Garden Engagement Coordinator

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 52,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Utah's Red Butte Garden & Arboretum seeks a Garden Engagement Coordinator to develop, coordinate, and evaluate education and community programs that connect people with plants and nature. You will manage a portfolio of family-focused engagements, build relationships with community partners, and help grow garden-wide festivals and events on campus.

You will lead program planning, supervised staff, and off-site activities while tracking data for reports and grants, ensuring timely

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalency required; 1 year of higher education can substitute for 1 year related work experience.
• Experience developing, coordinating, or delivering educational, family, or community programs.
• Experience working in a garden, museum, nature center, school, camp, or similar educational or cultural setting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and oversee assigned community and Garden engagement programs.
• Develop relationships with cultural institutions, community organizations, schools, and groups.
• Create programs, activities, and experiences at the Garden and in the community.
• Represent the Garden at off-site engagement opportunities.
• Lead programs from planning through implementation and evaluation.
• Develop new family programming and engagement opportunities.
• Create educational activities and interpretive content about plants, nature, and horticulture.
• Supervise part-time education staff during programs and events.
• Support planning of Garden-wide festivals and events.
• Assist with event setup, execution, and teardown.
• Manage budget, supplies, and equipment for programs.
• Track program data for reports and evaluations.
• Maintain calendars, records, and administrative materials.

Skills

Organizational skills

Administrative skills

Project coordination

Written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

Garden Engagement Coordinator

Job Summary

Red Butte Garden & Arboretum is one of the largest botanical gardens in the Intermountain West and, together with the University of Utah, serves as the State Arboretum of Utah. Located on 100 acres in the foothills above the University of Utah campus, Red Butte Garden includes over 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of natural area trails. The Garden is nationally recognized for its diverse plant collections, seasonal floral displays, outdoor concert series, private event spaces, and award winning horticultural education programs.

The Garden Engagement Coordinator develops, coordinates, and evaluates engagement programs for the Education and Community Programs department at Red Butte Garden, creating connections between plants and people. This position serves as the primary coordinator for a portfolio of programs and special events designed to connect families and community audiences with plants, nature, and the Garden.

The Garden Engagement Coordinator is responsible for the continued development and growth of community programming, including identifying new program opportunities, building relationships with community partners, and creating engaging educational and interpretive experiences. This position also supports Garden-wide festivals and events and works closely with the Youth & Family Programs Manager and Youth Programs Coordinator to advance the overall goals of Garden engagement.

The department may choose to hire at any of the below joblevels and associated pay rates based on their business need and budget.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary coordinator for assigned community and Garden engagement programs.
• Identify, develop, and maintain relationships with cultural institutions, community organizations, schools, and other groups that support the Garden's mission and expand opportunities for community and Garden engagement.
• Work with community partners to develop programs, activities, and experiences both at the Garden and within the community.
• Coordinate and participate in off-site engagement opportunities representing the Garden and sharing its programs and educational resources.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen participation in Garden programs and build ongoing relationships with community audiences.
• Lead assigned programs from initial planning through implementation and evaluation, including developing timelines, coordinating logistics, preparing materials, scheduling staff and volunteers, and overseeing program execution.
• Identify gaps and opportunities within the Garden's family programming and develop new community and Garden engagement programs, activities, and experiences that respond to audience interests and advance departmental and Garden goals.
• Develop engaging, age-appropriate educational activities and interpretive content related to plants, nature, horticulture, and the Garden.
• Provide leadership, direction, and supervision to part-time education staff during assigned programs and events.
• Assign responsibilities and provide staff with the information, resources, and support needed to successfully deliver programs.
• Support the planning and implementation of Garden-wide festivals and special events.
• Participate in event setup, execution, troubleshooting, and teardown as part of the broader event team.
• Purchase, monitor budget, organize, inventory, and maintain supplies, educational materials, and equipment for assigned programs.
• Track, compile, program information and data for departmental, grant, board, and other reports as needed.
• Maintain program calendars, timelines, records, evaluations, and other administrative materials.

Work Environment and Level of Frequency typically required

• Often: Office, Classroom environment, Garden/Outdoor environment, Storage and tool rooms, Event spaces, Public spaces
• Seldom: parking lots, campus areas

Physical Requirements and Level of Frequency that may be required

• Often: standing, sitting, listening, talking, walking (sometimes on hilly, uneven terrain), driving trams, bending, reaching overhead, repetitive hand motion (such as typing), lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs., setting up classroom spaces.

Minimum Qualifications

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).

Department may hire employee at one of the following joblevels:

• Program Specialists, I: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience or a master's (or equivalency) degree.
• Program Specialists, II: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 4 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences

• Bachelor's degree in education, horticulture, environmental studies, museum studies, or another related field
• Experience developing, coordinating, or delivering educational, family, or community programs.
• Experience working in a garden, museum, nature center, school, camp, community organization, or similar educational or cultural setting.
• Demonstrated interest in plants, nature, horticulture, environmental education, or informal learning.Experience developing or maintaining relationships with community organizations or program partners.
• Strong organizational, administrative, and project coordination skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to think creatively and respond calmly and effectively to changing or stressful situations.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Requisition Number: PRN46121B

Full Time or Part Time? Full Time

Work Schedule Summary: M-F; 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, occasional evenings and weekends as required by programs and events.

Department: 00340 - Red Butte Garden & Arboretum

Location: Campus

Pay Rate Range: $52,000.00 - $56,000.00

Close Date: 12/03/2026

Open Until Filled: