ASSISTANT HEAD GROUNDS WORKER

Code: 42746 State Competitive Range: R13 (FY 2027)

Salary: $46,727.06 - $67,527.96/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 college, institution, or department, has charge of the maintenance of grounds; assists in the planning, laying out, supervising, and/or assigning the necessary work; does other related duties as required.

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.

Examples of work

• May organize the maintenance of institutional grounds and develop effective work measures, programs, schedules, and procedures.
• May prepare daily work schedules for employees having custody of inmates, patients, or students and employees assigned to grounds duties, provides assignments and instructions to these persons, and supervises the performance of their work.
• May plan and direct work involved in maintenance of institutional grounds including preparation of the soil, the seeding, rolling, weeding, feeding, and cutting of lawns, and the planting, transplanting, thinning, and harvesting of flowers for cutting and other use.
• May plan the removal of snow and/or direct the operation of snow blowers and salt spreaders.
• May develop the program for tree culture and tree surgery procedures on the grounds and, in the absence of the Head Grounds Worker, may be required to climb and top tall trees.
• May supervise the care of noncultivated areas of the grounds to ensure they are properly maintained.
• May develop the program to clean and maintain roadways, walkways, and parking fields, and supervises the crew engaged in these operations.
• Oversees the use of equipment, materials, supplies, and implements used to maintain grounds including tractors, grass cutters, scythes, hoes, rakes, sprinklers, garden hose, cultivators, spaders, shears, spraying devices, fertilizers, seeders, and other garden and grounds keeping equipment and tools.
• Prepares requisitions for equipment, materials, and supplies and ensures these are safeguarded, stored, used, and recorded.
• Supervises measures taken to ensure safety, custody, and progress of students, employees, inmates, or patients and others assigned to grounds work.
• Reports suspicious persons and behavior and takes appropriate actions.
• Prepares regular reports on grounds maintenance activities containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Maintains records and files.
• 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.
• REQUIREMENTS

Experience

Two (2) years of experience in work involving large scale grounds work, gardening, tree surgery, and tree care operations.

License

Appointee 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 supervise maintenance work on lawns and grounds.
• Knowledge of tree culture and surgery methods, materials, and procedures.
• Ability to provide assignments and instructions to staff.
• Ability to lay out flower beds and direct the preparation of soil, planting of seeds, weeding and thinning of bedding stock, and production of flowers for cutting purposes.
• Ability to provide guidance to staff involved in the growth of trees, shrubbery, and perennial plants, and to direct the pruning of trees and shrubs, weeding and mowing of lawns, and trimming of hedges.
• Ability to perform tree care and oversee tree surgery work which involves the climbing of trees of varied heights.
• Ability to supervise the use of equipment, materials, tools, and supplies and to train students, employees, patients, or inmates to properly use these.
• 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 clear, sound, accurate reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Ability 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, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this 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 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.
• CODES: 12/R13 - MCK 03/03/05