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General Assistant - Gardens & Grounds & Sports Fields x2 posts at UJ for semiskilled candidates (Grade 12)

General Assistant II (P14) (Gardens & Grounds & Sports Fields) (Facilities Management: Campuses) (X2 POSTS) (Re-advert)

Advert reference: uj_002113

Advert status: Online

Apply by: 10 October 2025


Position Summary

Industry: Education & Training

Job category: Education and Training

Campus: Auckland Park Kingsway Campus

Contract: Permanent

Remuneration: Market related

EE position: EE

Level: Skilled

Introduction

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a vibrant and cosmopolitan institution, guided by its bold UJ Strategy 2035, which emphasises Societal Impact and Sustainability, Global Footprint and Partnerships, and Technology for the Future. Committed to transformative change, UJ’s mission is “To transform and serve humanity through innovation and the collective and collaborative pursuit of knowledge.” The University is guided by the vision of building “An international university of choice, anchored in Africa and the global south, dynamically shaping a sustainable future".


Job description


“Please note that the University is obligated, in terms of recent amendments to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (Act 13 of 2021), to assess all prospective employees (including applicants) against the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO). The outcome of such an assessment may have an impact upon possible employment with the University.

For more information, please review the following link: Justice/Criminal/NRSO

 

General Assistant II are Gardeners & Sports field workers within the campus domain. General Assistant II within the garden and grounds, Sports Fields will be responsible for the conservation of the grounds, reshaping, parking lots, tennis courts, workout tracking, and water fountains, of the UJ Campus. Including pest, irrigation, and maintenance of equipment and ensuring repairs. Perform a variety of routine grounds maintenance duties and assist the team coordinator.

 

Responsibilities:

 

Includes Gardens & Grounds and Sports fields

 

Gardens and Grounds: Lawn Care

  • Mow lawns, fields, and other grounds to prepare and fertilize the soil.

  • Plant, cultivate, and maintain lawns.

  • Operates push or riding power lawnmowers, sprayers, backpack leaf blowers, and hand and power tools.

  • Rake leaves and remove trash and debris from assigned areas.

  • Sweeps walkways, entryways, and grounds.

  • Makes routine adjustments and minor repairs.

  • Prune shrubs to maintain desirable limb structure.

  • Removes dead, diseased, or broken branches using hand saws and prunes.

  • Removes debris and litter from grounds and empty trash cans on an as-need basis.

  • Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters and other ground features.

  • Plan or cultivate lawns, turf, or gardens.

  • Cares for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.

 

Garden & Grounds: Plant Maintenance

  • Prune and trim trees, hedges, and shrubs, weed, rake, and water grounds.

  • Design, plants and waters specialty gardens.

  • Maintains plants and shrubs in the garden nursery including watering, pruning, and fertilizing.

  • Applies insecticides, to control fire ants throughout the garden.

  • Water lawns, trees, and plants using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.

  • Irrigate lawns, trees, and plants.

 

Tools, and equipment safety

  • Makes routine adjustments and minor repairs to keep equipment in safe working order.

  • Assists in the preparation, set-up, and marking of sporting grounds and other facilities as assigned.

  • Assist in the installation and repair of ground equipment, irrigation lines, and sprinkler heads.

  • Cleans outdoor storage areas.

  • Maintains and repairs a variety of hand and power-operated garden tools and equipment, such as seeders, spreaders, edgers, hedge trimmers, pruning, shears, sprayers, spades, hoes, rakes, and mowers.

  • Operates ground maintenance equipment.

 

Landscaping

  • Follows planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.

  • Decorate indoor or outdoor spaces.

  • Plant greenery to improve landscape appearance.

  • Provide information to clients about landscaping services.

  • Build, form, mix, and pour cement to form garden borders.

 

     Health and Safety

  • Conveying and handling tools, equipment, and materials.

  • Cleaning and workplace, workshop, and equipment, as well as removing waste.

  • Selecting, using, and maintaining basic hand tools and materials safely.

  • Maintaining basic health, safety, and environmental measures in the workplace.

  • Maintaining good housekeeping.

  • Wearing protective clothing and equipment as prescribed.

     

     UJ Policy

  • Employee must work within UJ policy and guidelines.

  • Live the UJ Values.


Minimum requirements

  • Grade 12 / NQF level 4 or equivalent qualification 

  • Minimum of 3 years' relevant work experience in garden & grounds maintenance, landscaping and sports field preparation

 

Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:

 

Ability to lift and carry heavy objects

  • Good verbal communication skills

  • Customer care

  • Creative thinking

  • Good conflict management skills

 

Recommendations:

  • A valid Code 8 driver’s license

  • Working in a higher education or large institutional environment (e.g. schools, stadiums, or public facilities) will be advantageous

 

Enquiries:

Enquiries regarding the job content: Shahistha Osman at Tel: (011) 559 3666

Enquiries regarding remuneration & benefits: Shahistha Osman (HCM Business Partner) at Tel: (011) 559 3666



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