Horticulture Manager Jobs

Department: Horticulture/Plant Science
Supervisor: Senior Director of Plant Science and Conservation
Supervises: Horticulture Supervisor, Greenhouse Propagator, Natural Areas Supervisor, Horticulture Educator, and Volunteer corps Leads.
FLSA Salary Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Revision Date: April 2023
Availability: Ability to work a flexible schedule, occasional extended work hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays.
General Summary:
Lead the installation and maintenance of display gardens, landscapes, evaluation areas, building displays. Plan and direct staff and volunteers to implement sustainable horticultural and arboricultural practices that develop and maintain gardens, greenhouses and grounds. Establish planting and maintenance priorities, collaborate with the Curator on plant selections, as well as oversee quality control of contracted horticultural and irrigation work. Manage supervisory staff and volunteer leads involved with display horticulture, lawn mowing, and large-scale horticultural care.
Essential Duties:

• Collaborate with the Curator for exchanging plants with other institutions per collections policy as needed.
• Approve materials purchase orders and propagation requests.
• Determine priorities for the care and management of plants.
• Participate in the development of design concepts and budgets for horticultural projects with the Landscape Designer in Residence.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the sustainable horticulture program at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Serves on outside professional organizations and interacts with professional counterparts at other institutions.
• Prepare operating plan and annual budget with the Senior Director for the development and care of the horticultural displays, turfgrass care, and large-scale horticultural and arboricultural work.
• Collaborate closely with the Curator to coordinate plant conservation initiatives, implement collections curation, and horticultural operations.
• Conduct technical review of project construction and planting plans.
• Collaborate with other Garden leaders to ascertain alignment with HBG strategic framework, operations plans, and timing.
• Consult on site logistics related to special events at the Garden.
• Work closely with the curatorial team to establish priorities for invasive plant species control and implement procedures that will control invasive species and assure functional and aesthetically pleasing collections and gardens.
• Plan, direct and implement sustainable horticultural and arboricultural practices that develop and maintain gardens, greenhouses and grounds. This includes irrigation, runoff management, quality tree maintenance, shrubs, herbaceous layers and turf, ensuring design intentions of themed gardens are maintained.

Management Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage supervisory horticulture staff and volunteer leads involved with maintaining the Garden’s landscapes and nursery facilities.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Duties include recruitment and selection, scheduling and job assignments, consistent and ongoing coaching and performance feedback, recognition and staff development and training in keeping with the Garden’s policies and procedures.
• Serve as liaison to set priorities with, and monitor the horticultural work performed by contractors.
• Supervise Horticulture Supervisor, Greenhouse Propagator, Natural Areas Supervisor, and Horticulture Educator. Provides oversight to staff who supervise volunteer leads.

Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture or related horticulture field required, 5+ years of previous experience in garden or landscape development and management required. Supervisory experience required. Experience in a public garden preferred. Excellent cultivated and native plant knowledge with demonstrated experience in their selection and use. Knowledge of basic plant culture and disease/insect pest diagnostics under local northern Alabama conditions required. Ability to identify major plant genera and species, while also possessing knowledge of names and characteristics of a wide range of cultivated, ornamental and native plants. Practical experience with safely operating job-related equipment and tools, including their care and maintenance. Certification as an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist a plus. Must possess a valid driver’s license, which is subject to insurability and an annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) report. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, with emphasis on Word and spreadsheets.
Success Factors:
Exemplifies HBG core values. Leadership and interpersonal skills, including thoughtful, excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to identify issues, and consider multiple solutions, with emphasis on collaborative decision making with the team and garden colleagues.
High standards for sustainable horticulture, creative garden display, interest in cultivated and native plants with focus on integration of sustainable practices.
Enthusiastic learner: and have a strong attention to aesthetics detail. Creative, innovative approach to garden development, interpretation, and use. Strong ability to thoughtfully communicate through visual plans and narrative.
Facility with translating strategy and plans into budgets and narrative.
Ability to organize and delegate work, create schedules, and problem solve. Decision making skills and the ability to prioritize. Physical ability to routinely survey assigned gardens and landscapes.
Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Physical Demands: Requires some physical activity: limited lifting and carrying (up to 30 lbs.), significant amount of walking over varied terrain, and traveling by vehicles. Some travel required. Sense of vision in the normal range with or without correction. Sense of touch and the ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment required.
• Work Environment: Office environment and Garden grounds. Work is performed indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions.
• Equipment: General office equipment, two-way radio, Garden pick-up truck, van, Cushman cart, horticultural tools.

Job descriptions are guidelines that attempt to characterize major duties and responsibilities of employees, and are subject to change as needs and programs change. At Huntsville Botanical Garden they are considered neither inclusive nor exclusive. It is expected that up to 20% of your duties may change annually.
The Huntsville Botanical Garden supports a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success. The Garden is committed to hire and develop employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status. To increase diversity in professions related to the public garden realm, we encourage applications from underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.