Supervisory Horticulturist

Smithsonian; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Smithsonian Institution—through Smithsonian Gardens in Facilities Management—seeks a senior horticulture leader to direct programs across public gardens, living plant collections, and landscape assets. You will oversee a team, manage budgets, and coordinate with executives to advance Smithsonian Garden goals.

Qualifications require a horticulture degree with extensive plant science coursework and demonstrable experience leading a horticulture organization at a high level.

Qualifications

• Degree in horticulture or related plant science with at least 30 semester hours in basic plant sciences and 16 hours in horticultural subjects.
• Transcript submission required if using education to qualify; official transcripts may be requested after selection.

Responsibilities

• Lead and exercise full authority over a horticulture or landscape organization, including subordinate supervision.
• Formulate and execute budgets; secure support from executives and external agencies.
• Provide strategic direction to achieve program goals in the Smithsonian Gardens.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Horticulture degree

Job description

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Smithsonian Gardens (SG), Facilities Management (FM). Smithsonian Garden is responsible for supporting Smithsonian Gardens, which manages public gardens, living plant collections, greenhouse and nursery operations, and landscape assets.

Basic Qualification Requirements:

Basic Education Requirements for Horticulture Series 0437:

• 1. Degree: horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post harvest handling of horticultural crops.
• 2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

OR

Evaluation of Education:

Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, and similar courses may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in basic plant sciences.

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, however if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify you must provide an official transcript before you begin work.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements listed below:

GS-15 Experience:

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as leading and exercising full authority over a horticulture or landscape organization through subordinate supervisors, including technical direction, budget formulation and execution, and persuading executives and outside agencies to support program goals, even when facing resistance.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.
Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.