Groundskeeper (Temporary, Seasonal) Salary $22.84 Hourly
Location: Austin, TX Job Type: Temporary Job Number: 26-10439 Department: Facilities Management - 1 Opening Date: 01/15/2026 Closing Date: 2/13/2026 11:59 PM Central
Description: Travis County's Facilities Management Department has great jobs that serve dozens of facilities across the county. Maintains the grounds surrounding County buildings, including mowing, planting, and equipment care. Cleans parking lots, garages, driveways, and sidewalks.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: This is the first in a series of two gatekeeper-related job classifications within the Maintenance job family. This Classification is distinguished for the groundskeeper Lead, which has led duties and responsibilities.
Duties and Responsibilities: • Performs general maintenance of grounds, including mowing lawns, trimming trees, pruning shrubs, edging walks and gathering litter. • Plants, trees and shrubs. • Prunes shrubs and trees to shape and improve growth or remove damaged branches, twigs or leaves. • Waters lawns, shrubs, flowers, and trees. • Applies fertilizer. • Services and makes minor repairs on lawnmowers, tractors and other equipment. • Cleans outdoor equipment. • Removes litter and debris from parking areas. • Removes weeds from cracks and around signage, as required. • Operates trucks, tractors, chippers, edgers, saws, blowers, mowers and other equipment. • Moves office furniture and other items as assigned. • Assists in planning duties and objectives for each workday. • Assists custodial maintenance staff, as required. • May train workers in the use and maintenance of equipment. • May maintain first-aid equipment. • Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Minimum Requirements:
Education and Experience: One (1) year of experience performing groundskeeping or manual labor; OR, Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.
Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements: Valid Texas Drivers License. Preferred: Using lawnmowers and trimming equipment experience.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of: • Policies, practices, procedures and methods of lawn and grounds care. • Applicable safety practices and regulations. • Equipment and tools of grounds maintenance. • Fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides used in grounds maintenance.
Skill in: • Operating grounds maintenance equipment. • Using fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides to properly maintain and enhance grounds. • Both verbal and written communication.
Ability to: • Understand and follow instructions and communicate effectively, as required. • Safely and correctly operate grounds maintenance equipment. • Work independently and efficiently. • Manage time well and meet timelines. • Communicate effectively. • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with County employees and officials, representatives of outside agencies, and the general public.
Work Environment & Other Information:
Physical requirements include the ability to lift up to 75 pounds/carry up to 50 pounds, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions. Subject to contact with hazardous waste, foul odors, animal and human fecal matter, insects and rodents, and exposure to outside elements. Subject to extreme temperatures, outside elements, noise, vibration, and contact with dust, fumes and hazardous chemicals.
Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.
Work Hours: 6:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. M-F, Occasional Saturdays. Works some weekends. Seasonal Job for (6) months, March through September.
Location: 1600 Smith Rd, Austin, Texas
This position does not offer benefits.
Department: Facilities Management - 1
Criminal background check, Driving, Education, and Employment verification required. For updates or questions on this position, contact: jasmine.howard@traviscountytx.gov
This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.
Benefits
Employment at Travis County comes with a full array of benefits. We offer comprehensive health insurance, a no-cost, on-site Health and Wellness clinic, longevity pay, paid vacations, sick time and personal holidays, not to mention an industry competitive salary structure and a friendly, stable work environment.
FY2026 Travis County Benefit Guide
In this valuable Travis County Benefits Guide you will find benefit summaries, eligibility requirements, costs, contact numbers and addresses as well as other general information on the benefits available to Travis County Employees and Retirees.
Credit Union
Employees may join the Travis County Credit Union which offers low-interest loans, savings plans through payroll deduction, safe deposit boxes and other benefits.
Deferred Compensation
Employees may enroll in a tax-free sheltered investment plan through payroll deduction.
Direct Deposit
Employees may sign up for direct bank deposit.
Employee Assistance Program
Travis County provides a confidential counseling and referral service free of charge to county employees and their family.
Employee Organizations
Membership in the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union is available through payroll deduction.
Employee Health & Wellness Clinic
Employees may access the clinic for a variety of wellness program and health care services with no co-pay, no deductible and no co-insurance costs.
Holidays
An average of eleven paid holidays are designated by the Travis County Commissioners Court at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Insurance
Employees may select from four plans: an Exclusive Physician Organization (EPO), Choice Plus Preferred Physician Organization (PPO), Consumer Choice or a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account (HSA). All four options include a Pharmacy Plan. Travis County's current policy is to pay 100% of the employee's health insurance premium for the Consumer Choice and HDHP. Employees will pay a premium for both the EPO and PPO. Other insurance benefits include $50,000 Basic Life and AD&D paid by the County.
The following benefits are employee paid:
• Dental • Vision • Supplemental Life, AD&D • Dependent Life • Short Term Disability • Long Term Disability • Long Term Care
New employees are covered on the first day of the month following 28 calendar days of employment.
Longevity
Longevity pay is paid for each year completed after three years of continuous service. Peace Officers in a law enforcement activity, whose job requires state peace officer certification, receive pay after one year of certification.
On the regular payday on or after the employees fourth and subsequent adjusted service dates, he or she receives a single payment for the previous year.
Parking
A limited number of assigned parking spaces are available to employees in the Courthouse Complex.
Personal Holidays
Regular, full-time employees are eligible for up to three paid personal holidays each calendar year. Part-time employees shall be granted personal holidays on a prorated basis. New employees earn personal holidays for the calendar year in which he/she begins employment, based on the month in which employment begins: January - March, 3 personal holidays; April - June, 2 personal holidays; July - September, 1 personal holiday; October - December, none.
New employees are eligible to take personal holidays after 90 days of employment.
Retirement
Travis County is a member of the Texas County & District Retirement System with mandatory participation by certain classes of employees. Seven percent (7%) of the gross salary is deducted each pay period. An employee is fully vested after eight years of service. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees.
Sick Leave
Regular employees earn sick leave at a rate of eight hours per month with unlimited accrual during employment. Part-time employees earn sick leave on a pro-rated basis.
Parental Leave
Each Full-time Paid Parental Leave Eligible (PPL) Employee is entitled to a total of 320 hours of Paid Parental Leave in a 12 month period. Paid Parental Leave for Part-time PPL Eligible Employees is prorated based on the number of hours that they are regularly scheduled to work.
Tuition Refund
Certain classes of full-time employees may receive reimbursement for fees associated with pre-approved, job-related course work completed satisfactorily.
Vacation
Based on years of county service, regular, full-time employees earn vacation time at the following rates: 0 to 5 years, 4.0 hours per pay period; 6 to 10 years, 4.5 hours per pay period; 11 to 15 years, 5.0 hours per pay period; 16 to 20 years, 5.5 hours per pay period; 21 plus years, 6.0 hours per pay period. Part-time employees earn vacation leave on a pro-rated basis.
Workers Compensation
The county provides all employees workers compensation coverage with benefits in accordance with state statute, if the employee sustains an injury out of, or in the course of work.
None Less than 1 year 1 to 2 years 3 to 4 years 4 or more years
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