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Conservatory Specialist

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

San Marino, California

Job Type Permanent
Salary Details $23.00/hr.
Deadline Dec 25, 2024
Experience 2 - 6 years

About the Role

This is a horticulture-based position that cultivates plants in the Conservatory and Tropical Collections. This individual will work with other gardeners, nursery assistants, and volunteers in maintaining facilities, collections, and programs. At times S/he/they may lead work activities with volunteers and other staff. This individual will also be the primary liaison with Ask Me docents in the Rose Hills Conservatory. S/he/they will provide living material and assistance to support interpretive exhibits, programs, and classes on as as-needed basis. Reports to the Curator of the Conservatory and Tropical Collections.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.

Essential Duties

  • Cultivates, propagates, waters, fertilizes, and chemically treats plants.
  • Assists inventorying and mapping of living collections.
  • Gathers and processes material for collections archiving and documentation.
  • Participates in Huntington video communications and interviews for the public.
  • Helps organize and provide supplies including potting mix, pots, tools, labels, etc.
  • Calculates formulas and measures fertilizers, pesticides, etc.
  • Cleans, organizes, and evaluates work areas as needed.
  • Maintains assigned areas of the Conservatory and supports greenhouses in an orderly manner.
  • Monitors and reports regularly on greenhouse climate conditions.
  • Monitors plant health, including plant pests and development of controls.
  • Maintains a working knowledge of key species in the Conservatory.
  • Maintains necessary records and labeling practices.
  • Assists with oversight of equipment and with repairs when needed.
  • Works in collaboration with the Conservatory Technician in exhibit set-up and maintenance, as well as providing plants for programs, labs, and exhibits.
  • Assists other Gardens staff with routine maintenance of areas immediately surrounding the Conservatory exterior.
  • May perform other related duties as assigned.

Candidate Requirements and Experience

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • Some coursework in horticulture and greenhouse practices required.
  • Ability to work safely with equipment and chemicals required.
  • Ability to maintain and develop irrigation systems required.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and amicably with staff, volunteers, and visitors required.
  • Ability to perform physical duties required, including lifting (50 lbs. regularly), digging, carrying, etc.
  • Ability to perform careful, thoughtful work required.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks and work schedule required.
  • Effective written and oral communication skills required.
  • Proficient reading ability and accuracy with details such as may be obtained through completion of some college course work.
  • Valid driver’s license required.

Preferred:

  • Two years’ experience with nursery practices and indoor horticulture preferred.
  • Successful completion of two-year college horticulture program preferred.
  • Knowledge of scientific names of plants, botany and horticulture preferred.

Working Conditions  

  • Working conditions include indoor environments subject to high humidity and high temperatures.
  • The ability to navigate through vegetation, over rocks and up and down slopes is essential.
  • The subject workplace is regularly occupied by visitors, and this may require answering questions relevant to the features of the site.

Compensation & Benefits 

We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including: 

  • Pay Rate: $23.00/hr.
  • Medical, Dental, Vision  
  • 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match 
  • Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions 
  • Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays 
  • Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants 
  • Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions 
  • Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds 

The Application Process 

Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.  

You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application. 

HOW TO APPLY

Apply here: https://huntington.org/careers

When you apply, please indicate that you are responding to the posting on Conservation Job Board.

Category Botany, General / Stewardship