Grounds Equipment Operator Specialist, Physical Plant/Grounds

Department North Grounds Job Posting Title Grounds Equipment Operator Specialist, Physical Plant/Grounds Job Description An Equipment Operator Specialist maintains, repairs, and utilizes heavy-duty vehicles and equipment to care for the University grounds. This role involves using equipment to perform various duties, including waste disposal, mowing, landscaping, irrigation, greenhouse maintenance, and snow removal. The specialist operates sanitation trucks, recycling trucks, dump trucks, front-end loaders, backhoes, tractors, and other large motor vehicles. Minimum Qualifications: High School Diploma or equivalent. One year of relevant experience. Valid driver's license. Preferred Qualifications: Experience operating heavy-duty equipment (sanitation trucks, mowers, skid steers, high lifts, back hoes, trenchers, etc.). Experience in groundskeeping, horticulture, or greenhouse management. Experience in maintaining and operating irrigation systems. Experience in applying chemicals. Responsibilities: Operate and maintain sanitation trucks and recycling trucks. Retrieve, empty, and return trash and recycling containers at campus facilities. Operate a hydraulic dumping system. Operate large mowers, tractors, skid-steer loaders, high lifts, trenchers, and backhoes to maintain campus grounds and complete landscaping projects. Mow, trim, and edge lawns and grass areas. Plants, water, weed, and prune trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawns. Apply fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals according to safety guidelines. Perform pre-operational checks and minor repairs to heavy-duty machinery. Assist with tree removal. Assist with snow removal for sidewalks, streets, and parking lots. Assist with irrigation installation and maintenance. Execute maintenance required to keep vehicles or equipment in working order. Manage the safety, quality, and cleanliness of work areas to maintain a suitable work environment. Take preventive measures to avoid injury to workers or other persons and damage to equipment and property. Ensure that all operations use proper equipment to maintain health and safety standards Salary: $15.75 per hour Benefits: To view FHSU's competitive benefits package visit FHSU Benefits. Application Deadline: Review of applicants will begin August 13, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Appointment Date: Start date will be determined after acceptance of an offer and background check clearance. Application Process: To apply for this position, please visit FHSU Careers. Only electronic applications submitted through the webpage will be accepted. Required Application Documents: Applicants should submit a resume. Applicant documents should be submitted in one PDF. If you have questions regarding this position, please contact: Brenden Ibarra blibarra@fhsu.edu 785-628-4279 Community of Hays FHSU is located in Hays, a vibrant college town of approximately 20,000, located halfway between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. Hays is the regional center for education, health care, professional services, shopping, culture, and recreation for the western half of Kansas. The community boasts excellent recreational programs and facilities, including the comprehensive Center for Health Improvement, Hays Aquatic Park, Smoky Hill Country Club, Hays Municipal Golf Course, and extensive walking, running, and biking trails. Hays is within 45 minutes of two large lakes that offer great opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The Hays Municipal Airport provides connecting service to Denver with several flights daily. The Hays community is home to excellent Pre-K and K-12, public and private schools. With over 60 restaurants, major retail outlets, a low unemployment rate, and very short commute times, the city provides a safe, welcoming, low-cost, high-quality living environment for the residents who call "Hays, America" home. Notice of Non-discrimination Fort Hays State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or veteran status. Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check. Notice to KPERS retirees applying for a position: Recent legislation changes working-after-retirement rules for both you and your employer if you go back to work for a KPERS employer. Please contact your KPERS representative or www.kpers.org for further information on how this might affect you. Fort Hays State University was founded in 1902 as the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School-a teacher's college. Our hometown, Hays, Kansas, is located on the high plains of north-central Kansas. The original home of the institution was on the grounds of Fort Hays, a Nineteenth-Century frontier military outpost. The state of Kansas initially intended the university's academic programs to focus on agriculture, but it opened in as a "normal" or teacher's college. Our mission is to develop the engaged global citizen-leaders our world needs. FHSU today is a regional comprehensive public university where determined, innovative, and caring faculty and staff share a deep commitment to teaching and mentoring students. Total enrollment at FHSU exceeds 14,000 students who pursue their educational goals on-campus, online, and at our two international partnership campuses in China. Employers tell us the combination of challenging academic programs, close faculty/student relationships, and the abundance of experiential learning opportunities our students enjoy while at FHSU set our students apart in competitive job markets worldwide. More than 95% of FHSU students secure jobs or higher education opportunities after they graduate. And FHSU consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the American Midwest. A pioneer in distance education, we began delivering correspondence courses to teachers in rural Kansas early in the 20th Century. Today, FHSU Online delivers more than 200 flexible, affordable, and high-quality online programs. Over the years, FHSU Online received many accolades, including U.S. News & World Report Online Programs rankings, GetEducated.com, Best Buys in Education, among others. The university has rich sports and cultural programming, all of which enjoy tremendous community support. The Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center is home to the Encore Series, which hosts many traveling Broadway shows, the Hays Symphony, university, and other national and world-caliber performances. The university supports one of the most extensive and successful intercollegiate sports programs of any comparably sized college or university in America, boasting numerous All-American athletes and eight national championships. Nearly 400 athletes compete annually in eight men's and eight women's sports. FHSU is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, which comprises 14 schools from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Click here to go back to the Job Listings. Visit the Fort Hays State University homepage at www.fhsu.edu.