Manager of Grounds and Horticulture

Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm

Lead and manage groundskeepers, horticulturists, students, temporary and contract workers in the management, improvement and beautification of the 250 acre main campus. Develop project
scopes, plans and budgets and identify solutions to problems, working as part of a team or
independently. Maintain campus grounds in a safe and highly aesthetic state at all times. Support
campus and community events.

Lead and support a high-functioning team to achieve operational excellence and meet organizational goals. This role involves providing guidance, fostering collaboration, and ensuring team members have the resources and support they need to thrive.

Be a campus partner. Build and maintain strong relationships with campus and community constituencies including: the Tree and Landscape Committee, the Bio-Reserve committee, Athletics and the Campus Sustainability Committee. Develop campus standards that are environmentally responsible, sustainable and support the educational efforts of the campus community. Establish and implement a long term campus Landscape Master Plan. Assist in maintaining the campus arboretum and supervise needed tree maintenance. Provide seasonal and event support of the outdoor facilities, including working with Student Life, Athletics and the Institutional Advancement team.

Responsible for developing and managing the annual operating budget for grounds maintenance, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to meet departmental needs. This role involves monitoring expenditures, forecasting future costs, and identifying cost-saving opportunities while maintaining high standards of landscape quality. Additionally, the manager will collaborate with relevant teams to align budget priorities with organizational goals and operational requirements.

Direct snow removal operations for campus roads, parking lots, sidewalks and steps. Provide high quality services, consistent with responsible fiscal and environmental stewardship, to support the landscape maintenance, landscape construction, and campus composting.

Assist in the development of landscape enhancements project scopes, design and construction documents, provide project estimates, attend job meetings and inspect project sites on a regular basis to ensure contract compliance, appropriate quality and university standards are met and provide appropriate budget control. Complete projects on time and within budget to the highest possible standards. Use sustainable practices and alternatives in carrying out everyday responsibilities.

Ten years of job-related experience in a large, institutional, public or commercial site (such as an educational institution, major arboretum, regional parks and cemeteries, etc.), in a

landscape construction and maintenance business, or other directly-related experience. Two years of experience managing staff and grounds department, or similar leadership experience.

Must be people-oriented; operate effectively under stress (such as that associated with campus emergencies); be highly self- motivated; lead by example; reliably exercise sound judgment;

provide excellent customer service and be highly detail-oriented; have strong oral, written, and interpersonal skills; be capable of routine use of standard business computer software programs; work well with a large, diverse team of facilities professionals and stakeholders (from students to campus executives and community leaders).

Must be comfortable in a highly fluid work environment; ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously; highly organized; ability to plan ahead so as to maximize efficiency based on available resources; ability to gather data and information and use analytical methods to analyze data for trends to determine and evaluate alternatives and provide final recommendations.

Must have a current, valid Ohio driver's license, or obtain one within the first month of employment, and remain insurable under our university's liability insurance policy.

B.A / B.S. in landscape management, horticulture, agronomy, natural resources, forestry, construction management, landscape architecture or related field. Current OH State Pesticide Applicators license; arborists certification; Professional Grounds Manager Certification; Commercial Driver's License.

N/A

The final candidate will undergo a background check as a conditional offer of employment.

To achieve our mission as a liberal arts college, we continually strive to attract and hire candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. Denison fosters a campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. For additional information and resources about diversity at Denison, please see our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism ( IDEA) at Denison Forward.

If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (740)587-6299 or by email at HR@denison.edu.