Position: Director of Horticulture and Facilities
Department: Horticulture and Garden Operations Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Report To: CEO
In support of our mission, the Director of Horticulture and Facilities will provide key leadership in guiding Descanso Gardens through an ongoing period of growth and change. The Director of Horticulture and Facilities is responsible for the direct management of all operations of the physical gardens - horticulture, collections management, landscape design, maintenance, and infrastructure and facilities repairs. This position helps to create and maintain an engaging and exciting living museum through the Gardens' extensive and diverse horticulture collection and seasonal exhibits. Reporting to the CEO and working closely with senior management and the Board of Trustees, the Director of Horticulture and Facilities contributes to the strategic planning, long range planning, and maintenance of the gardens in order to achieve a beautiful, nuanced, resonant, and richly rewarding garden for the public to enjoy, and for philanthropic funders to enthusiastically support. As a key public face of Descanso Gardens, the Director will build relationships both internally and externally to advance the growth of the gardens.
JOB CLASSIFICATION
This is a key full-time, exempt position.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:
Leadership
- Serve on Gardens' leadership team; participate in long range and strategic planning.
- Integrating Horticulture and Facilities department in to operations, mission, goal, and objectives of entire Garden
- Work together with Board of Directors and its committees, donors, volunteers, members, and community at large to represent the horticulture, conservation programs and the Master Plan.
- Collaborate with Advancement to support fundraising and steward ship initiatives related to horticultural objectives, and with Marketing, to share the Gardens' accomplishments and aspirations
- Collaborate with Education to support programs for schools, public, volunteers, members, and
- Pursue leadership development and professional advancement locally and nationally
- Provide vision and embrace the mission and culture of the Gardens as it relates to all aspects of our operations
- Create department annual plans in line with institutional key strategic priorities
Management
- Providing direction and management of gardens, grounds, natural areas, buildings, nursery operations, mechanical shop, irrigation, water bodies, hardscape, arboriculture work, and integrated pest management plan
- Training, development, and performance evaluation for 10 fulltime staff
- Development and management of a Horticultural, Facilities and Maintenance Budget
- Managing contractors and out sourced horticulture related services
- Manage contractors and outside vendors as it relates to large scale projects
- Establish annual budget, authorize department expenditures, manage assigned budgets, and provide periodic reports to CEO and Chief Operations and Administration Officer.
- Direct Horticulture and Facilities team in establishing projects and priorities; formulate, design, plan, and oversee the project progress and budget
- Establish and implement aesthetic and horticultural standards to maintain and enhance the gardens and grounds using best practices
- Research and understand the historyanddesignoftheGardens,maintainrecordsandfilesofgroundsandhorticulture related activities
- From time to time, review and collaborate on grant funding requests and ensure appropriates pending and reporting of grant funds
Qualifications And Requirements
- Ten years' experience in horticulture and arboriculture practices and management is required
- Understanding of garden design, color theory, horticultural practices, landscape maintenance, public garden operations and function
- Experience working within dependent contractors
- Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, including effective presentation, negotiation, and problem-solving skills
- Self-starter, creative, persuasive, and goal-oriented
- Organized and detail-oriented
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department and a cross departments
- Ability to work independently and lead team members effectively
- Ability to collaborate across departments and provide leadership and support as required on special events
- Ability to work a flexible schedule and under deadline pressure
Compensation Range: $100,000-$120,000/yr. based on experience
EQUIPMENT USED AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS
This position requires a working knowledge of a full range of industry-related equipment and service vehicles, both manual and machine operated, as well as basic office equipment and computer software. This includes, but is not limited to, operation of manual and gas-powered gardening tools, irrigation systems, string trimmer, mower, gas blower, gas hedger, spray tank, rototiller, manual bypass pruners, loppers, hand saw, pole saw, pole pruner, trowels, shovels, pitchforks, rakes, computer, printer, photocopier, and calculator.
This is an outdoor position that requires working in various weather conditions, including working in the sun and, at times, extreme heat. This position requires the ability to carry out daily physical work and to lift and carry up to 50 pounds. This position occasionally requires heavy lifting, but not routinely. It also requires the ability to walk, climb, kneel, bend, stoop, sit, crouch, operate service vehicles, climb ladders, carry and operate standard gardening equipment intermittently throughout the day, and to work in an outdoor environment in various weather conditions for an extended period. Wading in and working with water may also be required.
Descanso Gardens Guild Inc. acknowledges that equal opportunity for all people is a fundamental human value. Each employee will be considered on the basis of individual ability and merit, without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, or marital status.
