Horticulturist-Nursery Grower

Thomas Jefferson Foundation; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package

Fitness club membership discount

Monticello cafe/gift shop discounts

Employee referral bonus

Job summary

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation is seeking a full-time Horticulturist-Nursery Grower to oversee the CHP nursery, greenhouse, plant sales, and field production at Tufton Farm. This role leads staff and volunteers, coordinates seedling production, propagation, and seed collection, and ensures safe, timely operations.

Must have college-level horticulture experience and certification within 6 months. Compensation is $22.00-$24.00 per hour with full-time benefits including medical, dental, vision,

Qualifications

• College-level coursework in horticulture or related field.
• Virginia Pesticide Applicator Certification within 6 months of hire.
• Experience propagating plants and maintaining ornamental varieties.
• Ability to lead staff and volunteers in nursery tasks.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, scheduling, growth, harvest, and distribution of nursery crops.
• Coordinate activities with staff to ensure proper care of crops.
• Monitor growing environments and apply pesticides as needed.
• Train staff and volunteers in nursery tasks and safety.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of production areas.
• Report facility needs and submit maintenance tickets.
• Prepare plants for the Visitor Center shop and mail orders.
• Oversee seed packing and inventory management.
• Support propagation and seed production records.
• Assist with landscape and maintenance projects.

Skills

Nursery experience

Team leadership

Project planning

Pesticide safety

Driving license

MS Office basics

Education

B.S./B.A. in horticulture

Associate’s degree in horticulture

Virginia Pesticide Applicator Certification

Tools

MS Office

Job description

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation has a twofold mission of preservation and education, and was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the Foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues by engaging audiences with Jefferson's world and ideas, and sharing the history of everyone, enslaved and free, who lived and labored at Monticello. Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site and a Site of Conscience.

Horticulturist-Nursery Grower (Full-Time)

Purpose:

This position oversees the production, care, and maintenance of high-quality sales plants, seeds, and bulbs at the Center for Historic Plants (CHP) nursery. The Horticulturist-Nursery Grower also helps maintain display gardens and production fields at Tufton Farm, collects and packages seed, and serves as a crew lead for assigned staff members and volunteers. This position manages nursery, greenhouse, plant sale, and garden tasks, including seed stratification schedules, seed sowing, repotting, irrigation, insect and disease monitoring, weeding, planting, and applying fertilizers and pesticides. The Horticulturist-Nursery Grower also ensures tasks are performed in a safe manner using best known practices and appropriate timing for quality care of CHP’s nursery crop.

Compensation:

$22.00-$24.00 per hour

Essential Functions:

• Serve as an interdisciplinary team member in the planning, scheduling, growing, harvesting, and distribution of seedling crops and plant materials from greenhouses, production beds, woodlands, and ornamental display gardens.
• Follow work plans and production schedules; lead coordination of activities with other staff members to ensure proper care and maintenance of nursery crops.
• Responsible for daily monitoring and adjustment of growing environments, observing seedling conditions, monitoring for insects and diseases, and taking necessary corrective measures, including the application of pesticides in a greenhouse or outdoor nursery environment.
• Lead and train other staff members and volunteers to assist with daily monitoring, watering, fertilizing, general plant care, and nursery activities.
• Ensure that all plant production areas are kept clean and organized and are operating properly.
• Communicate facility and grounds maintenance needs to the CHP manager; submit maintenance tickets as directed.
• Select and transport plants to the Visitor Center shop.
• Work with distribution center employees to prepare, label, and wrap plants for mail order distribution.
• Work with other staff members to lead plant propagation activities.
• Package seed and monitor seed production and collection in the nursery.
• Assist in maintaining records of plant propagation and potted plants for sale through data capture and inventory management.
• Assist in maintaining records of seed inventory for sale through data capture and inventory management; select and transport seed to the Visitor Center shop.
• Weed, edge, mow, prune, spray, fertilize, and mulch the nursery’s display beds and plant collections located within a 2-acre public garden and surrounding Tufton farm production fields.
• Assists with nursery and landscape maintenance tasks, including fence repair, animal control, infrastructure projects, and arboricultural duties.
• Assist in the training and onboarding of new employees and volunteers, including hands-on explanation of tasks and general guidance moving forward. Serves as a crew lead in assigned day-to-day nursery tasks and projects.
• Plan and implement nursery and greenhouse projects that further our mission of plant preservation and education.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Experience in a nursery setting propagating plants and maintaining a diversified array of ornamental plants, including natives and heirlooms.
• Intermediate-to-advanced understanding of horticultural techniques and plant nomenclature.
• Intermediate-to-advanced understanding of greenhouse operations, controlling greenhouse growing environments, and greenhouse facility monitoring.
• Ability to effectively lead and work in teams.
• Demonstrated experience in planning and organizing projects.
• Safe and proper use of hand tools and power equipment, including mowers, chainsaws, and weed eaters.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Strong communication abilities and proficiency in assimilating and disseminating information; tactful communication skills to ensure a harmonious working environment with colleagues; the ability to think and act quickly and to adapt to changing and adverse circumstances; and active learning capabilities.
• Basic computer skills including MS Office.

Physical Demands and Work Considerations:

• Position requires extensive manual labor working outside in all weather conditions.
• Lifting heavy plants, flats, bags of growing media, etc. (up to 50 pounds).
• Flexibility in work schedule required; includes some weekend work such as plants care and plant sales.
• Position requires maintaining a current Virginia pesticide applicator certification and pesticide application license.

Education:

• College experience, including relevant coursework, is required. B.S./B.A. or associate’s degree in horticulture or a related field is highly desirable.
• Applicant must obtain a Virginia Pesticide Applicator Certification within 6 months of hiring.

We provide the following benefits for our full-time employees:

• Excellent benefit package (including medical, dental, vision, 401 (k) retirement savings plan plus 6% match, life insurance and more!).
• Fitness club membership discount.
• Discount in the Monticello Cafe, gift shop, and Monticello online catalog.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - free for employees and dependents.
• $500 employee referral bonus.