Overview of Facilities and Grounds Supervisor
Purdue Northwest's Gabis Arboretum located in Valparaiso, IN is seeking a Facilities and Grounds Supervisor. Our Gabis Arboretum serves as a living laboratory for education, research, conservation and engagement with the natural environment. It boasts 300 acres of magnificent landscapes featuring a restored prairie, display gardens, wetlands and miles of hiking trails through woodlands. With musical events and public educational programs, the arboretum has something for any interest! Click here for more information about our Gabis Arboretum.
The Facilities and Grounds Supervisor is responsible for managing the daily operations and overall land management of the 300 acre arboretum, ensuring our arboretum is welcoming, well cared for and safe for visitors, staff and Faculty. This position also manages one full time employee along with multiple seasonal staff and volunteers performing grounds and facilities work. Support events at the arboretum including concerts, weddings and meetings. Oversee vehicle and equipment maintenance. Maintain safety compliance throughout the arboretum including water safety requirements by IDEM.
Budgeted salary: $50,000-$54,000
Duties and Responsibilities of Facilities and Grounds Supervisor
- Manage daily operations of grounds, maintenance and building services needs at Gabis Arboretum.
- Directs and assigns staff in the daily maintenance of the grounds and facilities by determining priorities, setting staff schedules, and developing an annual task calendar.
- Interview and hire seasonal staff. Train and uphold safety standards of staff and volunteers within Facilities areas
- Supervise one full-time position.
- Assess needs of repairs and small projects that need to be contracted out. Hire contractors and verify work is completed to expectations.
- Oversee water testing to stay in compliance with IDEM requirements for public water use.
- Manage the vehicle and equipment fleet at Gabis including basic maintenance and coordinating repairs needed.
- Work with event planning to develop setups and identify any needs provided for the specific events.
- Order required materials for all aspects of Facilities from parts, mulch, gravel to cleaning supplies.
- Responsible for call outs after hours issues and snow removal.
- Work with and assist staff and volunteers completing various duties within grounds, maintenance and building services.
- Grounds work includes mowing, trimming tree and shrub pruning and planting bed maintenance among other various grounds duties. Maintenance work includes general building maintenance and repairs along with reporting issues to supervisors that need additional attention from contractors or PNW maintenance.
- Building services work includes cleaning of the buildings and restrooms at Gabis. Snow removal and ice management. Event setup, support, tear down and cleanup. This involves assisting with concerts, weddings and meetings.
- Land management including trail maintenance, drainage, prairie maintenance, seasonal burns, and invasive species monitoring and removal.
Benefits of Facilities and Grounds Supervisor
- Full benefits – Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Retirement, Life Insurance and more
- Accrue 15 days’ vacation your first year, then 22 days’ vacation your 2nd year plus rollover
- University contribution of 10% to retirement (3 year waiting period)
- University contributions to Health Savings Account –
- Plus a chance to earn more through participating in University Wellness Initiatives
- 10 paid holidays
- Employee Wellness Programs
- Paid Parental Leave after one year of service
- Tuition remission for you, your spouse and dependent children at any Purdue campus
For more information on our excellent benefit package, please visit: https://www.pnw.edu/human-resources/benefits/
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a premier metropolitan university dedicated to empowering transformational change in our students and in our community. We offer two campuses serving approximately 8,800 undergraduate and graduate students. At PNW, we value academic excellence, support growth, and celebrate diversity.
PNW sits between Chicago’s skyscrapers and Lake Michigan’s sandy shores. You can have all the perks of a world-class city just a short drive away or enjoy the natural beauty of the Indiana Dunes National Park and Lake Michigan just 15 miles away.
Education of Facilities and Grounds Supervisor
- High School Diploma/GED required
- Bachelor’s Degree preferred
Experience of Facilities and Grounds Supervisor
- 3 years’ experience in grounds maintenance
- 1 year experience in supervision of multiple staff members
- Facilities maintenance preferred
Core Competencies of Facilities and Grounds Supervisor
- Knowledge of grounds and facilities maintenance
- Equipment and tool operation
- Critical thinking to evaluate needs and priorities
- Computer skills including familiarity of Microsoft Office suite of software
- Within one year of the hire date must obtain the OISC’s Registered Technician (RT) certification
- Ability to operate a chainsaw is preferred
Additional Information
Professional references will be verified prior to any offer of employment. Employment is contingent upon completion of successful background check along with a motor vehicle records check if applicable.
Purdue University Northwest is an EOE/AA employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.