Hands-On Horticulture Manager, Lāwaʻi Gardens

National Tropical Botanical Garden; Hawaii; On-site; USD 70,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawai i seeks a hands-on Horticulture Manager to lead the South Shore Lāwa‘i Gardens team across McBryde, Allerton, and Visitor Center Gardens. The role focuses on plant health, display horticulture, and collaboration with the Living Collections Curator.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture and 5+ years of leadership, with experience in endangered Hawaiian plants, pest management, and turf care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture required; botanical garden experience a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of managing a diverse gardening staff.
• Experience with science/research collections, food crops, ornamentals and turf.

Responsibilities

• Oversee horticulture staff to protect health and aesthetic value of the collections.
• Manage operations including irrigation, pest management, fertilization, purchasing, contractor oversight and compliance.
• Coordinate with the Director of Lāwa‘i Gardens and foremen across McBryde, Allerton and Visitor Center gardens.
• Maintain a safe working environment per garden safety protocols.
• Support and leverage volunteer and intern programs to meet horticultural objectives.
• Lead medium- to long-term garden planning efforts and collaboration with Living Collections.
• Represent NTBG at community and professional forums.
• Maintain plant identification tags and provenance for Living Collections.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Administrative skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Google Docs

Pesticide applicator

Driver's license

Job description

National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawai i seeks a hands-on Horticulture Manager to lead the South Shore Lāwa‘i Gardens team across McBryde, Allerton, and Visitor Center Gardens. The role focuses on plant health, display horticulture, and collaboration with the Living Collections Curator.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture and 5+ years of leadership, with experience in endangered Hawaiian plants, pest management, and turf care.