Gardens & Grounds Assistant — Plant Care & Snow Ops

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 29,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Paid holidays

Health benefits

Job summary

University of Minnesota is seeking an assistant gardener for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN. You will assist gardeners in holistic care, landscape maintenance, and horticultural tasks including planting, pruning, weeding, and pest monitoring.

The role requires physical work, weather resilience, and occasional extended hours. It is an essential position with a 9-month schedule (April–December).

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and one year of related training or experience in horticultural care of formal display gardens and curated woody plant collections, including trees and shrubs.
• Must have and maintain a valid MN driver’s license.
• May be required to possess and maintain a Minnesota Noncommercial Pesticide Applicator’s license.
• Required to work in all weather conditions in all seasons and may require evening and weekend work as need
• Must be able to perform manual labor including frequent lifting/carrying/transporting loads up to 50 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Assisting gardeners, senior gardeners, and horticulturists in holistic care of grounds.
• Perform landscape maintenance and horticultural tasks: planting, pruning, weeding, watering, mulching, mowing.
• Assist with natural area restoration, pest scouting, and bed preparation.
• Operate and maintain equipment safely and support snow management operations.
• Oversee volunteers and student workers when assigned.

Skills

Manual labor capability

All weather work

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent (required)

Associate or bachelor's degree in horticulture or related field

Minnesota Noncommercial Pesticide Applicator license (preferred)

Tools

MN Driver's License

Job description

University of Minnesota is seeking an assistant gardener for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN. You will assist gardeners in holistic care, landscape maintenance, and horticultural tasks including planting, pruning, weeding, and pest monitoring.

The role requires physical work, weather resilience, and occasional extended hours. It is an essential position with a 9-month schedule (April–December).