to power mowers, edgers, and weed eaters.
- Operate, maintain, and make minor repairs to power grounds equipment and tools.
- Operate motor vehicles as necessary to perform duties.
- Observe and exercise legal and defensive driving procedures.
- Utilize computer software programs, applications, and databases; computer hardware and peripheral equipment related to the area of assignment.
- Understand and follow verbal and written directions.
- Effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
- Provide work direction to student assistants, student workers, and short-term, temporary staff
- Establish and maintain cooperativ
Education and Experience
- High school graduate or General Educational Development (GED); AND
- One (1) year of grounds maintenance and landscape experience.
- Sufficient training and experience to demonstrate the knowledge and abilities listed including six months of grounds maintenance experience.
- Or, any combination of education and experience which would provide the required qualifications for the position.
Foreign Degrees
Any degree from a country other than the United States, including Canada and Great Britain, must be evaluated by an Evaluation Service prior to the closing date. Certification must be attached with copies of transcripts.
License Certificates/Credentials
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid driver license.
- May be required to travel for various off-site meetings, trainings, conferences, and or events in support of the overall objective of the position.
Desired Qualifications
- Two (2) years of experience grounds and landscape maintenance.
- Certifications related to the area of assignment such as:
o Grounds Maintenance Certification
o Irrigation Technician Certification
o Pesticide Applicator Certification.
Distinguishable Characteristics
The Grounds and Landscape Technician is the semi-skilled, journey level classification within the Grounds and Landscape series. The incumbent in this classification displays competency and knowledge in several areas of specialty requiring training and experience in the area of assignment such as the operation of a variety of grounds and landscape hand and power tools, equipment, and machinery.
The Grounds and Landscape Technician is distinguished from the Grounds and Landscape Technician Lead in that the latter classification is senior, lead classification within the Grounds and Landscape Technician series. The incumbent is responsible for complex landscape irrigation systems including but not limited to manual, automatic, and computerized systems, provides work direction to Grounds and Landscape team members, and assists management with the oversight of the day-to-day activities and workflow.
Working Conditions
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit or stand for extended periods of time; requires the ability to walk up to 500 yards and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to heavy weights of up to 75 pounds on a regular basis; requires the ability to push, pull, and guide materials over 75 pounds; requires the ability to climb (e.g. ladders), stoop, kneel, and crouch on a regular basis; hand-eye coordination, hand and finger dexterity to grasp tools and operate equipment; visual acuity to operate demanding grounds equipment and read instructions and safety information, speak and hear to convey instructions, carry on ordinary conversations in person and by telephone; hear machinery sounds and alarms, use hands repetitively to finger, handle, feel, operate personal computers and other standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, use of both eyes, ability to distinguish basic shades and colors and the ability to adjust focus.
Employees are frequently required to walk, sit, stand, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; may be required to climb or balance on ladders or frequently used grounds and maintenance apparatus; must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move over 100 pounds.
MENTAL DEMANDS:
While performing the duties of this class, incumbents are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data; use math and mathematical reasoning; analyze and solve problems; learn and apply new information and skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks; and interact with District, students, vendors and others encountered in the course of work, some of whom are dissatisfied or abusive.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Employees perform work in an outdoor environment and of an active nature; regularly work in extreme outside weather conditions, near moving mechanical parts and frequently work on slippery and uneven surfaces; frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, vibration, and street/road traffic; the incumbent in this classification will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic, caustic, and/or hazardous chemicals; noise level is frequently loud.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires us to identify the essential duties/functions of the position. We have indicated those duties with an E on the job description.
Position Description
Applications are currently being accepted for Grounds and Landscape Technician. This is a Full-Time 100%, 12 month position.
Application Procedure
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PT on the closing date.
Applicants must submit a complete online application that includes the items listed.
- Rio Hondo College online application (which includes supplemental questions)
- Résumé/Curriculum Vitae
- PAPER APPLICATIONS AND APPLICATION MATERIALS SENT VIA MAIL, FAX, OR EMAIL WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED.
- NOTE THAT ALL CORRESPONDENCE, INCLUDING INTERVIEW INVITATIONS, WILL BE SENT VIA EMAIL.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Additional Information
- The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires the District obtain documentation from every individual who is employed which verifies identity and authorizes his/her right to work in the United States.
- Successful candidate is responsible for verifying all prior work experience and providing all academic transcripts for purposes of salary placement.
- As a condition of employment, the selected applicant must provide a set of fingerprints (at the applicant’s expense) taken by an official LiveScan agency.
- Provide a Certificate of Tuberculosis Exam for initial employment (The certificate must be renewed every 4 years as a condition of continuing employment).
- For positions requiring a valid California driver’s license, proof of insurability is required.
- Pass a pre-employment physical exam at the District’s expense.
- Applicants who are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and require accommodations for completing the application process, testing (if required for position), or the interview, please notify the Human Resources Office.
- A copy of this announcement will be provided in Braille to visually impaired applicants upon request.
Commitment to Diversity
All applicants must have demonstrated cultural competency and sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and staff.
Cancel RTF Policy
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO RE-OPEN, RE-ADVERTISE, DELAY OR CANCEL FILLING THIS POSITION.
THIS RECRUITMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL FUTURE VACANCIES.
EEO Statement
Rio Hondo College is committed to employing qualified administrators, faculty and staff members who are dedicated to student success. The Board recognizes that diversity in the academic environment fosters cultural awareness, promotes mutual understanding and respect, and provides suitable role models for all students. The Board is committed to hiring and staff development processes that support the goals of equal opportunity and diversity, and provide equal consideration for all qualified candidates.
