Founded in 1961, Sandy Spring Friends School is a progressive, coed, academically-rigorous day and boarding school serving approximately 600 students from age three through 12th grade. The campus is located on 140 acres in the historic Sandy Spring area of Montgomery County, Maryland, and the School is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education and accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.
Our school’s culture, rooted in the idea that collaboration engenders achievement, can be traced to our Quaker heritage and abiding belief in the Quaker values of simplicity, equality, honesty, stewardship of the environment, and peaceful resolution of conflict.
Lead Groundskeeper, Full time, 12 months, non-Exempt (hourly)
Summary Responsible for the management, maintenance and curating of the school campus grounds, with attention to seasonal requirements. The SSFS campus consists of open green spaces, athletic fields, wooded trails, and paved/unpaved walkways, roadways and parking areas. Experienced in the safety precautions applicable to grounds maintenance. On-call duty is required, as well as overtime; work schedules may vary.
Responsibilities:
Responds to administrative work requests for completing work orders and projects in a timely, efficient, and productive manner.
Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, planters, patios or other hardscape features.
Manage the campus trash, recycling and compost program.
Responsible for oversight of all grounds contracted services.
Execute and oversee removal of snow/ice from walks, driveways, or parking lots
Maintain and repair structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches.
Manage on-campus tree inventory; provide direction for the care and support of trees which occupy the main campus area.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements and Qualifications:
A High School diploma or equivalent.
Minimum 2 years’ experience as groundskeeper.
Trained and experienced in the operation of vehicles, including, mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, front loader, etc.
Trained and experienced in the operation of powered equipment and tools, including, snow blowers, chain saws, blowers, trimmers, sod cutters, trenchers
Able to use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, axes, etc.
Requires valid Maryland Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) for School Bus (Class B, P-Passenger and S-School Bus Endorsements) and current Medical Examiner’s Certificate (in accordance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations 49 CFR 391.41-391.49). The school will provide training to acquire the CDL. CDL must be acquired within 6 months of being hired.
Employee will agree to drive for SSFS for at least a year after acquiring their CDL.
Physical Requirements:
This is a highly physical position requiring but not limited to the following:
Sitting less than 1 hour per day, standing greater than 7 hours per day, walking 3-7 hours per day ability to lift/carry up to 50 pounds, push/pull greater than 50 pounds, climbing stairs/ladders 1-3 hours per day, moderate bending, excessive squatting and frequent twisting, kneeling, and reaching. Driving is a requirement.
Also required is normal vision including distance, peripheral, and depth perception, normal visual color discrimination, normal hearing, and speaking/reading/writing English proficiently. Exposure to chemicals, noise levels above 85dB, dust, fumes, odors, humidity, as well as slippery and uneven surfaces should be expected.
Please note that the School has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination, including documentation of a booster shot given five months or more since you completed the final dose in the primary series.
Commitment to Diversity: Sandy Spring Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, colo
r, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or a person's status as a qualified candidate with a disability in administration of its educational program, admission policies, financial aid program, staff hiring, and other school-administered programs.
Please submit a letter of interest, resume, completed application, and three professional references by selecting the link
Founded in 1961, Sandy Spring Friends School is a progressive, coed, academically-rigorous day and boarding school serving approximately 600 students from age three through 12th grade. The campus is located on 140 acres in the historic Sandy Spring area of Montgomery County, Maryland, and the School is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education and accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.
SSFS offers an inquiry-based college preparatory program that emphasizes deep understanding throughout the curriculum while encouraging collaboration, instilling confidence, fostering practical experience, and cultivating respect for others. The School's teachers help students internalize a process we call "QRA” —Question, Reflection, Action—which ensures that they think critically, integrate new knowledge, and apply what they learn. We help students develop their individual sense of purpose as they become caring citizens of the world.
Our school’s culture, rooted in the idea that collaboration engenders achievement, can be traced to our Quaker heritage and abiding belief in the Quaker values of simplicity, equality, honesty, stewardship of the environment, and peac...eful resolution of conflict. Our teachers are lifelong mentors and strive to identify and cultivate each student’s intellectual, extracurricular, and social passions. In doing so, we help shape students whose actions speak volumes and whose lives become exemplars—not only among their peers and families today but also in their personal, educational, and professional communities long after high school. Sandy Spring Friends School students are taught to act upon what they learn. This call to action propels their accomplishments as graduates, in college, and beyond.