General Worker vacancies at the University of Cape Town

General Worker vacancies at the University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town invites suitably qualified applicants to apply for General Worker vacancies.

Closing date: 26 March 2025

General Worker vacancies at the University of Cape Town

Requirements:

Educational and Experience Requirements:

• Minimum Grade 8 education with at least two years of experience as a landscape maintenance gardener or similar role.
• Experience in the operation of grounds maintenance equipment such as trimmers, chainsaws, weed eaters, blowers, and irrigation systems is essential.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in operating and maintaining gardening equipment, with a strong emphasis on safety and efficiency.
• Knowledge of horticultural techniques for a wide variety of plant types, including invasive alien vegetation and heritage trees, would be advantageous.
• Experience in hard and soft landscaping techniques, particularly in soil preparation, planting, and irrigation.

Personal Attributes:

• Attention to detail and the ability to maintain high standards in all gardening and maintenance tasks.
• A collaborative and positive attitude, with the ability to work well within a team and contribute to a productive work environment.
• Strong physical fitness to handle the demands of outdoor labor and equipment use.

Advantageous:

• Knowledge of horticultural techniques for a wide variety of plant types, including invasive alien vegetation and heritage trees, would be advantageous.
• Practical horticultural experience supported by formal qualifications (if available) in gardening, landscaping, or a related field.
• Familiarity with sustainability practices in gardening, such as composting and organic pest control, would be beneficial.

Responsibilities:

Grounds Maintenance and Development:

• Maintain and develop the campus grounds, ensuring they meet the agreed service levels through various landscape maintenance activities such as weeding, watering, lawn mowing, edging,
  trimming, aeration, and fertilization of lawns.
• Perform cleaning tasks, including sweeping of stairways and roadways, debris clearance, and litter collection in and around campus areas such as gas facilities and cages.
• Support campus landscaping projects by preparing soil, planting, and renovating areas through both hard and soft landscaping methods.

Horticultural and Arboriculture Care:

• Provide ongoing care for campus plants, trees, and shrubs through activities like soil cultivation, pruning, seasonal growth management, pest control, and plant propagation.
• Implement plant protection measures by applying mulch, fertilizers, and pest control agents, ensuring the health and growth of plants.
• Perform arboriculture tasks, including tree maintenance, pruning, and the care of heritage and alien species to maintain biodiversity on campus.

Health and Safety Compliance:

• Ensure all horticultural and landscaping tasks comply with Health and Safety regulations, including the safe handling of power tools, equipment, and chemicals used in gardening.
• Conduct regular equipment checks and report any maintenance or safety issues promptly.

Collaborative and Supportive Environment:

• Work collaboratively with other staff members within the Gardens and Grounds teams, contributing to a positive team environment.
• Engage with the wider University community, including academic and professional staff, ensuring that the landscaping needs of various departments are met in a timely and efficient manner.

Waste and Sustainability Management:

• Support sustainability efforts by managing garden waste responsibly, including composting and proper disposal of vegetation waste, promoting a greener campus.
• Participate in University-wide sustainability initiatives, such as biodiversity conservation and the reduction of invasive alien vegetation.

The annual cost of employment, including benefits, is between R202,856 to R338,651 p.a.

How to apply

To apply, please e-mail the below documents in a single pdf file to grounds&gardens.recruit@uct.ac.za

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An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and will be required to undergo a competency test.