Grounds Manager Jobs in Riverside, CA (NOW HIRING)

Job Summary:
Under general supervision, the lead Groundsworkers provide journeyman level grounds maintenance work and provides lead work direction for employees engaged in general landscaping and grounds maintenance work

Responsibilities:

•  Assign, lead, and participate in the daily activities of grounds maintenance crews under general supervision.
• Coordinate pesticide applications and irrigation repairs with the Irrigation Lead.
• Assign duties fairly based on immediate operational needs and ensure work orders are addressed appropriately.
• Provide lead work direction and hands-on assistance with major grounds projects, including: re-sodding and turf installation, sprinkler system installation and repairs, campus-wide pruning, major landscaping projects, graduation and special event setup
• Lead and assist with additional grounds duties, including flower bed construction, drainage system maintenance, athletic field resurfacing, brush and tree removal, trash collection, and concrete and asphalt work.
• Conduct routine inspections of assigned work to ensure accuracy, quality, and timely completion.
• Document inspection results and provide reports to the Landscape and Fleet Manager.
• Assist the Landscape and Fleet Manager with annual employee evaluations based on attitude, initiative, and ability.
• Coordinate with the Landscape and Fleet Manager to establish priorities and campus-wide quality standards for planting, turf, shrub, and tree care.
• Demonstrate knowledge of proper planting and maintenance practices for turf, plants, and trees appropriate for the local planting zone.
• Evaluate grounds maintenance needs, establish priorities, and follow through to ensure established quality standards are met.
• Train new employees and conduct ongoing training for permanent staff.
• Direct staff on proper operating procedures, equipment use, safety practices, and work techniques.
• Conduct in-house training during inclement weather, including equipment operation and safety procedures.
• Provide operating demonstrations before employees receive hands-on training with riding equipment.
• Maintain accurate inventory records for grounds supplies, materials, equipment, and tools.
• Prepare and submit written inventory reports as requested.
• Assist the Landscape and Fleet Manager in preparing cost estimates and plans for new installations and modifications to existing systems.
• Read, interpret, and follow specifications and working drawings.
• Prepare clear, concise reports and effectively explain completed or planned installations.
• Perform other classification-related duties as assigned.
• Demonstrate initiative, dependability, and willingness in completing assigned responsibilities..

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience: Two years of experience in planting, cultivating and maintaining flowers and shrubs, or in general grounds maintenance work.

Required Qualifications:

• Thorough knowledge of methods, materials, and tools and equipment used in planting, cultivating, and caring for flowers, shrubs, lawns, and trees.
• General knowledge of common plant diseases, pests, and weeds.
• General knowledge of approved methods and materials used in their control and eradication, horticultural methods and materials and planting and growing requirements of plants commonly grown in California.
• Ability to lay out, coordinate, and oversee the work of others and provide training.
• Ability to interpret policies and explain methods and procedures.
• Ability to inspect and evaluate the work of others.
• Ability to read and write at a level appropriate to the position.
• Ability to perform general gardening and grounds maintenance work

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and minimum 3 years' work experience in the parking industry or security and special events management, with a minimum of 1-year supervisory experience and possession of a California Driver's License or High school diploma and 5 years of related experience in the parking industry or security and special events management, with a minimum of 1-year supervisory experience and possession of a California Driver's License.

Special Conditions:

•  A background check (which may include: fingerprinting, checks of employment records, education records, criminal records, civil records, motor vehicle records, professional licenses, and sex offender registries, as position requires) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can begin employment with the CSU.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary offered will take into account internal equity and experience among other factors.

Anticipated hiring range: Step 8 $4,468 per month for qualified candidates

Classification hiring range: $3,890 (Step 1) - $5,555 (Step 19)

The CSU system provides a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision plans, membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), sick and vacation time, and 15 paid holidays a year. Eligible employees are also able to participate in the fee waiver education program. A summary of benefit information can be found here.

Position Information:

Work status: Full-time/Non-Exempt/Probationary

Academic year schedule: Monday through Friday (08:00 am - 5:00 pm), some evenings/weekends.

Summer schedule: Monday through Thursday (7:00 am - 5:30 pm), some evenings/weekends.     

The application deadline is September 04, 2026 at 11:55 P.M  

California State University, San Bernardino, as part of the CSU system, is a State of California Employer. As such, the University requires all employees upon date of hire to reside in the State of California. As of January 1, 2022 the CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.

California State University, San Bernardino is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions (i.e. H1-B Visas).

CSUSB is not an E-Verify employer and cannot support visa holders with certain requirements (e.g., H1B, F1, STEM OPT).

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant's current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Conditions of Employment

Background Check

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment.  CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information.  Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Drivers License Check

Possession of a valid Driver's License is required.  Employees in this position will be enrolled in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Government Employer Pull Notice Program which confirms possession of a valid driver's license and reflects driving record

Physical Exam

Employment is contingent upon candidate passing a pre-employment physical exam with the ability to lift in excess of 50 lbs.

Mandated Reporter

The person holding this position is considered a limited mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017.

I-9

CSUSB hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  See Form I-9 Acceptable Documents at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents.

Statement of Commitment to Diversity

In our commitment to the furthering of knowledge and fulfilling our educational mission, California State University, San Bernardino seeks a campus climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the entire variety of human experience. We welcome people from all backgrounds, and we seek to include knowledge and values from many cultures in the curriculum and extra-curricular life of the campus community. We will create, promote, and maintain activities and programs that further our understanding of individual and group diversity. We will also develop and communicate policies and promote values that discourage intolerance and discrimination.

California State University, San Bernardino is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, hire, train, and administer all personnel actions without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, color, caste, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, protected military or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. This position adheres to CSU policies against Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Violence, including Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking. This requires completion of Sexual Violence Prevention Training within 6 months of assuming employment and on a two-year basis thereafter. (Executive Order 1096) For more information about Diversity & Inclusion at CSUSB, please visit https://www.csusb.edu/human-resources/diversity-inclusion

Closing Statement:

Reasonable Accommodation

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact CSUSB Benefits at benefits@csusb.edu.

Smoking

CSUSB is a smoke and tobacco-free campus.  See policy at  https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/6591951/latest/.

Clery Act

In compliance with state and federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, California Education Code section 67380, and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), the Cal State San Bernardino Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at: https://www.csusb.edu/clery-act