Greenhouse Propagator

Job Description

Department: Plant Science & Conservation
Supervisor: Horticulture Manager
Supervises: Volunteers, Gardeners, and Horticulture Interns
FLSA Salary Classification: Full-time, Exempt
Revision Date: October 2023
Availability: Ability to work a flexible schedule. Work will require occasional evening, regular weekend, and occasional holiday hours depending on the season.

Position Summary:
Execute the propagation and production of plants for collections, fundraisers, and education programs to align with Huntsville Botanical Garden mission, conservation and sustainability initiatives in collaboration with the department team and other internal stakeholders. Manage nursery and greenhouse operations, and schedule and manage staff and volunteers involved with growing in greenhouse and nursery area.

About Us

Open year-round, the Huntsville Botanical Garden contains diverse ecosystems to explore within its 118 acres. From grassy meadows to woodland paths, aquatic habitats to stunning floral collections, the Garden invites guests of all ages to discover the beauty and wonder of the natural environment. Stroll along the nature trails while admiring collections of Alabama’s native plants. Play freely in the Children’s Garden after encountering the fluttering butterflies in our large open-air butterfly house. Find serenity in the cool shade of the trees, surrounded by the sounds of nature. With additional events, exhibits, and programs throughout the year, the Garden is a source of plant conservation, education, and celebration for all.

We are committed to elevating our community by maintaining living plant collections, offering strong educational programs, and participating in specialized research. We inspire citizens to explore their connections to the natural world and encourage them to join us in creating a community-wide garden that celebrates the unique biodiversity of our region.

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a member of the American Public Gardens Association, the North American Plant Collections Consortium, the American Horticultural Society, and Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Duties & Responsibilities

Essential Functions:
• Grow herbaceous, woody, and aquatic plants for garden collections and displays, source and produce a variety of commercially unavailable native plants to support horticultural operations, sustainability initiatives, plant collections, fundraisers, education programs, and events.
• Manage the daily operations of and maintain nursery and greenhouse areas including weed eating, mowing, spraying herbicide, heating, cooling, irrigation and structural maintenance. Assist the Facilities department with planning repairs related to greenhouse structures.
• Monitor growing conditions and oversee changes in humidity, moisture, temperature and cultivation procedures to ensure conformance with quality control standards. Plan, implement, and document growing procedures, disease and pest diagnosis, and treatment of plants in the greenhouse and nursery spaces.
• Supervise, manage, and maintain the Garden’s Plant Sale budgets, inventory, growing spaces, and cultural needs, working together with Plant Sciences, Guest Services, and Marketing to improve revenue generation, best practices, and all other needs for Garden’s fundraisers and sales.
• Improve the quality and variety of plants grown and sold at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Identify trends and forecast future space and resources for plant production, research needs and costs to inform the annual operating and plant sale budgets and grant proposals.
• Train and lead supervised staff and volunteers in greenhouse and nursery production, cultural practices, IPM, record keeping, and pesticide safety.
• Maintain comprehensive inventory and records of essential growing procedures and techniques, while monitoring results. Develop growing procedures and cultivation techniques for target species on which there is little available information and perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s in nursery & greenhouse production or related field from an accredited program and 2+ years of relevant experience in plant propagation and crop cycle scheduling. 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 Excel. Must have or be able to obtain an OTPC Applicators License within 6 months of hire.

Success Factors:
• Ability to organize and delegate work, create schedules and crop cycles, and problem solve. Decision making skills and the ability to prioritize.
• Knowledge of basic plant culture and disease/insect pest diagnostics in greenhouse and nursery settings under northern Alabama weather conditions. Ability to identify major plant genera and species common to Southeastern North America and familiarity with the names, characteristics, and growing requirements of a wide range of cultivated and native plants. Training and/or experience in greenhouse environmental and irrigation control systems is critical for this position. Experience collecting and analyzing biological and cultural data will aid success in this role.
• Practical experience with safely operating job-related equipment and tools, including office equipment, two-way radio, truck, electric carts, fertigation equipment, environmental controls, and horticultural hand tools, weed eaters, blowers, mowers, and skidsteer.
• Exemplifies 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 garden colleagues. Ability to translate strategy and plans into budgets and narrative. Ability to execute both long- and short-term projects successfully.

Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s in horticulture, nursery greenhouse production, or related field from an accredited program and 2+ years of relevant experience in plant propagation and plant research including supervisory, retail and/or conducting and creating crop schedules experience.

Physical Requirements: 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.

• Physical Demands: Must be able to perform manual labor, including frequent lifting/carrying/transporting loads up to 50 lbs., and work with loud equipment. Requires individual to frequently position oneself by bending, climbing (up to 15-ft), traversing over uneven and sloping terrain. Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment required.
• Work Environment: Office environment and Garden grounds. Work is performed in greenhouses, cold frames, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions. Exposure to loud, prolonged noises and/or vibrations.
• Equipment: Office equipment will include computer and two-way radio. Equipment may include skid steer, potting machine, handheld power equipment such as weed eater and blower, fertigator and other greenhouse tools.

Additional Information

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.

Employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

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.

Application Instructions

Please apply at https://hsvbg.org/career-opportunities/