Assistant Gardens Manager - Tohono Chul

Job Description

Assistant Garden Manager

Job Description

The Assistant Garden Manager is an enthusiastic ambassador of Tohono Chul, conveying and showcasing our mission through high-quality horticultural expression and care to staff, guests, and volunteers. The Assistant Garden Manager will manage specific garden areas, help oversee garden-wide operations, lead irrigation maintenance, and ensure the health of Tohono Chul’s Sonoran Desert plant collections. The Assistant Garden Manager will have a leading role in implementing garden renovations and coordinating garden management and operations, modeling and teaching best practices and standards of care to other garden staff. This role requires good time management, positive attitude, and a desire to teach others. The Assistant Garden Manager will also have a supporting role in site-wide events, engagement, and guest experience activities.

About Us

Tohono Chul is a beloved 49-acre public garden, botanic garden and arboretum in Tucson, Arizona, founded in 1985. Our mission is to serve as a community oasis, where reverence for the cultural and natural ecology of the Sonoran Desert region inspires responsible stewardship so that future generations may thrive. A destination for both local residents and global visitors, it has been recognized as “One of the World’s Ten Best Botanical Gardens” by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Duties & Responsibilities

Horticultural maintenance and garden development - 75%
• Carry out assigned horticultural tasks to established standards of care in multiple gardens throughout the park
• Assist in the continued education of other members of the Gardens team
• Lead garden pest and disease control site-wide
• Lead irrigation system maintenance and improvements site-wide
• Keep up with industry-standard practices, methods, and updates in horticultural care especially related to Sonoran Desert environmental issues, through continued education, reading, etc.
• Support training of staff and volunteers to ensure established standards of care are executed park wide
• Provide occasional coverage for the Gardens Manager including processing payroll and management of daily tasks
• Manage all tools and equipment to ensure efficient and safe use by the Gardens team in keeping with current maintenance, health & safety practices.
• Assess irrigation and equipment needs and make budget recommendations to the Garden Manager

Events and engagement - 25%
• Support plant sales
• Lead the installation of Holiday Nights lighting site-wide
• Liaison with engagement and marketing teams on Tohono Chul’s gardens, horticulture, plants, and other aspects of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem for marketing, social media, and educational programs

Education and Experience

• Minimum three years experience at a public garden, arboretum, or botanic garden, or in ecological restoration, or nursery operations
• Strong Sonoran Desert plant and ecosystem knowledge and hands-on experience in horticulture and arboriculture.
• Strong knowledge and experience with irrigation system design and maintenance
• High School Diploma or Equivalent

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
• Certified arborist
• Certified irrigation professional
• College degree in horticulture or a related field

SCHEDULE

May - September hours are 5:30am - 2:00pm

October – April hours are 6:30am - 3:00pm (closing shifts 8:30-5:00 pm)

Hours may vary and are subject to change

Some nights or weekends may be necessary throughout the year

May be called for emergency issues outside of regular hours

Additional Information

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires frequent standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. The employee may have to lift and or move up to 50 pounds, anything greater should be done with assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this job include, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.