Live In Groundskeeper Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $45,933.00 - $74,534.00 Annually
Location : Zone 3, Schooley Mill / Western Regional Parks, Howard County, MD
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 26-00597
Department: Recreation & Parks
Division: R&P REC11F - Gen Fund
Opening Date: 08/03/2026
Closing Date: 8/17/2026 12:00 AM Eastern
POSITION SUMMARY/CLASS DESCRIPTION
Howard County
Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.
Howard County Government
Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 83 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) - the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards out of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 136 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.
What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:
Skilled technical and manual work in the maintenance of County Parks & related Facilities and Structures.
STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:
$22.08 - $23.78$45,933 - $49,468
*This is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. Please note that the final salary will be determined by the Office of Human Resources, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.*
CLASS DESCRIPTION:
This is semi-skilled manual work in the maintenance of park lands and related facilities and structures. Work involves the use of a variety of tools and equipment and the application of basic horticultural and landscaping principles. Work is performed with general supervision from a crew leader. An employee in this class works with others to accomplish an assigned part of Park Operations in grounds maintenance, sports field preparation, construction, or park-site management. Assignments are stable in nature and are carried out in accordance with instructions and established routines. Work may include considerable public contact.
*This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months*
*This position has been designated as "essential personnel," meaning an employee is expected to report for regular work shift during inclement weather, emergency situations, County holidays and on an on-call basis.*
*Please note that this position falls within a collective bargaining unit and is represented by AFSCME Local 3085, Local 3888, or Local 1810.*
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Park and Grounds Maintenance:

• Performs grounds and turf maintenance, pavilion and picnic area cleaning, facility repairs, and sports field maintenance.
• Performs trail construction and maintenance.
• Removes graffiti and vandalism.
• Performs playground inspections and maintenance.
• Performs minor plumbing, janitorial, painting, electrical, and carpentry work.
• Performs landscape and horticultural maintenance, including pesticide application, trimming, edging, pruning, and mulching.

Equipment Operation and Preventative Maintenance:

• Operates and performs preventative maintenance on tractors, mowers, skid loaders, steam cleaning rigs, trucks, and trailers.
• Uses hand and power tools including trimmers, chain saws, blowers, and snow blowers.

Program and Event Support:

• Assists Department programmers with program and event logistics.
• Provides customer service during tournaments, resolves conflicts, and addresses questions/comments from the public.

Leadership and Team Coordination:

• May lead the work of subordinate crew members, part-time staff, and volunteers.
• Communicates effectively with staff, volunteers, and the public.

Administrative and Reporting Duties:

• Develops supply requisitions and notifies supervisor when materials or chemicals need to be replenished.
• Completes administrative documentation including incident reports, police reports, timesheets, requisitions, inspection forms, chemical application cards, and daily journals.

Sustainability and Department Support:

• Identifies and applies sustainability practices in all operations.
• Serves on committees as assigned.

Weather, Emergency and Essential Duties:

• Performs snow removal and assists during inclement weather, including support for Public Works when needed.
• Serves as an essential employee required to work during emergency situations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This job has no supervisory responsibilities. May lead the work of subordinate crew members, part-time staff and volunteers.
MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
Any combination of education and experience equivalent to completion of the 10th grade plus one (1 ) year of experience in landscaping, park maintenance, or a related field; or, completion of course work in horticulture or park/resource management plus one (1) year of general laboring experience.
REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS:

• Possession of a valid Driver's License. License must be valid as long as individual is employed in this class.
• Obtain Maryland Pesticide Applicator Certification offered through our Department within two (2) years of employment.
• Obtain CPR and First Aid Certification within one year of employment.
• Maryland Boater Safety Operator Certification may be required depending on location.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
One (1) year certificate from college or technical school; or related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; and use hands to touch, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, and climb or balance. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold; extreme heat; risk of electrical shock; and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.
LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:
LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.
Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.
At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).
Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at . Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.
The following is a summary of the benefits available to Howard County employees who hold full-time benefit-eligible positions. Employees in positions covered by a bargaining agreement should consult their union contract for other specific benefits. Additional details are also available in the Employee Manual and in summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources or at
FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: Under the County's flexible benefits plan called CountyFlex, employees may elect to enroll in medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans, optional life insurance, dependent life insurance, and healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts. Employee contributions to these benefits are made on a pre-tax basis. Information concerning enrollment options, plan rates and a benefits comparison chart are available in the Office of Human Resources.
GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE: Employees receive a group term life insurance benefit equal to 2 times their annual salary at no cost. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is included. The County pays the entire cost for this benefit. Employees may purchase additional coverage under the CountyFlex benefits plan.
PAID LEAVE BENEFITS: Annual and Disability Leaves are accrued over 24 pay periods each year. Personal leave is credited on January 1st each year. Use of Annual, Disability and/or Personal Leave requires supervisory approval.
ANNUAL LEAVE: During the first 5 years of employment, employees accrue the equivalent of 13 days per year. From years 6 through 10, the accrual is the equivalent of 16 days per year. From years 11 through 20, the accrual is the equivalent of 19 days per year. From year 21 on, the accrual is the equivalent of 21 days per year. Annual leave may not be used during the first 6 months of employment. A maximum of 40 days may be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.
DISABILITY LEAVE: Employees accrue the equivalent of 1 day per month (12 days per year). There is no maximum accrual. This leave may be used for the disabling illness/injury of the employee, spouse or minor child or for a serious medical condition approved under F.M.L.A. Absences of over 3 days must be substantiated by a physician's certificate.
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