Grounds & Maintenance Officer | PSC1028

A great lifestyle in a treasured environment, this is life at PSC

The opportunity

Nestled in the heart of One Mile, our award-winning Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary is seeking an experienced Grounds & Maintenance Officer to join their passionate team in maintaining our beautiful, natural environment.

Surrounded by natural environment including nearby wetlands and coast, our Koala Sanctuary is not only home to Koalas, but also to the incredible native flora of Port Stephens. Our Grounds staff play a vital role in contributing to the maintenance, appearance and safety of not only our facilities, but specifically the grounds of the Sanctuary.

Led and mentored by the Team Leader, you will undertake grounds maintenance and improvement activities including vegetation management, landscaping and horticulture, minor building and structure maintenance, site remediation and preparation for capital works projects where required.

As part of our team, you will participate in regular inspections across the sanctuary, identifying problems and contributing to the planning of maintenance activities.

Being a tourist location, this role does have an element of guest and customer interaction requiring positive customer service and assisting where required with regard to maintenance of cabins/glamping tents and attending to guest requests where required. This role does required the ability to undertake general cleaning of the sanctuary facilities and amenities to assist cleaning staff where required.

• This is a permanent opportunity – working full-time 38 hours / week across a 7-day rotating roster.

What is a 7-day rotating roster?

Our rosters are scheduled in advance providing you plenty of notice of your shift times and schedules. The rotating 7-day roster means that you will be asked to work across any of the 7 days during the week, Monday to Sunday.

As our business focuses around tourism and holiday-goers, there will be times during peak periods where we do require some flexibility from staff with regard to their rosters to ensure we can continue to provide the best experience we can to our guests. Unless it is your preference, we won't expect you to work every weekend, rostering to allow every second weekend off where we can accommodate and taking into consideration your leave requests to ensure you're able to maintain a healthy work-life balance

• Base Salary Range: $63,606 to $68,979 pa based on 38 hours / week + 12% superannuation + $2,464 retention allowance + adverse work conditions allowance
• You will be working from Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Some of the key responsibilities within this role are listed below however you can view the full list here – view the position description.

• Undertake grounds maintenance and improvement activities within work schedules including vegetation management, landscaping and horticulture, minor building and structure maintenance, site remediation and preparation for capital works
• Undertake general administrative and cleaning tasks to assist the broader team during times of leave or peak periods
• In the absence of the Team Leader, participate in the afterhours call out service

Please Note: For the purpose of recruitment, the title of Grounds and Maintenance Officer has been used to reflect the equivalent industry title. Internally the official title of this position is Guest Services Grounds.

We're all about putting the right people, in the right role Here's what we're looking for:

• A Certificate III in Landscaping, Horticulture, Building Trades or equivalent / relevant experience
• Ability to work across a 7-day roster, including some weekends as part of your weekly rostered hours
• Demonstrated ability to work in an effective team environment, with self-motivation skills to work proactively without supervision

This is life at PSC

• Work/Life balance with generous leave entitlements, flexible work options and leave in lieu
• Long service leave when you've been with us for just over 5 years
• Health & Wellbeing leave to recharge when you need it
• Industry leading Paid Parental Leave accessible for all employees – regardless of how you became a parent, we offer 14 weeks that can be taken within 2 years from the birth, adoption, or long-term foster care of your child.
• PSCare Day available to all employees to take in addition to your regular leave entitlements
• Confidential support (including mental health) through our employee assistance program
• Award winning health and wellbeing program PSCare, Workers Health Initiative with access to a broad range of gyms in the area, and discounted health insurance
• Free parking on site
• Coffee and food to keep you sustained at our on-site café
• And lots more…

Ready to Apply? Here's what you need to know

• Applications Close: Midnight, Sunday, 12 October 2025
• Contact: Melinda Atkinson, Assistant Manager, on
• For information on our recruitment process, and what we look for in an application, please visit our Careers page on our website for 'How to Apply'
• To complete your online application, you will be asked to upload a copy of your resume.
• We're a 2024 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant
• We've partnered with the Veterans Employment Program to support veterans finding suitable, sustainable and meaningful employment
• Port Stephens Council adheres to the principles of a child safe organisation and supports children and young people having safe and welcoming experience in our community, accessing our facilities and in our care
• We acknowledge the Worimi as the original Custodians and inhabitants of Port Stephens. May we walk the road to tomorrow with mutual respect and admiration as we care for the beautiful land and waterways together