Grounds Manager

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Abbott is a global healthcare leader th helps people live more fully all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Working Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work th mters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an internional company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU educion benefit - an affordable and convenient ph to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a gre place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company th is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of Abbott Park, IL locion in our GES Global Engineering Services division.

The Manager is responsible for establishing, implementing, and enforcing departmental policies and procedures across technical, personnel, and administrive functions. This role provides direct leadership to a staff of non‑exempt employees and is accountable for planning work activities, ensuring approprie training, and providing the tools and equipment required for safe, efficient, and effective job performance.

The Manager coordines daily operions with other trade groups, engineers, and production personnel to support site objectives. In addition to managing the duties performed by the landscaping crew, the Manager assigns and oversees grounds management activities - including landscaping, snow management, hardscapes and shuttle service - and ensures work is executed to established standards and schedules.

As a steward of a global headquarters environment, the Manager is responsible for maintaining the aesthetic quality, functionality, and overall appearance across multiple Abbott Lake County locions in a manner th reinforces the Abbott brand, reflects corpore values, and crees a positive experience for employees, visitors, and regulory stakeholders.

The Manager administers herbicide, pest control, and deicing management programs, including chemical applicions, and ensures full compliance with all applicable regulory requirements. The role also supports planning and scheduling activities as directed.

The Manager oversees stregic planning, operions, and capital deployment for a $15MM+ annual budget supporting approximely 3,000 acres of hardscape and landscaped grounds.

The responsibilities outlined below represent the primary duties of the position but do not exclude other tasks consistent with the level and scope of the role.

Wh You’ll Work On

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Plan, organize, staff, train, direct, and control all grounds activities across Abbott Lake County sites.
• Develop and communice departmental goals, policies, procedures, and programs aligned with corpore objectives and the needs of customer divisions and departments.
• Manage all Grounds activities and stakeholder relionships, often responding to urgent and competing priorities.
• Manage and coordine a large, diverse portfolio of external contractors, ensuring performance, safety, quality, cost control, and compliance with site standards, contractual requirements, and regulory obligions.
• Determine requirements for new and replacement tools and equipment, provide job instruction, and ensure compliance with all safety rules and regulions.
• Ensure all personnel are properly trained and consistently adhere to safe work practices.
• Develop, manage, and monitor facilities-reled budgets; review and approve contracts and vendor qualificions; and lead competitive pricing initiives for annual landscaping, hardscape, and snow removal services.
• Identify, propose, and implement continuous improvement initiives and departmental stregies reled to landscaping, hardscape, and snow removal operions.
• Stay current with industry advancements in techniques, equipment, merials, and best practices.
• Provide expert technical guidance and support to direct reports across all areas of responsibility.
• Ensure continuous compliance with FDA, GMP, OSHA, EPA, IEPA, and ISO regulory requirements.
• Serve as a subject mter expert during interactions with regulory agencies as required.
• Participe in capital project teams impacting landscaping and hardscape scopes, providing subject mter expertise, design input, and formal reviews.
• Support cross‑divisional initiives and special projects, serve on interdivisional teams or task forces, and act as a temporary backup for management when needed.
• Coordine and support outdoor events by preparing site grounds, managing logistics, and collaboring with approprie stakeholders to ensure safe, timely, and well‑executed events.

Accountability/Scope:

This position requires a manager capable of developing and sustaining a qualified, organized workforce to support Abbott Lake County operions in a cost‑effective manner while ensuring uninterrupted plant operions.

The Manager is accountable for maintaining full regulory compliance, including FDA, GMP, OSHA, EPA, IEPA, and ISO requirements. Failure to meet these standards could result in significant financial penalties and disruption to manufacturing operions.

The role demands flexibility and strong collaborion skills to effectively serve multiple divisions opering under frequently conflicting schedules and priorities.

Required Qualificions:

• Associe’s degree or equivalent experience and/or formal post‑secondary technical training or certificion in Horticulture or a closely reled field, with specific training in:
• Plant growth and development
• Turfgrass varieties and maintenance
• Cultural practices
• Propagion and pest management
• Minimum of five (5) years of reled landscaping experience, with demonstred expertise in turf and plant maintenance.
• At least two (2) years of experience in a leadership or group leader role.
• Strong technical expertise to direct and evalue a broad range of technical services.
• Ste of Illinois Department of Agriculture Pesticide Operor’s License desired.
• Current DOT certificion for opering vehicles over 10,000 lbs.

Preferred Qualificions:

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: https://abbottbenefits.com/

Follow your career aspirions to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company th can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us abbott.com, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AbbottCareers.

The base pay for this position is $99,300.00 – $198,700.00. In specific locions, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

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