Greenhouse Manager & Plant Biology Instructor

University of Illinois at Chicago- Department of Biological Sciences; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition waivers

Job summary

University of Illinois Chicago seeks an Assistant or Associate Rank Clinical Faculty member to serve as Greenhouse Manager for the Plant Research Laboratory. The role combines operational oversight of a shared research and teaching facility with undergraduate instruction and student engagement on campus in Chicago.

Responsibilities include greenhouse operations, teaching at least one course per semester, supervising staff, and supporting research and outreach aligned with BIOS and PRL missions.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in plant biology, ecology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience with greenhouse operations, plant care, or controlled-environment systems.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day greenhouse operations, including plant collections, environmental control systems, scheduling, safety, compliance, and coordination of users.
• Maintain greenhouse and outdoor spaces as functional environments for both research and teaching.
• Supervise staff and student workers in collaboration with departmental administration.
• Teach at least one course per semester based on the PRL grounds and greenhouses, focusing on botany, plant evolution, urban ecology, and/or related areas.
• Support laboratory modules and experiential components of existing BIOS courses.
• Maintain living collections and instructional materials in support of instruction on biodiversity and natural history.
• Facilitate faculty- and student-led research projects using greenhouse resources.
• Advise on experimental setup, plant care, and basic methodological considerations.
• Support undergraduate research, independent study (BIOS 199/399).
• Manage and contribute to PRL’s role as a shared campus and community-facing resource that connects plant biology research and teaching with broader campus and external partnerships.

Skills

Greenhouse operations experience

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in plant biology, ecology or related field

Job description

University of Illinois Chicago seeks an Assistant or Associate Rank Clinical Faculty member to serve as Greenhouse Manager for the Plant Research Laboratory. The role combines operational oversight of a shared research and teaching facility with undergraduate instruction and student engagement on campus in Chicago.

Responsibilities include greenhouse operations, teaching at least one course per semester, supervising staff, and supporting research and outreach aligned with BIOS and PRL missions.