POSITION AVAILABLE: Grounds Crew Aide
Classification: Seasonal
Department: Collections and Facilities
General Summary: The Grounds Crew Aide position has many diverse responsibilities that span across different work areas in the Collections & Facilities Department. Please review the details below to help you determine which specific crew you would like to be considered for employment. Please indicate this on your application under the “Position Applied For” section, by specifying ONE of the following:
- Grounds Crew Aide – Display Horticulture
- Grounds Crew Aide – Living Collections
- Grounds Crew Aide – Arborist Crew
- Grounds Crew Aide – Lawn Crew
- Grounds Crew Aide - Construction
Display Horticulture
Assist the full-time horticulture staff in high visitation/public areas, such as the Visitor's Center, Children's Garden, and the Maze Garden. The gardens contain annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs. A high level of plant maintenance is required. Maintenance duties include, but are not limited to:
- Planting of annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees, and shrubs in gardens and landscapes
- Watering , fertilizing, pruning, deadheading, & mulching plants
- Assist with setup for special events and installation of holiday lights and décor
- Trash pick-up and clearing walkways of debris
- Bed maintenance, including weeding, edging, and soil cultivation
- Use of tools and equipment, such as backpack blowers, bed edgers, fertilizer sprayers, rototillers, shovels, hand pruners, rakes, tractors, wheel barrows, pruning shears, loppers, snow blowers, brooms, hand saws, chain saws, hedge trimmers, brush chipper, and front-end loaders
- May need to operate a pickup truck, van, or other vehicles; a regular Class D driver's license is required, which will be subject to a Motor Vehicle Report prior to hire, in order to verify insurability by the Arboretum
- Able to obtain an Illinois Pesticide Operator's License, if assistance is needed, with limited pesticide applications on the grounds
- Depending on time of hire, participation in snow removal operations & winter clearing of invasives in natural areas
- Periodic weekend duty with a Horticulturist (April-October)
- Early start time May – October (6am-2pm)
Living Collections
- Assist the full-time horticulture staff in the maintenance of the woody plant specimens in the Geographic, Taxonomic, and Special Habitat Collections on the grounds. These collections are located in a more naturalistic setting, away from the area around the Visitor Center. Maintenance activities include, but are not limited to:
- Planting, transplanting, watering, and pruning plants
- Weeding and edging planting beds
- Mulching both individual plants and large planting beds
- Disease and insect diagnosis and treatments
- Trash pick up, and assisting with setup for special events
- Use of tools and equipment, such as tractors, front end loaders, rakes, string trimmers, pruners, rototillers, hoses, hedge shears, leaf blowers, shovels, and wheel barrows
- May need to operate a pickup truck, van, or other vehicles; a regular Class D driver's license is required, which will be subject to a Motor Vehicle Report prior to hire, in order to verify insurability by the Arboretum
- Able to obtain an Illinois Pesticide Operator's License, if assistance is needed with limited herbicide or pesticide applications on the grounds
- A unique opportunity provided to learn and care for rare and unusual trees & shrubs from all over the world
- Early start time May – October (6am-2pm)
Arborist Crew
Assist arborists with tree maintenance on the grounds. Availability to begin working in spring and continue through fall is preferred. Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Tree climbing (up to 35’), pruning, and removal
- Chipping large trees and shrubs; stump grinding
- Operation of small equipment or hand tools, which could include chain saws, pruning shears, loppers, rakes, snow blowers, shovels, brooms, and hand saws
- May need to operate a pickup truck, dump truck, brush chipper, and front-end loader; a regular Class D driver's license is required, which will be subject to a Motor Vehicle Report prior to hire, in order to verify insurability by the Arboretum
- Depending on time of hire, participation in snow removal operations & winter clearing of invasives in natural areas
- Early start time May – October (6am-2pm)
Lawn Crew
Assist lawn crew with mowing lawns on grounds. Experience with equipment operation is preferred, along with the ability to begin working in spring and continue through fall. Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Turf maintenance, which requires the operation of push mowers, riding mowers, tractors with pull behind mowers, string trimmers, aerators, and backpack blowers
- Removal of trash/debris before mowing
- Fill-in of holes and depressions in mown turf areas with top soil and grass seed
- Operation of small, open air, utility vehicles for travel on the grounds
- Early start time May – October (6am-2pm)
Construction Crew
Assist in performing a variety of skilled and semi-skilled duties, primarily involving physical labor and equipment operation. Availability to begin working in spring and continue through fall is preferred. Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Operate large and small equipment, which will require a minimum of a Class B driver's license; Class A preferred, which will be subject to a Motor Vehicle Report prior to hire, in order to verify insurability by the Arboretum, and successful completion of a DOT physical.
- Removal or transplanting trees and shrubs, installing sod, mowing and trimming rough turf, week and lawn areas
- Replace and straighten barrier posts, gate posts and sign posts; erect and repair chain-link, woven wire, barbed wire and wooden fences
- May need to work overtime, early or overnight, depending on job
*** Required of ALL Positions:
- Minimum commitment of three months and five days per week is required; must be at least 18 years of age, to work any of the positions listed above
- Maximum of two weeks’ vacation allowed during season; advance notice to supervisor is required
- The Arboretum grounds and facilities are smoke-free and tobacco-free; no smoking is allowed by visitors or staff
Qualifications
Must be able to operate small equipment, drive large vehicles, and use hand tools. Experience with snow removal and grounds maintenance work a plus, but not required.
Success Factors:
Ability to perform physical labor outdoors, requiring strength and endurance in all kinds of weather. Ability and willingness to adapt to a wide variety of duties and responsibilities. Candidate may be subject to a Motor Vehicle Report prior to hire, in order to verify insurability by the Arboretum. A Medical Examiner’s Card is required to operate certain vehicles; in order to obtain this card, a physical will be required for those candidates.
Working Conditions
- Majority of work performed outdoors in all weather conditions.
- Normal schedule 7am-3:30pm, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise noted above.
- Exposure to loud or prolonged noise and/or vibrations.
- Requires significant amount of physical activity: carrying, lifting (up to 60 lbs.), bending, climbing (up to 8 ft.), pushing, pulling, standing, sitting, walking (200-300 yards).
To apply, visit mortonarb.org/employment
The Morton Arboretum is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse workforce.