Landscape Technician

Position Title: Landscape Technician

Department: Facilities Services (CBU)

Advertised Pay: $16.50/hr (updated 3/14/25)

Campus Location: Washburn University

Application Deadline:  Application review will begin as applications are received and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants can be assured of full consideration if submitted by: March 26, 2025.

Position Summary: Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of over 5,500 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, a significant and growing number of whom are first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a dynamic faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a vibrant learning and working environment and curriculum. We employ more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka and strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, and a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation. In 2024, Washburn was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to Great Colleges to Work For® program.

Responsible for providing landscaping services for the University. Employees are expected to use equipment per manufacturer and University standards, operate tractors and hand tools safely, and comply with University and OSHA policies and regulations.

Essential Functions:
New employees are required to complete safety training within six months of employment.

Work assignments for this position may include any or all of the following plus other duties as assigned.
• Irrigate, fertilize, prune, spray, weed flower bed, rake, and ornamental mulch vegetation
• Plant and cultivate trees and nursery stock according to landscaping plans
• Spray flower beds, lawns, and trees for weed and insect control
• Grade and backfill trenches and holes
• Operate grounds equipment
• Snow removal duties as assigned
• Provide service support for campus events

Required Qualifications:
• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Experience in horticultural chemical application
• Knowledge of the appropriate use of lawn and landscape equipment
• Knowledge of the practices followed in the care, routine maintenance, and safe operation of trucks, tractors, mowers, and other light to heavy-duty equipment
• Ability to communicate effectively
• Valid Kansas driver’s license with an acceptable driving record under University standards

Physical Requirements:
• Required to work in extreme weather conditions and be exposed to chemicals used in landscaping
• Ability to lift, move and maneuver materials weighing as much as 80 pounds
• Ability to work from a ladder and/or a lift

Preferred Qualifications:
• Three years of experience in landscaping, horticultural, or a related field
• State certification in pesticide application, or ability to obtain certification within 1 year

Hourly, Full-time, Mon-Fri, 8am-4:30pm   
Background check, driving history, and drug screen are required