Grounds Worker
Permanent/Full-Time, (1.0 FTE), starting September 2026
One of our core values at St. Michaels University School is respect. With this in mind, we acknowledge that our school rests in the heart of Straits Salish territory, a living culture with its own rites, ceremonies, and unfolding history. We honour the Esquimalt, Songhees, and WSÁNEĆ peoples – whose homelands we share and whom we recognize as our neighbours.
St. Michaels University School (SMUS) is seeking a Grounds Worker to join our Maintenance team and help maintain and enhance our beautiful campus. Reporting to the Grounds Supervisor, the Grounds Worker is responsible for the maintenance, care, and enhancement of the school's gardens, landscapes, lawns, trees, shrubs, and outdoor spaces. The successful candidate will apply horticultural knowledge and industry best practices to maintain healthy, attractive, and sustainable campus grounds while supporting a safe and welcoming environment for students, staff, and visitors.
Work Schedule:
The regular work schedule is Monday to Friday and may include weekends to support special events. This physically demanding role is performed outdoors year-round in a variety of weather conditions.
Key Responsibilities & Expectations:
· Maintains and enhances school landscapes, gardens, lawns, and outdoor spaces.
· Plants, prunes, divides, transplants, and maintain trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals using sound horticultural practices.
· Performs lawn maintenance, including mowing, trimming, fertilizing, aerating, overseeding, topdressing, and irrigation system monitoring and adjustments.
· Operates and maintains equipment such as lawn mowers, string trimmers, blowers, spreaders, hedge trimmers, aerators, and other small power equipment.
· Identifies plant health issues, pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies, and recommends or implements appropriate treatments.
· Performs seasonal garden maintenance including mulching, weeding, soil improvement, planting, and seasonal clean-up.
· Assists with the installation and maintenance of landscape projects and campus beautification initiatives.
· Performs snow removal and de-icing campus walkways and sidewalks.
· Cleans and maintains work areas, equipment and tools.
· Perform all duties in accordance with WorkSafeBC regulations, school policies, and safe work practices.
· Performs other related duties as required.
· Diploma, certificate, or degree in Horticulture.
· Minimum of two years of practical horticulture or landscape maintenance experience.
· Experience maintaining ornamental landscapes in a school, institutional, municipal, or commercial setting is considered an asset.
· Strong knowledge of plant identification, ornamental trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals, turfgrass management, soils, irrigation systems, and integrated pest management.
· Demonstrates the ability to recognize plant health issues and recommends appropriate horticultural solutions.
· Ability to safely operate and maintain ground’s maintenance equipment and small power tools.
· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
· Ability to work independently while contributing positively within a collaborative team environment.
· Basic computer skills, including email and work order management software.
· Valid Class 5 BC Driver's License.
· Physically capable of performing strenuous outdoor work in all weather conditions, including lifting, bending, standing for extended periods, and operating grounds maintenance equipment
Salary:
Annual salary range: $40,000 - $60,000
Criminal Record Check:
Must pass and maintain a clear Solicitor General criminal record check for the purpose of working with children.
Application Details:
Please apply by2:00 pm Thursday, August 6, 2026.
About St. Michaels University School:
Located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, St. Michaels University School (SMUS) is a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 day and boarding school with a global reputation for academic excellence.
Our students from over 30 countries all over the world have opportunities in academics, athletics, arts, leadership, service and outdoor education, and are inspired by an extraordinary staff committed to character growth and preparing students for what lies ahead in life. The school’s Mission shapes these endeavours: Our school seeks the excellence in all of us, with passion and compassion. We are a community shaped by the pursuit of truth and goodness, providing outstanding preparation for life. At St. Michaels University School, we seek to employ and empower individuals who wish to forge impactful relationships and careers that place our students at the centre. We firmly believe that expanding our diversity while adjusting our practice will lead to becoming the community we envision – a place where staff and students share a sense that they fully belong.
Pay: $40,000.00-$60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
Work Location: In person
