Director of Horticulture

The Miami Beach Botanical Garden, a living museum, is hiring a Director of Horticulture to join our dedicated team. This is a salaried position with benefits including health insurance, dental insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.

The Horticulture Director is responsible for the overall stewardship of the garden grounds, as well as horticulture staff, interns, and volunteers. The Horticulture Director is responsible for managing field trip groups, volunteer programs, planning and overseeing monthly plant workshops and encouraging kids and adults to explore and love the garden. This position serves as a key member of the staff by maintaining the health and appearance of the garden, working with all departments for the betterment of the garden and being a liaison to the Miami Beach community. The optimal candidate is highly organized, adept at planning a year or more in advance, able to balance multiple priorities and projects and is trained or knowledgeable in and enjoys all aspects of horticulture work.

Core Values:

We are looking for someone passionate about supporting the mission of the Garden which promotes environmental enjoyment, stewardship and sustainability through education, the arts, and interaction with the natural world.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Works closely with the Executive Director and other staff to fulfill the mission of the Garden.
• Recommends horticulture budget to include new plant purchases, materials, and contractor schedule and costs.
• Coordinates work schedules and assignments of the horticultural staff to ensure adequate operation of the Garden.
• Creates a strategic horticultural calendar for each season, which schedules, oversees, and assigns tasks for the horticulture staff, volunteers, interns, and scheduled contractors.
• Oversees all Garden maintenance, such as:
  • planting and preparation of new plant acquisitions
  • removal and disposal of weeds and diseased or infested plants
  • aesthetic pruning, watering, mulching, and fertilization of plants
  • cleanup of walkways, blowing and collection of leaves and debris
  • maintenance of all water features; including the fountain, ponds, and cleaning of their filters
  • operation of the community compost program
  • scheduling of trimmings, aeration, fertilization, and pest prevention/mitigation applications
  • checking the Garden perimeter daily to ensure no encroachment on right of way
  • preparation and maintenance of botanical and educational signage
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date horticulture records, maintaining the catalog of plants and recording scheduled pesticide and fertilizer applications.
• Collaborates and communicates with:
  • Executive Director and other staff to fulfill the mission of the Garden
  • Events and Program Manager to develop educational events
  • Marketing/Social Media Consultant
  • Community outreach leaders to plan workshops to educate groups about the garden
  • City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to manage and execute STEAM Plus program
  • City of Miami Beach Sustainability Department on education and communication efforts
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in horticulture or a related field
• Four years related experience or a comparable combination of education and experience
• Experience with a wide variety of plant materials, including Florida natives, tropical plants and trees, succulents, etc.
• Ability to lead and supervise staff and interns, and manage volunteers and contractors
• Proficient in MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint or Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

 Additional Valuable Qualifications:

• Previous nonprofit experience
• Interest in offering classes and representing the Garden at outreach opportunities
• Managerial experience
• Bilingual (Spanish preferred)

Working Conditions:

Candidate must have the ability to work long and irregular hours.

Physical Requirements:

This position involves significant outdoor work year-round, which may include temperatures up to 90+ degrees.

Applicants must be able to meet the following physical requirements:

• Standing for prolonged periods of time
• Must be able to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions
• Lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling up to 50 lbs
• Bending, stooping, twisting, and reaching overhead

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Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background check.