The Hill School Mission: The Hill School prepares young people from across the country and around the world for college, careers, and life. Within a family school environment and a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, we challenge our young people to work hard; think and reason; be fulfilled; serve the common good; and be prepared to lead as citizens of the world, uniquely guided by our motto, "Whatsoever Things Are True".
Position Summary
Under the direct supervision of the Manager of Facilities Grounds Services, the Grounds/Landscape Technician will maintain the Hill School's property, including athletic fields, faculty housing, common areas, and roadways to ensure the prestigious nature of the campus is preserved and enhanced.
Responsibilities
Perform turf mowing and trimming duties.
Prune shrubs and small trees.
Assist with new plantings and removals.
Perform a variety of hardscaping tasks including, hardscape installations such as tile and paver walls, repair of existing patios and walkways.
Weeding, edging, and mulching of flower beds.
Perform minor herbicide and pesticide applications.
Perform recycling and trash pickup from receptacles located across campus.
Prepare athletic fields for practice and competitive play.
Perform maintenance tasks for synthetic turf athletic fields.
Perform routine preventative maintenance on all equipment.
Perform leaf collection.
Operate heavy equipment such as forklift, tractor, and skid steer.
Perform snow removal of roads, steps, and sidewalks. Must be readily available during winter months for unexpected snow events. This work will include long days and possible weekend work.
Perform general cleanup of maintenance areas including mechanical rooms, and other spaces across campus.
Repair and/or replace athletic equipment as needed.
Assist with vehicle and equipment maintenance to ensure efficient operation and safety.
Perform all other duties as assigned or needed to support the teamwork culture that exists in the Facilities Services department.
Qualifications
Ideally, a candidate will possess at least 3 years of experience in landscape/grounds maintenance. The qualifications for the grounds maintenance technician include, but are not limited to, the following:
Valid Driver's License.
Ability to work in wet, hot, and cold environments for long hours.
Ability to read basic wiring diagrams and instructional manuals in print or online.
Ability to repair small engines is preferred.
Knowledge of synthetic turf maintenance is preferred.
Physical Demands
This role requires regular use of hands and fingers, clear communication, and the ability to walk, reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Employees must occasionally lift or move up to 75 pounds. Visual requirements include close, distance, color, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.
Work EnvironmentEmployees are regularly exposed to outdoor weather conditions, including heat, cold, rain, snow, ice, and humidity. Occasional exposure to moving mechanical parts and high places may occur. Noise levels are generally moderate.
Attitude and Demeanor
Publicly support the mission and vision of The Hill School in a positive and professional manner.
Work as a dynamic team member in a professional collaborative environment.
Energetic and organized enough to thrive in an extremely fast-paced environment while collaborating with a growing team to produce great work.
Ability to wear many hats, learn new things every day, and have the ability to switch from a variety of roles with ease and excitement.
Communicate effectively with warmth, sensitivity, humor, and understanding as they deal with administrative colleagues, teachers, students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and program associates.
Possess a "service attitude" - willingness to be flexible to meet the needs of the department and school.
Since its founding in 1851 and for 168 years, The Hill School has provided a traditional liberal arts education to its students. Although The Hill’s curriculum continues to evolve, we have never strayed very far from a proven, rigorous blend of humanities, classics and modern languages, social sciences, mathematics, science, and the arts. For our students, we have prioritized broad knowledge in our steadfast belief that this comprehensive foundation best prepares students for “college, careers, and life.”
The Hill School also has begun implementing an ambitious STEM curriculum, which includes one of the most extensive secondary school engineering programs in the nation. We have bolstered our fine arts programs with courses in digital media, video production, design technology, rapid prototyping and fabrication, and design thinking. And, we are offering pre-professional, co-curricular programs in business and entrepreneurship.
Over the coming years, we will continue to affirm what we already do very well while honing curricular and co-curricular programs such as leadership training, service learning, experiential education, and interdisciplinary studies. We will find improve...d ways to teach all Hill students 21st century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and leading, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurship, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing data, and curiosity and imagination. We are working with our Faculty and Staff to become both the most traditional and the most innovative boarding school in the country, simultaneously.
The Hill was founded as The Family Boarding School and when you visit campus, you might note that we are still a bit traditional, despite our emphasis on innovation! We follow a dress code, our students regularly sit down with faculty members for family-style meals, we gather twice a week at Chapel for thoughtful reflection; many of our students study Latin and Greek; and we pride ourselves on a student-written Honor Code and demanding code of conduct. We enjoy historic and blossoming traditions such as 130-year-old athletics rivalries, revered a cappella vocal groups, school-wide service projects, community team-building events, small group meetings with caring faculty advisers, and a very special jump in the Dell pond after graduation!
Over the next three to five years, the Hill School is set to achieve several accomplishments sure to leave their mark on the School’s history. The School’s Advancement Office is a 25 person-strong organization driven to achieve the goals set forth in the current “Strength of All” capital campaign which is entering its fourth year of the five- to seven-year campaign. The capital campaign will fund many efforts, including a significant increase in our financial aid and faculty compensation endowment. In 2018-2019, we expanded the seating capacity of our historic dining hall and completely renovated our food service and preparation areas used by our food service contractor, Sodexo. In 2019-2020, the School will construct the Quadrivium Center (a STEM facility) where our science, engineering, computer science and mathematics classes will be housed. The School has developed property adjacent to our main campus by recently erecting beautiful new homes for our faculty in our East Faculty Village. This Faculty Housing expansion is likely to continue with additional property available for housing construction to ensure The Hill School offers the very best of this important housing benefit to our residential faculty. One of our most ambitious goals is to be a driving force in the economic revitalization of Pottstown and our immediate neighborhood and through our Hobart’s Run Community Development program and participation in Pottstown CARES, we are finding traction in ways both small and large.
