Irrigation Specialist/Growing Team Member

Job Description

Position Overview

Irrigation Specialist
•Ensure plant health by scouting plants for irrigation daily, maintaining proper watering schedules for various crops, adjusting as needed for seasonal shifts.
•Operate and maintain computerized and manual irrigation systems.
•Perform regular checks on irrigation systems, including cleaning filters every two weeks, replacing faulty sprinkler heads, and running weekly irrigation checks.
•Troubleshoot irrigation issues, including broken pipes or risers, and coordinate repairs as needed.
•Oversee seasonal drain downs during winter and assist with fertigation for select plant houses.
•Collaborate with the lead grower to manage irrigation supplies and equipment.
•Collaborate with the lead grower to ensure plants are properly bedded based upon watering needs and space optimization needs.
•Provide weekend coverage as needed, ensuring uninterrupted watering during the weekends.

Growing Team Member
•Assist the lead grower with all aspects of plant care, including watering, pruning, fertilizing, spacing, cleaning, and repotting.
•Follow daily/weekly worklists and maintain inventory logs.
•Monitor plant health, identifying pests or diseases, and alerting the plant health team when necessary.
•Ensure a clean, safe, and organized work environment.
•Collaborate with fellow team members across departments to support various tasks and projects.
•Provide support during winter protection efforts to safeguard plant health.

About Us

We are Plant Delights Nursery/Juniper Level Botanic Garden, a perennial plant nursery established in Raleigh in 1986, offering unique, rare, well grown, and properly named perennials to passionate gardeners around the world. We have one of the most extensive perennial trial programs in the country. Our concern goes far beyond selling plants! Despite being best known as a nursery, we exist for our work as a private 28-acre botanical garden and plant research facility focusing on ex-situ plant conservation, plant exploration, breeding, and propagation. We are a family-owned company with a mission to support research, education, and the exploration of plants through the sales of unique perennial plants.

Our nursery and garden provide an opportunity to work indoors and outdoors year-round, so we have a casual dress code, a diverse staff, and a friendly working environment.

Duties & Responsibilities

Qualifications
•A horticulture-related degree or equivalent nursery experience is required.
•In-depth plant knowledge and a strong desire to learn more.
•Ability to work independently, stay organized, and follow detailed instructions.
•A team player with excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
•Must be comfortable working outdoors in varied weather conditions and lifting up to 50 pounds regularly.
•Strong attention to detail and a passion for sustainable gardening practices.

Working Environment and Physical Efforts
The primary working condition for this position is an outside plant nursery environment with exposure to dirt, grease, fumes, noise, fertilizers, gravel, soil, dust, cold, heat, rain (non-climate-controlled working conditions). The environment is fast paced and demanding most of the time. The employee must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds multiple times a day and stand on feet for eight or more hours a day. For safety reasons, good hearing is required specific to machines and surrounding noise. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. Jobs are subject to change for personal growth, organizational development, and/or evolution of innovative technologies.

Additional Information

Location: Plant Delights Nursery/Juniper Level Botanic Garden, Raleigh, NC

Position: Full-Time, Hourly (Agriculturally exempt from overtime)

Compensation: Starting at $16.00/hr., based on experience

Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, vision insurance, life insurance, Simple IRA with company match, paid time off, public holidays, and vacation days.

Standard Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with occasional weekend work required for irrigation tasks.

Why Join Us?
At Plant Delights Nursery, we believe in empowering our employees and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. As a member of our growing team, you’ll work in an inspiring environment where conservation, research, and education are at the forefront of everything we do. With a focus on innovation and a dedication to plant excellence, you’ll have the chance to contribute to projects that have a lasting impact on the world of horticulture.

Apply today and be part of a forward-thinking team that values passion, teamwork, and creativity. We can’t wait to see how you’ll grow with us!

Application Instructions

Send cover letter & resume with a detailed description of work history to jobs@plantdelights.com