Horticulturist I - Outdoor Kemper Center for Home Gardening

Job title: Horticulturist I - Outdoor Kemper Center for Home Gardening in Saint Louis, MO at Missouri Botanical Garden
Company: Missouri Botanical Garden
Job description: Summary:Missouri Botanical Garden is seeking a full-time Horticulturist I to join our Kemper Center for Home Gardening team. The Horticulturist will run and provide support for the daily activities and programs of the Kemper Center; opens and closes the building, greets and directs visitors to the Center’s services, answers gardening questions from walk in visitors, horticulture answer service phone calls and questions via email and the web, compiles monthly reports and supports building functions. Trains, directs, and oversees the daily activities of volunteers t for Kemper Center Programs, performs duties as required associated with maintenance and care of the indoor displays and plant collections within the Kemper Center. Researching and recording cultivation information is essential. Accurate and detailed record keeping and plant labeling is critical.Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensures a positive visitor experience by greeting and directing all guests who visit the Kemper Center to the Center’s services, provides information resources in a friendly and professional manner.
• Checks for and responds to questions that come in via the Plant Doctor Desk and the Horticulture Answer Service
• Provides timely and pertinent horticulture information to various social media platforms.
• Develops interpretive content for Kemper Center building displays, gardening blogs and social media outlets, Kemper center web pages and other gardening resources.
• Responds to specific gardening questions that come in via online including the website, social media, and email.
• Create and build gardening and horticulture information resources; enters horticulture and additional plant species / cultivar information into LCMS for Plant Finder and develops and continually refines gardening help information resources
• Answers specific gardening questions from the public and Responds to the Communication Department request for gardening information including participating in news, radio, and print interviews; Provides presentations as requested to horticulture related groups.
• Receives and answers incoming calls, determines the nature of each call, and directs the caller to the appropriate person or department; communicates with callers in an upbeat, professional, and efficient manner, striving to minimize the amount of time spent on hold.
• Maintains current information reference materials for Gardening Help and Kemper Center web pages; utilizes available resources to obtain current information related to Garden and member activities/events (i.e., access websites, Garden publications, email, and other related verbal and written communication updates as needed).
• Performs routine plant maintenance to include watering, pruning, fertilizing and pest monitoring for interior plants.
• Leads and directs the work of volunteers to deliver information and complete projects.
• Completes assigned tasks as needed in support of seasonal indoor displays.
• Ensures that all applicable safety standards are followed. Adapts or modifies work methods to reduce hazards. Reports all accidents, injuries and near-miss accidents immediately.
• Behaves and communicates in a manner that promotes and fosters a culture of teamwork and cooperation, within our division and throughout the Garden, with co-workers, supervisors/managers, volunteers, visitors and employees.
• Opens/closes building; ensures that the lobby and reception areas are kept neat and orderly; responsible for requesting all routine housekeeping needs (i.e., trash disposal, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc.)
• Meets expected attendance guidelines.
• Follows and adheres to established policies and procedures, including but not limited to Employee Handbook, Garden Safety Guidelines and Department Policies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Group of volunteers.Competencies:

• Communication: Combines listening skills, verbal and written communication skills and visitor relation skills.
• Collaboration: Incorporates teamwork, mutual respect, active engagement, cooperation and visitor focus.
• Accountability: Initiative to take ownership of responsibilities, the ability to prioritize and the working knowledge and skills to take action.
• Problem Solving: Blends problem solving skills, judgement and decision making skills along with creativity and resourcefulness.
• Stewardship: Merges the practical application of the Garden values and support for a positive organizational climate.

Qualifications/Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years horticulture experience.
• General office and computer experience required.
• Knowledge of plant pest and diseases.
• Familiarity with approved horticultural practices and strong willingness to learn and become familiar with the Garden’s plants and plant collections.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of plant maintenance techniques and equipment.
• Knowledge of appropriate and effective watering practices.
• Excellent customer service and verbal communication skills; exceptional ability to communicate effectively at all levels; must enjoy and feel comfortable interacting and working in close proximity to general public, in a friendly and professional manner, providing directions and answering general questions about the Garden.
• Ability to present technical concepts to non-technical functional teams.

• Must be punctual, dependable, self-starter, and possess the ability to effectively multi-task and work under minimal supervision.
• Adaptability and flexibility to handle changing demands.

• Demonstrates highest level of professional and ethical conduct; neat and professional appearance.
• Knowledge of and adherence to all health and safety guidelines.

• Scheduling flexibility that allows working weekends and holidays.
• The Garden is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our employees, volunteers and guests. All staff are strongly encouraged to receive all vaccinations as recommended by your healthcare provider prior to hire date. The Garden reserves the right to require future proof of current vaccination status, based on local health department guidelines. When international travel is necessary for Garden business, staff must be able to obtain required travel clearances, driving permits, and vaccinations for all countries where travel is required.
• The requirements and duties listed are representative and not exhaustive of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities required.

Education:

• Bachelor degree in Horticulture, Biology, Botany and/or related field preferred.

• An equivalent combination of skills, education and experience may be considered.

Computer Skills:

• Proficient experience using Microsoft Office suite (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
• Working knowledge of social media and related best practices
• Excellent web navigation skills that are needed to navigate the Kemper Center’s Gardening Help website and other relevant Gardening sites.
• Understanding of searching relational databases online.
• Solid Internet research skills.
• Ability to use e-mail to communicate with Garden staff in order to answer questions and service their needs.

Language Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively in English (verbal and written).

Mathematical Skills:

• H.S. basic math aptitude; requires ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; calculate percentages and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:

• Requires ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to lift 50 lbs. and over; ability to move plants and watering equipment around the building and complex.
• Requires sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping and reaching for extended periods of time--50% or more of the workday is spent sitting.
• Requires ability to receive and make frequent telephone calls.
• Ability to utilize computer keyboard (typing); principally operates standard office equipment to include computers, copiers, fax machines.
• May be required to perform tasks at varying heights (i.e. climb ladders, etc.).
• Ability to wear Garden-issued Personal Protective Equipment.

Work Environment:

• Indoor office setting, sitting at the reception desk; remainder of time is spent moving about the building caring for plants, stocking brochure supplies, etc.
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions (i.e., humid conditions, temperatures over 100°F as well as temperatures below 0°F, in rain, snow and other inclement weather conditions as needed).
• Frequent outdoors tasks must be completed to fill watering cart, collect plant material for drying or tend some plants spending the summer outdoors in the Summer Plant House.
• Wet conditions much of the time as watering is frequent.
• Comfortable working in immediate proximity to general public, in a safe and friendly manner, answering general questions regarding the questions regarding horticulture collection, Garden’s operations, events, facilities, etc.

Expected salary:
Location: Saint Louis, MO
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