Executive Summary

Historic Oakwood Cemetery seeks a well-rounded and dynamic Superintendent of the Grounds to oversee the overall maintenance program at Raleigh’s oldest non-profit Cemetery.  Historic Oakwood Cemetery, a beautiful 155-year-old park-like sacred space of 72 acres. An Arbnet certified Level 1 Arboretum, Oakwood is home to over 900 trees, including many specimen and champion varieties.  Historic Oakwood Cemetery proudly continues to serve families for burial services, as well as a noted outdoor museum.  Oakwood continues to be a Cemetery full of life—an active burial ground, a certified wildlife habitat, and sacred grounds which host educational programs and community events.

The Superintendent’s work will continue within the tradition of the Cemetery’s long history but also bring a new and modern perspective to overseeing the historic grounds.   They will be a leader, able to manage and direct the grounds crew as they work year-round to maintain the grounds.  They will be a strong communicator, acting as the ambassador on the grounds to families and visitors alike.  A self-starter, the Superintendent will look at the cemetery grounds from both the big picture and in the details, ensuring the cemetery is as welcoming and comforting as it has been throughout its history.

The Superintendent reports to the Executive Director at Oakwood Cemetery but has the primary responsibility of the outside operation of the Cemetery and any other related functions.   All grounds crew, property, tools, and equipment are under control of the Superintendent.  This position also steps in to assist the Executive Director inside- working with families and selling grave space when needed.

The Organization

A place of unique significance, meaning and value to Raleigh, Wake County, the state of North Carolina, and thousands of citizens for nearly 160 years, Historic Oakwood Cemetery provides a beautiful park-like setting for the final resting place of a fascinating cross section of over 25,000 of the area’s citizenry, including many prominent city, state and national leaders.

Among the many beautiful monuments and statuary within the cemetery are those of seven governors, five United States Senators, eight Supreme Court Chief Justices of North Carolina, four Civil War generals, two Secretaries of the United States Navy, numerous Raleigh mayors, and thousands of other individuals, some widely known and others known only to their families, but each life’s story constitutes a part of the interesting and colorful history of Raleigh, Wake County and North Carolina.

Oakwood Cemetery encompasses 72 acres, of which 20 acres remain for future needs. Oakwood Cemetery contains over three miles of paved roadways, several thousand feet of wrought iron fencing, a Visitor and Information Center constructed in 1910 of local granite, a Memorial Cremation Garden for cremation burials and a beautiful Chapel Mausoleum for above-ground full body and cremation entombments.

The diversity of the Raleigh area, with its wide variety of languages, cultures, religions, and traditions is not lost at Oakwood. Historic Oakwood Cemetery honors all those buried in the cemetery and remains open to all without preference or discrimination relating to race, religion, or national origin.

Valuing the heritage and people of the city, county, and state it serves, the staff at Oakwood Cemetery has conducted detailed research relating to the lives of many of the most notable and colorful individuals buried on its grounds. The Cemetery also preserves interesting information about hundreds of unique monuments, statues, and decorations which dominate the cemetery. This information is readily available to family members, historians, and interested individuals and is presented to student groups and visitors.

Oakwood is widely recognized as an outstanding example of the evolution of 19th Century garden cemeteries from the grid-like church graveyards to spacious, beautifully landscaped gardens and parks located away from fast paced city life. These “modern” cemeteries were designed to be resting-places for the deceased which could be enjoyed by the living and a place designed to “pay respects to the dead while celebrating life.”

Like only a handful of garden cemeteries in other major metropolitan areas, Historic Oakwood is beautifully landscaped and filled with a wide variety of oaks, cedars, maples, azaleas, dogwoods, hollies, and other attractive shrubs and flowers that it presents a most serene setting. In addition, the excellence and diversity of the carvings, statues, bas reliefs works, and other decorations on its many memorials and monuments make the grounds an impressive sculpture garden of exceptional artistic interest.

A true Raleigh, Wake County and North Carolina treasure, one to be enjoyed by everyone who visits. Historic Oakwood Cemetery is not just a place to come to at the time of an interment but also on special memorial days, celebrations, and remembrances. Whether on guided tours or on casual visits to see the statues and study the inscriptions, or to simply enjoy a beautiful day, Oakwood Cemetery is for all.

Job duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervising, working with, and motivating grounds crew members including training reviews and discipline. The grounds crew consists of a foreman and 6 other full-time employees who handle different functions of grounds maintenance and grave preparation.
• Maintenance of all cemetery equipment, including records of repair and recommendations for new purchases
• Groundskeeping including mowing, leaf and decoration removal, maintenance of cemetery plantings, overall grounds upkeep. The Superintendent and Foreman work together to determine daily job plans, larger projects, and seasonal work. The superintendent is a working position, while cross training does exist, this candidate must be flexible enough to jump in to mow or dig, when necessary.
• Entering burial data into lot books; this information is prepared by office staff.
• Assisting families with pre and at need sales and the necessary paperwork to complete that task.

Preferred experience with operation and maintenance of heavy equipment, backhoe, skid steer, tractor, etc (or willingness to learn). Training provided if necessary.

Preferred experience with basic landscaping, maintenance of plants, or willingness to learn.

Ability to supervise and lead team of grounds crew.

Ability to lift up to 75 lbs

Starting salary range is $65,000-70,000.  Health care provided for employee; no monthly premiums charged to employee. 1 week of sick time and 2 weeks paid vacation per year.

Work hours are 7-4 M-Th, 7-3 on Fridays.   Director and superintendent alternate Saturdays if funerals are scheduled.

Please ask questions and send Resume to the executive director, Robin Simonton at robin@historicoakwood.com.