Position Title

Grounds & Nursery Services Specialist 3
About the University
Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master’s-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western’s greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.
About the Department

Facilities Development and Operations supports Western’s mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.

• About the Position

Performs Grounds & Nursery Services Specialist 3 duties related to the maintenance and installation of the campus irrigation systems within a comprehensive grounds maintenance program. Responsibilities include, but may not be limited to maintaining, modifying, repairing, installing and adjusting irrigation systems; inspecting and troubleshooting for leaks and operational issues; and monitoring and programming controllers to ensure optimal watering. Also performs duties of Grounds & Nursery Services Specialist 2 and/or Utility Worker 2 as directed by the supervisor.

Tasks include:

• Ascertain material needs and communicate to supervisor for necessary requisition.
• Repair and maintain irrigation systems to keep them functioning properly. Deactivate and active irrigation systems as required for freeze protection.
• Manage in-house crew and outside contractor projects that impact the campus irrigation systems.
• Coordinate daily tasks with supervisor.
• Update all zone maps for each system on campus that can be obtained in their respective controller.
• Work with electrical low voltage circuits and irrigation components including but not limited to controllers, electric valves, rotor heads, spray heads etc.
• Perform job layout and planning.
• Read and interpret blueprints.
• Locate irrigation systems using locating equipment, as-built drawings and experience of building systems.
• Work independently on most projects.
• Respond to after-hours emergencies related to position.
• Performs Utility Worker duties during off season months

Tasks include:

• Operate power tools and equipment needed to perform duties such as drills, saws, trenchers, blowers, power trimmers, small tractors according to job specifications.
• Operate trucks and small tractor as needed

Tasks include:

• Utilize snow removal equipment and tools.
• Remove snow from walkways.
• Apply de-ice as needed to appropriate areas