Pay Grade/Pay Range: Minimum: $101,900 - Midpoint: $142,700 (Salaried E15)
Department/Organization: 504103 - Grounds
Normal Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 6:00am to 2:30pm; some work after normal work schedule and on weekends as required
Job Summary: The Executive Director of Landscape and Grounds drives the strategic vision, operational excellence, health, and beauty of the University’s landscapes and green spaces, helping guarantee that every member of the campus community enjoys a safe and beautiful environment that contributes positively to the overall student, faculty, staff, and visitor experience. Provides comprehensive oversight of campus landscapes and the management of the Grounds department, including establishing and implementing short-term and long-range department goals, objectives, strategic plans, standard operating procedures, performance standards, best management practices, quality control, landscape design, regulatory compliance, and asset management. Focuses on aesthetic and functional aspects of Landscape and Grounds, ensuring that each space serves students, faculty, staff, and visitors effectively. Ensures the consistent sustainable attractiveness of the campus grounds.
Additional Department Summary: Provides strategic leadership and operational expertise in a people-centric approach to ensure that the University’s grounds and facilities exceed institutional standards. Ensures that the University’s grounds and facilities are more than mere backdrops for campus life but are integral and directly support the University’s Mission and Goals of providing inspiring, well-maintained, and functional spaces.
Serves as a key member of the leadership team. The units reporting to this position include a team of approximately 90 employees, including managers. The team maintains and enhances the landscape and grounds across 300 buildings on 1,400 acres and is committed to providing efficient, well-maintained, comfortable, and inspiring spaces for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Ensures the grounds serve as catalysts for academic success, campus pride, and institutional growth through sustainable planning, quality assurance, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Required Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in turf and turfgrass management, landscape design/architecture, plant science, horticulture, agriculture, or a closely related field and eight (8) years of landscape or grounds experience to include some management experience; OR master's degree in turf and turfgrass management, landscape design/architecture, plant science, horticulture, agriculture, or a closely related field and six (6) years of landscape or grounds experience to include some management experience.
Additional Required Department Minimum Qualifications: Must be able to work long and/or unusual hours to include nights and weekends depending on the schedule of campus events. Must be able to work in all types of weather conditions.
Must have valid U.S. driver's license. Must be at least 19 years of age at time of hire and have an acceptable Motor Vehicle Report that is in compliance with University policies. Applicants under the age of 21 will have some driving restrictions.
Final candidates must submit to and successfully pass a post-offer drug screen.
Skills and Knowledge: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of all aspects of landscape design, landscape and grounds management, landscape and grounds maintenance, and operational support. Ability to lead strategically. Outstanding collaboration skills. Ability to develop a culture of process improvement, performance excellence, operational expertise, customer service, and accountability. Ability to encourage professional development, mentor staff, and foster cross-functional collaboration with stakeholders across campus and the community. Ability to maintain a people-centric approach to ensure that the university’s grounds and facilities exceed institutional standards for excellence. Proven competency collaborating with a large customer base with ability to determine effective solutions of grounds maintenance needs and personnel actions. Ability to impart quality and customer service principles to the organization. Excellent human relations skills and the ability to develop multi-functional teams. Deeply knowledgeable project leader who can constantly work to improve the quality of project deliverables. A positive team player that can work collaboratively and independently. Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and plans. A high-level knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Strong budgetary knowledge. Excellent level of interpersonal skills to include strong verbal and written communication skills. Strong decision-making, planning, organizational, and problem-resolution skills. Strong relationship-building and communication skills with both internal and external constituents. Demonstrated ability to function within a complex environment. Demonstrated ability to manage and develop employees and relationships. Ability to inspire a high level of commitment and performance from employees and influence outcomes. Effective ability to lead, participate in, and actively manage change in the business environment. Ability to deliver clear, focused explanations of complex issues for varied audiences. Proven team builder who must be able to demonstrate a commitment to service delivery to all customers.
Preferred Qualifications: Fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible supervisory/management experience, including management of large organizations. Ten (10) years of experience in creating and developing landscape designs and specifications. Experience managing an annual budget of $3 million or higher.
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
