INTERMITTENT GROUNDS WORKER

Code: 30551 Unknown Unknown Range: O10 (FY 2027)

Salary: $40,321.62 - $57,948.52/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of a Head Grounds Worker or other supervisory official in a state institution or department, does tasks involved in the maintenance of grounds; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Takes the lead in work involved in the maintenance of institutional grounds.
• Prepares soil and the seeds, rolls, cuts, weeds, waters, trims lawns.
• Sprays, prunes, and trims orchards and shrubs.
• Plants, transplants, and thins trees and shrubs.
• Removes dirt, rubbish, snow, leaves and other refuse and assists in the maintenance of roads, lawns, shed, benches, and parking areas.
• May plan the removal of snow and/or direct the operation of snow blowers and salt spreaders.
• Sees that the noncultivated areas are properly maintained.
• Provides assignments and instructions to employees and to patients and/or inmates assigned to grounds duties and supervises the performance of the work.
• Sees that equipment, materials, and supplies including tractors, grass cutters, scythes, hoes, rakes, sprinklers, garden house, cultivators, spades, sheers, spraying devices, fertilizers, seeders, and other garden and grounds keeping equipment and tools are used properly.
• Prepares requisitions for equipment, materials, and supplies and ensures these are safeguarded, stored, used, and recorded.
• May ensure the safety, custody, and progress of patients and/or inmates assigned to grounds work.
• Reports unusual occurrences and significant conditions in the buildings and on the grounds, and takes those steps required to ensure safe, orderly conditions.
• Reports on progress of individual patients and/or inmates as required, and prepares other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• May be required for short periods to perform assigned duties within buildings.
• May be required to undergo fire training classes (in the Department of Human Services).
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

One (1) year of experience in the performance of semiskilled grounds keeping work.

License

Appointees may be required to obtain a NJ Certified Pesticide Applicator's or Operator's Permit in the required categories.

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of methods used to plan, lay out and perform lawn and grounds maintenance work.
• Ability to take the lead in the work involved in laying out flower beds and directing preparation of soil, planting of seeds, weeding and thinning of bedding stock, and production of flowers for cutting purposes.
• Ability to perform the tasks necessary for the propagation of trees, shrubbery, and perennial plants, and to direct the pruning of trees and shrubs, weeding, mowing of lawns, and trimming of hedges.
• Ability to properly use equipment, materials, tools, and supplies, and to train patients and inmates in their proper handling and maintenance.
• Ability to take the measures required to ensure safety and custody of patients and inmates assigned to grounds keeping work, to recognize suspicious and/or dangerous situations and occurrences, and to take necessary measures to secure safe, orderly conditions.
• Ability to requisition, safeguard, store, and record equipment, tools, materials, and supplies.
• Ability to prepare reports and maintain records.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of the position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
• <b>SPECIAL NOTE</b>
• The intermittent designation shall be utilized only where the work responsibilities are characterized by unpredictable work schedules that do not meet normal criteria of regular, year- round full-time or part-time assignments. Such category is not to displace or be used in place of regular full-time or part-time employees.
• <b>Assignment of Work</b>
• Assignment of work hours to intermittent employees shall be based on managerial needs and shall be limited to work that is appropriate to the class title.
• <b>Furlough and Recall</b>
• Whenever it is necessary to furlough intermittent employees, furloughing will be done in the inverse order of seniority based on official records at the end of the last pay period. A furlough means that an intermittent employee cannot be scheduled for work within the next week. Reasonable advance written notice of furlough action shall be given to the employee. A furlough will not be considered a layoff and will not require the issuance of the forty-five (45) day notices. The seniority organization unit for purposes of furlough selection will be employees currently working in a designated work unit, prior to use by the appointing authority, designated work units must be submitted to and approved by the NJ Department of Personnel. Seniority shall be determined by the number of regular hours worked by the intermittent employee. Recall from furlough will be made in seniority order from the most senior to the least senior employee from among furloughed employees who are assigned within a designated work unit that may be the local office and/or satellite office. In cases of equal seniority, the tie will be broken by determining the number of hours the employees were in pay status under special service during the last two-(2) years immediately preceding their conversion to an intermittent title. Recall of employees may be extended on a regional or statewide basis if the recall list for the work unit has been exhausted.
• When the recall procedure is extended beyond the work unit, or when the recall is for less than four hours of work, the termination actions listed below will not apply when the intermittent employees cannot be contacted or refuses an offer of recall. However, when an offer of recall is accepted to a work unit other than the one from which the employee was furloughed, the new work unit will become the employee's seniority organization unit for future furlough and recall actions.
• Recall actions shall be initiated during the first two-(2) hours or the last two (2) hours of the workday. If the department is unable to contact the employee during these times, the next employee on the recall list will be called until a sufficient number has been secured. If a department is unable to contact an employee on two (2) consecutive occasions, the employee shall be notified in writing of the specific dates and times the contacts were made. Employees will be given five (5) calendar days from date of receipt to advise of their current availability for future scheduling. Failure to respond as directed shall be considered a resignation. If on the next occasion the same employee is unavailable, this also shall be considered a resignation.
• Intermittent employees who are contacted and refuse an offer of recall for reasons other than verified illness, disability, or approved leave may be resigned.
• CODES: O9/O10 - MCK 04/02/05

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.