Horticulturist I (15083, Grade 18) Jobs

Description

Do you have experience planning high-end designs for parks?

Are you a seasoned Horticulturist?

If this sounds like you, Montgomery Parks Horticulture, Forestry, and Environmental Education Division, located at Pope Farm Nursery in Gaithersburg, Maryland is the place you want to be!

Montgomery Parks is looking for a self-motivated and highly knowledgeable Horticulturist to design, install and maintain beautiful, high impact landscapes to select parks, county-wide. The successful candidate will create designs, order, and install plants, and perform technical horticulture tasks to optimize plant growth such as mulching, pruning, watering, and integrated pest management. In addition, the horticulturist will lead, and direct other staff assisting with the program, safely operate and maintain equipment and tools and provide horticulture training to other staff.

The Horticulturist would join the Horticulture, Forestry and Environmental Educational Division which is part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. This great team preserves and maintains the natural resources of parkland, ensures a safe environment for park patrons, and enhances the beauty of parks.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a six-time National Recreational and Parks Association Gold Medal Award Winner. Behind the vast and diverse Montgomery County Department of Parks system is a career staff complement of nearly 800 employees, 420 parks and over 37,000 acres of park land that serves a diverse population of more than one million residents in the Washington DC area. Go to our website to learn more: https://www.montgomeryparks.org/

DIVERSITY STATEMENT The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate a workplace culture of diversity, equity and inclusion without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other non-merit factor. We will do what we can to provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at 301-495-4525 to request accommodation.

Please Note: The salary range listed above represents the earning potential for this position. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Examples of Important Duties

Plans, Designs, and Installs Landscape Displays in Select Parks

• Assists with the planning of high-end designs for landscape projects in parks
• Estimates quantities of soil, mulch and plant materials needed for each project
• Works with nursery horticulturist to order specific plants for projects
• Surveys Park areas to determine horticulture and landscape needs
• Provides layout, planting and care of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous material
• Coordinates height, color, texture, peak performance, and other variables to create artistic designs from season to season
• Contacts Miss Utility and inhouse utilities to clear property prior to digging

Applies Technical Expertise and Horticulture Consultation to Park Projects

• Applies chemicals at the correct timing and follows all applicable procedures for compliance with local, state, and federal regulations
• Performs horticultural tasks to optimize plant growth including conducting soil tests, adding soil amendments, watering, and plant maintenance
• Meets with citizens and groups to share information; responds to visitor and staff inquiries regarding horticultural matters
• Operates and maintains landscape equipment used to complete horticulture tasks
• Inspects plants and identifies pest problems; makes recommendations for treatments using integrated pest management strategies
• Provides technical assistance and horticulture consultation to park development projects for landscape plantings
• Develops watering, fertilization, and plant maintenance schedules.

Trains, Leads, and Directs Staff

• Leads and directs staff in performance landscape and garden development and maintenance
• Provides hands-on training for staff on horticulture topics and techniques such as mulching, pruning, plant installation, pest identification and management

Performs Data Collection and Tracking

• Utilizes GIS Collector application on iPad to map landscape planting installations
• Accounts for labor and materials for each project and input it into the enterprise asset management (EAM) system.
• Creates routes for landscape project aftercare program and tracks cycles of maintenance

Minimum Qualifications

• One year of professional experience in horticulture or closely related field; or
• A Maryland State Pesticide Applicator's License may be required within six months of employment, dependent on assigned duties of the incumbent.
• Bachelor's degree in horticulture or related field; and
• An equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Valid driver's license.