Botanical Garden Administrator: Horticulture Lead

Natural and Cultural Resources; Asheboro (NC); On-site; USD 41,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The North Carolina Zoo is seeking an experienced Horticulturist to serve as Botanical Garden Administrator. This role manages plant collections and landscapes to support animal habitats, visitor experiences, and conservation goals, reinforcing public awareness of plants and their role in nature.

As Botanical Garden Administrator, you will develop protocols, supervise staff and volunteers, and contribute to accreditation and external funding efforts while ensuring safety and compliance with zoo

Qualifications

• Demonstrated thorough knowledge plant identification and botanical nomenclature.
• Work experience with an arboretum, botanical garden, zoo, conservatory, or plant focused institution.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in specimen collection curation, plants preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with the presentation of informational lectures on science related topics, providing tours, and/or the publication of articles or other public-directed media pieces.
• Demonstrated experience with GIS mapping, database management, and specimen labelling.

Responsibilities

• Development of protocols and operational procedures for the botanical garden.
• Plant collection and preservation, accession of specimens into the collection, taxonomic identification, maintenance of data base, and participation in the preparation and submission of proposals for external funding and future garden/plant collections.
• Responsible for supervising staff, students, interns and volunteers.
• Assist the uploading of the plant collection on the Zoo web site
• Reviews and updates the plant collection database under the direction of the Hort Curator Manager and the Interior Horticulture Curator.
• Records progress and documentation for five-year accreditation review by BGCI.
• Comply with safety, environmental, and all Zoo Standard Operating Procedures.

Skills

Plant identification

Botanical nomenclature

Public speaking

GIS mapping

Database management

Education

Bachelor's degree in biology, zoology, or science curriculum related to the area of expertise

Tools

GIS mapping software

Database management systems

Specimen labeling protocols

Job description

The North Carolina Zoo is seeking an experienced Horticulturist to serve as Botanical Garden Administrator. This role manages plant collections and landscapes to support animal habitats, visitor experiences, and conservation goals, reinforcing public awareness of plants and their role in nature.

As Botanical Garden Administrator, you will develop protocols, supervise staff and volunteers, and contribute to accreditation and external funding efforts while ensuring safety and compliance with zoo