Groundskeeper

Title: Groundskeeper

Exemption Status: Non-exempt

Department: Grounds

Reports to: Manager, Grounds

Year-round Full-time

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview:

The groundskeeper performs general landscape maintenance and installation consisting primarily of manual labor, working independently or with a crew. Assist with special projects such as event preparation and support. There may be occasional evening, weekend, and holiday hours requested.

Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for the following:

• Perform the following tasks consisting primarily of manual labor: planting, transplanting, and pruning trees and shrubs; watering, picking up landscape waste, mulching, mowing, removing snow, maintaining tools and equipment, chipping brush, weeding, removing refuse, deadheading, and edging.
• Safely operate small equipment such as mowers, golf carts, leaf blowers, rototillers, and weed whips.
• Report any tool or equipment problems to the Grounds manager.
• Assist indoors with projects such as equipment maintenance, shop organization, and greenhouse work when weather prohibits outdoor work.
• Lead seasonal groundskeepers on grounds maintenance tasks as needed.

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• General knowledge of small tools and equipment used in landscaping
• Four years of experience in landscape installation and maintenance

• Ability and willingness to lead a one- to two-person crew in the field for projects with minimal supervision (one field check per four hours) required
• Ability and willingness to be a mentor to staff with less experience

• A current/valid driver's license and insurable by the Garden required

Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift, push, pull and carry items up to 50 pounds. Must be able and willing to work outdoors in all types of weather. Must be comfortable working on slopes and step ladders.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.