Conservatory Gardener and Exhibit Technician

RiseMe; San Marino (CA); On-site; USD 26,000 - 29,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Store discounts

Free museum passes

Free admissions for family

Job summary

The Huntington is seeking a Conservatory Gardener and Exhibit Technician to cultivate plants in the Conservatory and Tropical Collections, support exhibits, and facilitate programs. This limited-term, part-time position emphasizes working with diverse teams and engaging with visitors.

The role involves practical horticulture tasks, collaboration with curators, and assisting in exhibit setup and maintenance, with ongoing opportunities to contribute to educational programming.

Qualifications

• Some coursework in horticulture and greenhouse practices is required.
• Ability to work safely with equipment and chemicals is required.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff, volunteers, and visitors is required.
• Ability to perform physical duties including lifting, digging, carrying, etc.
• Ability to plan and prioritize tasks and schedules.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Cultivates, propagates, waters, and fertilizes plants.
• Supports and troubleshoots exhibits in public conservatory spaces.
• Organizes and provides supplies including potting mix, pots, tools, labels, etc.
• Calculates formulas and measures for fertilizers.
• Maintains assigned Conservatory areas and support greenhouses in order.
• Monitors greenhouse climate conditions and reports regularly.
• Monitors plant health and pest development; applies controls as needed.
• Collaborates with curators and conservatory staff for exhibits and programs.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Safety with equipment

Effective communication

Physical stamina

Education

Some coursework in horticulture and greenhouse practices

Two-year college horticulture program preferred

Tools

Nursery tools

Job description

About Us

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

The Huntington

Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

The Culture

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies.

At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.

• Intellectual Curiosity:Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.




• Collaboration:Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.




• Stewardship:We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.




• Belonging:We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.




• Integrity:We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

Job Description

About the Role

Reporting to the Associate Director of Botanical Collections, Conservation and Research, the Conservatory Gardener and Exhibit Technician is a horticulture-based position that cultivates plants in the Conservatory and Tropical Collections. S/he/they will provide living material and assistance to support interpretive exhibits, programs, and classes. This individual will work with other gardeners, nursery assistants, and volunteers in maintaining facilities, exhibits, collections, and programs.

S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.

This is a limited-term, part-time position to provide additional support.

Essential Duties

• Cultivates, propagates, waters, and fertilizes plants




• Supports and troubleshoots exhibits in public conservatory spaces




• Helps organize and provide supplies including potting mix, pots, tools, labels, etc.




• Calculates formulas and measures for fertilizers




• Cleans, organizes, and evaluates work areas as needed




• Maintains assigned areas of the Conservatory and support 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




• Works in collaboration with the Curator of Tropical Collections, Curator of Orchid Collections and Conservatory Technician in exhibit set-up and maintenance, as well as providing plants for programs, labs, and exhibits




• May perform other 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 communicate effectively and amicably with staff, volunteers, and visitors required




• Ability to perform physical duties required, including lifting, 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




• undefined

Preferred Experience:

• 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

• The work is typically performed outdoors, in a greenhouse setting.




• The employee may need to stand, walk, or occasionally reach, stoop, kneel, or crouch.




• Occasional lifting of supplies or plant materials may be required, typically up to 30 lbs.




• While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

Compensation & Benefits

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

• Pay Rate: $19.25-$20.00/hr.




• Medical, Dental, Vision




• 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