Groundskeeper

Groundskeeping at a luxury apartment community calls on a specific mix of skills that don't always get credited properly: spatial awareness, chemical safety knowledge, horticultural intuition, and a kind of quiet pride in how a property presents itself to the world. At Griffis Residential's San Diego community, this role puts all of those to work daily.

What This Role Actually Builds

The core of the job is property presentation. You'll walk the grounds conducting thorough inspections, clearing litter (including pet waste and cigarette butts), and keeping parking lots, walkways, and dumpster areas clean and pest-free. Light landscaping fills out the rest: adjusting sprinkler heads, trimming trees and shrubs, replacing sod, and caring for plantings. You'll also assist with pool and spa maintenance, including chemical balancing and keeping accurate records. A Certified Pool Operator license is preferred, and Griffis will require you to obtain one within your first six months if you don't already hold it.

Those skills compound in ways that matter for your career. Groundskeeping sharpens your eye for property condition faster than almost any other entry point in multifamily. You're outside every day, covering the full footprint of the asset. You start to notice what deferred maintenance looks like before it becomes a work order, how irrigation failures affect curb appeal over time, and how a well-kept exterior sets the tone for leasing traffic and resident retention. That pattern recognition transfers directly into maintenance technician roles and, eventually, facilities or property management.

What Griffis Is Looking For

• High school diploma or equivalent
• At least one year of experience in multifamily housing, hospitality, or a comparable field
• CPO license preferred (required within six months of hire)
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow standardized procedures consistently
• Clear English communication skills; bilingual in Spanish is a plus
• Genuine commitment to inclusive, respectful team environments

What You Get Working Here

Griffis offers a compensation range of $20 to $21 per hour, plus a benefits package that's substantial for a site-level role. That includes a 50% rental discount, a quarterly bonus program tied to online reputation and occupancy (up to $2,000 annually), and per-lease bonuses starting at $175. You'll also get 11 paid holidays, a minimum of three weeks of PTO accruing from day one, 401(k) with up to 4% company match, full medical, dental, and vision coverage, tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per year, and paid parental leave. The $1,000 associate referral bonus and PTO exchange for student loan repayment are less common benefits worth noting.

San Diego's year-round climate means the groundskeeping calendar here runs differently than properties in markets with hard winters. Snow removal is listed as a responsibility but plays a small part; the real emphasis is on maintaining the visual standard of a luxury community in a city where outdoor living and curb appeal carry significant weight for prospective residents. If you're building toward a long-term career in property management, that's a good environment to learn what high standards actually look like in practice.