Conservation Senior Horticulturist
Employment Type
Job (Full-time)Job Categories
Horticulture
Job Description
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is seeking candidates to fill the position of Conservation Senior Horticulturist. Responsible for the daily management and curation of the Garden’s conservation collections located in Midtown Atlanta, this position reports to the Conservation Horticulture Manager. The successful candidate will be responsible for curating the ex situ conservation collections of rare and endangered plants and ensuring the greenhouse and external staging beds’ physical structures and systems operate efficiently and effectively. This position is based full-time in Midtown Atlanta, GA but requires weekly trips to the Conservation Safeguarding Nursery at the Garden’s Gainesville location.
About Us
Since the Garden opened its doors in 1976, it has become the emerald jewel in the crown of Atlanta culture. The Garden is an ever-evolving destination where the horticulturally-minded, nature-inspired and fun-seeking families come together to feel human again.
Renowned plant collections, beautiful displays and spectacular exhibitions make the Atlanta Botanical Garden the loveliest place in the city to visit. An urban oasis in the heart of Midtown, the Garden includes 30 acres of outdoor gardens, an award-winning Children’s Garden, the serene Storza Woods highlighted by a unique Canopy Walk, and the picturesque Skyline Garden.
The Gainesville location, opened in 2015, celebrates years of planning and development of one of North Georgia’s most beautiful landscapes aimed at connecting visitors with both the natural world and cultural amenities. It is home to the largest conservation nursery in the Southeast.
Duties & Responsibilities
Collections and Facilities Maintenance: Daily maintenance and management of the greenhouse; watering; weeding; pruning; planting and other daily horticultural tasks required to maintain the greenhouse and associated sites. Ability to construct or repair watering and mist systems utilizing hand tools and power tools. Train volunteers and interns to perform daily nursery duties during absences, including developed watering, weeding, and pest control protocols. Support Gainesville Conservation staff during absences and with larger projects.
Collections Management and Plant Curation: Working knowledge of plant collection management including meticulous plant accessioning and labeling practices is needed. This position tracks all plants entering and leaving the greenhouse and associated spaces, and coordinates with the Conservation Horticulture Manager and Conservation Database Manager to maintain a current inventory of all greenhouse plants and accessions. This position works with the Conservation Horticulture Manager to develop and implement a 5-year Conservation Horticulture Curatorial plan.
Organization: Collections logical organization, maintenance of organization, inventory management.
Budget Management and Planning – Carefully monitor the Conservation Propagation budget and account for any related expenses. Plan a yearly budget and develop a multi-year plan for expected greenhouse expenses.
Independent Project Management- Supports experimental protocol development and implementation.
Volunteer and Intern Leadership- Supervise conservation-focused projects of undergraduate researchers/interns. Actively seek, train, and schedule volunteers and seasonal interns at the greenhouse.
Education and Experience
- B.S in Horticulture, Plant Biology, or related field required.
- Georgia Pesticide Applicator Certification
- Experience in Botanical Garden plant collections management is highly desirable.
- Plant Health – Sound knowledge in the identification and management of plant health issues and corrective measures, including IPM, diseases, and plant nutrition.
- Experience with horticultural experimental design and germination protocol development required.
- Plant Knowledge – A good working knowledge of rare plants native to the S.E. USA.; ability to utilize dichotomous keys to identify plants.
- The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic, self-motivated and results-driven worker who willingly takes initiative to identify and accomplish daily tasks without supervision.
- Must be able to work outside in extreme hot and cold weather conditions.
- Must have a valid driver’s license and good driving record.
- Must be willing to drive between Atlanta and Gainesville 3-5 times per month.
- Horticultural flexibility- Some weekend and holiday work will be required during the growing season to assure the health of plant collections.
Application Instructions
Please apply here:
https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2783640
