Horticultural Maintenance and Exhibit Technician
Employment Type
Job (Full-time)Job Categories
Horticulture
Job Description
The Horticultural Maintenance & Exhibit Technician will support exhibition design, fabrication, and daily maintenance for Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ programs and exhibits including, but not limited to, Orchid Escape, GLEAM and Holiday Express. This position will also serve as a horticulture team member during peak gardening season and as needed throughout the year.
This job has very specific hours and days of the week needed depending on the seasonal events and months that they cover. This is listed in detail within the Duties and Responsibilities section.
GENERAL SCHEDULE OF DUTIES:
Orchid Escape Exhibit Fabrication/Maintenance
January – mid-March
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Horticulture Maintenance
Mid-March – July
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
GLEAM Exhibit Install/Technical Support
August – October
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Orchid Escape and Holiday Express Exhibit Fabrication/Maintenance
September – December
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
NOTE: this is a general schedule, and tasks may vary as program support change and assistance is needed in other areas
About Us
Olbrich Botanical Gardens is home to 16 acres of outdoor display gardens and a 10,000 square foot tropical conservatory. The outdoor gardens include 10 unique specialty gardens and received the 2005 National Award for Garden Excellence. Indoors, the tropical Bolz Conservatory exhibits an extraordinary collection of exotic plants and orchids complemented by colorful birds and koi. Olbrich is committed to a culture of sustainability and education so that everyone – including future generations – can experience and learn about the fascinating world of plants and gardens. Olbrich Botanical Gardens is operated through a public/private partnership between the City of Madison and the Olbrich Botanical Society, the non-profit organization that raises over $3 million each year to support the daily operation of the Gardens.
Duties & Responsibilities
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Holiday Express is a themed exhibit that features model trains running through a landscape of colorful poinsettias, evergreens and other plants curated to complement the selected theme. Staff from the outdoor gardens select a new theme each year and then design and build the exhibit in late fall. This is a ticketed exhibit that takes place in Olbrich’s Atrium and is normally open to the public during the month of December.
• This position will assist in the design, construction, maintenance and take-down of this exhibit as needed, and will be supervised by Garden Facilitator, Aaron Wilkie.
• Schedule: approximately 6 – 8 hours per week from October to early January
Orchid Escape is a plant exhibition that runs the month of February in the Bolz Conservatory. Showcasing the most diverse plant family on earth, the exhibition also aims to highlight Olbrich’s orchid collection as well as orchids that are purchased in for the exhibit. Conservatory Staff select a theme and work through the months leading up the exhibit designing and creating prop material for the exhibit. Orchid Escape encompasses the natural beaty of the Bolz Conservatory, larger than life props, as well as educational interpretation centered on Orchids. Annual attendance for the month-long exhibit is around 25,000 visitors.
• This position will assist in the design, construction, maintenance and take-down of this exhibit as needed, and will be supervised by the Conservatory Curator, Colten Blackburn
• Schedule: approximately 24 – 40 hours per week from September to mid-March
GLEAM, Art in a New Light is an outdoor art exhibition featuring 10 site specific installations that showcase light as a major component. The exhibit offers an exclusive opportunity to view the Gardens at night. Annual attendance for the 36-day evening viewings averages over 30,000 visitors. Over the past nine years GLEAM has become Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ top fundraiser. While the GLEAM exhibit is open to the public, this position is responsible for managing the startup of the exhibit on viewing dates and troubleshooting technical challenges (training provided) with assistance from Olbrich’s maintenance team and the GLEAM team members. During this period the exhibit technician is scheduled – Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. to accommodate the exhibit schedule. Additional evening hours may be required to handle unexpected issues with installations when GLEAM is open for viewing.
• This position will assist in the installation of landscape lighting, creating wayfinding lighting effects, and supporting visiting artists during installation process in the outdoor gardens. This position will be supervised by Olbrich’s Garden Facilitator, Aaron Wilkie and Public Programs Manager, Missy Jeanne.
• Schedule: approximately 40 hours per week in August, and 16 – 24 hours per week in September and October, also 24 – 40 hours per week in early November for take-down. While GLEAM is open (approx. Sept. 1 – Oct 31.), this position will be scheduled Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm. Additional evening hours may be required to handle unexpected issues with installations when GLEAM is open for viewing.
Horticultural Maintenance in Olbrich’s 16-acre outdoor gardens and 10,000sf tropical Bolz Conservatory. This work will take place on an as-needed basis when not working an on exhibit.
• In the outdoor gardens, this position will be supervised by Garden Facilitator Aaron Wilkie and will be assisting garden staff with general maintenance tasks such as planting, mulching, clearing snow as well as other jobs as assigned.
• In the Bolz Conservatory and Greenhouses, this position will be supervised by Conservatory Curator Colten Blackburn and duties may include a variety of landscape and building maintenance tasks, including watering, plant maintenance, removal of plant debris, repotting/propagation of plant material.
• Schedule: approximately 40 hours per week mid-March through July and as needed during the rest of the year.
Education and Experience
REQUIRED JOB QUALIFICATIONS/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
o Passion for creating exceptional and creative horticultural displays that inspire and educate.
o Ability to plan/build large props from start to completion while being flexible to changes in materials/design along the way.
o Comfort seeking assistance from superiors when needed and accepting constructive feedback on a frequent basis.
o Effective at communicating design ideas verbally and visually.
PREFERRED JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
o Experience installing and maintaining landscape lighting is preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
o Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, walk on uneven terrain, and work with arms stretched out overhead.
o Ability to lift 50 pounds.
o All employees are expected to perform heavy manual labor work for extended periods of time in variable weather conditions.
o Ability, or willingness to learn, to use and/or drive garden equipment such as a tractor, lawn mower, fork-lift, utility vehicles and golf carts.
o Ability to perform related work as assigned.
Leadership Skills-
o Ability to take initiative in making time sensitive decisions.
o Ability to work independently.
Time Management Skills-
o Ability to prioritize workload while juggling multiple tasks.
o Good organizational skills and keen attention to detail.
Problem-solving Skills-
o Ability to be flexible to changing circumstances.
o Effective at troubleshooting and coming up with alternative ideas in relation to prop construction and installation.
Interpersonal Skills-
o Ability to display a confident, fair, energetic and positive attitude while working around garden visitors, volunteers, and staff.
o Ability to work as a team player and effectively collaborate with coworkers.
o Ability to commit to the work schedule outlined.
Additional Information
EMPLOYEE STATUS/HOURS: Regular Full-Time Benefit Eligible position; 40 hours/week; typically, Monday – Friday, with flexible schedule required to accommodate both weekend and evening activities as well as varying day/hour schedules over the course of the year.
COMPENSATION: $24.57/hour
BENEFITS: OBS offers a competitive benefit package including paid vacation, holidays, floating holidays, and personal time; health (OBS pays 100% of employee’s health premium, 50% for dependents), dental and vision insurance; and life and disability insurance. Employees also have access to paid parental leave and are eligible to participate in OBS’s retirement plan with a generous employer match after one year of service.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment and job specifications listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee, with or without accommodations, to successfully perform the required qualifications (essential functions) of this job. This position is not eligible for remote work.
o This position will assist in the creation and maintenance of exhibits in the outdoor gardens, tropical indoor conservatory, and interior spaces within Olbrich.
o The candidate must be willing and able to work in a variety of conditions from cold temperatures and wet conditions in the outdoor gardens to high humidity and warm temperatures in the conservatory.
o During GLEAM and other evening exhibits, the technician may work after dark in the outdoor gardens and conservatory to install, test, troubleshoot and repair.
INCLUSION COMMITMENT: In pursuit of our mission to enrich lives and inspire harmony with the natural world, Olbrich Botanical Gardens is committed to creating an inclusive environment where every visitor, volunteer, and staff member is valued and feels they belong. With mindful intent and a dedication to continuous learning, we will work to remove barriers to inclusion through education, organizational improvements, and collaborative partnerships with our diverse community. Together, we celebrate the importance of plants and foster a sustainable, connected world.
The Organization has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee’s ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the Organization reserves the right to change this position description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the Organization may deem appropriate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
Application Instructions
TO APPLY: Please email a cover letter, resume and completed Olbrich Botanical Society application to the following:
Samantha Peckham
Director of Horticulture
speckham2@cityofmadison.com.
To find the Olbrich Botanical Society application, please see our Careers page on our website:
www.olbrich.org/careers
February 17, 2025