Plant Records and Herbarium Manager

Arboretum Foundation; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Arboretum Foundation seeks a Plant Records and Herbarium Manager to steward the Washington Park Arboretum collections and herbarium records. The role documents living and preserved plants, supports research, and collaborates with staff and volunteers.

The position entails managing BG-BASE records, conducting inventories, and coordinating with curators, horticulturists, and the public while contributing to public engagement and education efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, plant sciences or related field required.
• Four years of experience identifying or classifying plants.
• Experience with databases and spreadsheets.
• GIS experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain accurate plant collection records using BG-BASE.
• Survey living and herbarium collections with GIS mapping tools.
• Create and update plant collection maps using ArcMap.

Skills

MS Office

Database & spreadsheets

Education

Bachelor’s degree in horticulture / plant sciences or related field

Master’s degree in horticulture / taxonomy (nice to have)

Tools

BG-BASE

ArcMap / GIS mapping tools

Job description

Position:Plant Records and Herbarium Manager

Location: Seattle, WA

Job Id:107

# of Openings:1

Position Title: Plant Records and Herbarium Manager

Position Title: Plant Records and Herbarium Manager

Reports to: Director of Curation, Horticulture and Collections (Curator)

Paygrade: 25

Workplace Status: Full Time (30 hrs/wk)

Posting Dates: 10/28/2026 – 11/27/2026

About Seattle Botanic Gardens:

Gardens are an essential part of the human experience. We visit gardens to find peace and healing, to be with friends and family and to better understand and connect with the natural world. Plants shape how we live, what we notice, and how we care for one another.

Right now, we are building something extraordinary in Seattle: an exceptional organization that brings together the unique strengths of the Arboretum Foundation and the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. We are joining forces to become a destination garden, exemplifying leadership in scientific research, public engagement, and inclusive access. Our vision is to be a home for discovery, a force for sustainability, and a gateway to wonder. In every visit and through every season, we’ll help people of all ages meaningfully connect with the living world of plants and how they shape our lives and our shared future.

The 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum includes a vibrant collection of more than 40,000 plants from around the world with trails to explore, educational programs for youth to adults, and respite for all.

Position Summary:

Seattle Botanic Gardens (SBG) is seeking a Plant Records and Herbarium Manager for its growing collections and programs. SBG maintains the largest collection of woody plants in the Northwest, with over 20,000 documented taxa and more than 40,000 plants. Seattle Botanic Gardens is comprised of the 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum (Arboretum), the 3-acre Seattle Japanese Garden, and the 90-acre Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH), which includes 16 acres of display and research gardens and the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA) a large restoration area. All areas of SBG are used for teaching (at levels from elementary school to advanced degree work), research, and passive learning and recreation and are visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

Detailed plant records in the collection go back to 1936 and the Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium (Herbarium) features specimens as far back as the early 1900s. The Herbarium contains the largest preserved collection of cultivated plants in the Pacific Northwest. This position’s primary responsibilities are to record and update current and historical conditions in order to permanently document the collections of SBG and to assist in curatorial, horticultural and management decisions for plant collections and research.

Plant records are maintained in several formats and must be updated continually as the living and preserved collections change over time. Both living and herbarium collections are documented in a database, BG-BASE, which is used by the staff of SBG. These records are made available in basic form through our website for public and research use, and in more detailed form through specific requests.

Herbarium collections are important resources for research into plant taxonomy, invasive species, climate change and conservation. The herbarium also contains the reference collection for the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, as well as vouchers from numerous student research projects, and collections for other Puget Sound public gardens. The herbarium is a public resource for the Pacific Northwest horticultural community for plant identification.

Seattle Botanic Gardens is seeking a Plant Records and Herbarium Manager (PRH) to perform duties related to collections record keeping and herbarium operations. The PRH reports to the Director of Curation, Horticulture and Collections (Curator). This position is 30 hours a week, and includes full benefits.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Create and maintain accurate and organized plant collection records. Use BG-BASE collections database for living and herbarium collections
• Survey new and existing plant collections at SBG using GIS mapping tools and surveying equipment
• Create, update and maintain plant collection maps, using GIS applications such as ArcMap in conjunction with BG-BASE
• Use plant identification and classification skills to ensure accuracy of collection records. Keep updated with accepted taxonomic changes and make changes to nomenclature in databases and labeling as applicable.
• Collect samples from the living plant collections at the SBG, and other designated local public gardens, for research and voucher specimens
• Prepare voucher specimens for the permanent collections of the Herbarium
• Conduct regular physical inventories of the living plant collection, including condition checks and label verification
• Work with horticulture staff to develop and refine practices to document and report updated condition, health and planting information to ensure efficient workflow and quick updating of records in BG-BASE
• Foster a collaborative and productive work environment by building positive working relationships with staff, researchers, volunteers and stakeholders.
• Assist staff, researchers, volunteers, and interns with collection inventory projects and collection requests
• Format and create permanent plant labels using software and hardware for plant collections and herbarium specimens. Place or replace plant labels for collections
• Recruit, manage and direct volunteers to assist with record keeping and herbarium activities
• Answer questions from the public, SBG Miller Library, master gardeners and horticultural professionals regarding plant identification
• Digitize existing herbarium voucher specimens in collection
• Update herbarium and relevant plant collection website pages
• Lead tours of the herbarium for public, University of Washington and local college students as time allows
• Maintain regular communication with supervisor and stakeholders through meetings, reports, and correspondence.
• Use Microsoft Office applications and departmental databases to support documentation, reporting, communication, and analysis.
• Maintain surveying, office, and label making equipment in good working order

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Must be proficient in MS Office applications or similar.
• Some experience working with databases and spreadsheets required.
• Work experience using GIS applications and tools preferred.
• Must be comfortable working with the public and corresponding by email or phone.
• Experience writing materials for websites or publications desired.
• Work experience in a museum setting or public garden preferred.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, plant sciences or related field, or an equivalent combination of training and relevant work experience.
• Four years of experience identifying or classifying plants. Ability to identify a wide range of temperate plant species. Ability to quickly learn species and cultivars in collection is needed.

Nice to have:

• Master’s degree in horticulture, taxonomy, plant sciences or similar field preferred.

Professionalism:

• Support the mission, vision, and strategic goals, as a part of the Seattle Botanic Gardens, to serve both internal and external customers.
• Follow and support Seattle Botanic Gardens policies and procedures.
• Evaluate own performance and assumes responsibility for professional development.
• Demonstrate and models Process documentation for clarity and consistency.
• Maintain current knowledge of all changes affecting area of work.
• Conduct self in a professional manner and follows and support the core values, commitments, and behaviors.
• Maintain appropriate professional appearance and confidentiality.

Job Specific Physical Requirements:

• Must be willing to work outside in all weather conditions. Ability to lift 50 lbs. Must provide own transportation to and from collecting sites at SBG and vicinity.

Physical/Mental Requirements:

• Must be able to sit for long periods of time.
• Frequent requirement to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms
• Frequently involves extended workdays and periodically involves irregular work hours.
• Regular group and public speaking.
• Occasional travel and/or overnight work schedules.
• Requires attention to detail and ability to concentrate on figures, paperwork, data, etc.
• Frequent pressures related to meeting deadlines and fulfilling scheduling requirements.
• Frequent distracting influences such as people, phone calls, noise and so forth.
• Frequent simultaneous handling of multiple tasks and intermittent or cyclical work pressures.
• Occasionally requires on-call availability to handle work problems, emergencies/crisis situations etc.
• Occasional work at multiple sites or travel.

Seattle Botanic Gardens shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include hiring and termination of staff, selecting volunteers, selecting vendors, and providing services.