OUR GARDEN - EMPLOYMENT

Horticultural Specialist, Plant Information Service,
(Part-time)

PURPOSE: The Plant Information Service answers more than 30,000 garden related questions each year through a walk-up window, phone hotline, website, and e-mail. Working with 100 Master Gardener volunteers, the Horticultural Specialist strives to ensure all technical horticultural information being disseminated to Chicago Botanic Garden members, staff, the general public, and horticulture professionals is accurate and provided in a professional and courteous manner.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Assist in providing technical information to all clients and serve as the primary professional staff to support to Master Gardeners’ requiring additional information to answer client questions.

2. Train and provide orientation to the resources in the Plant Information Service for Master Gardener volunteers.

3. Oversee work schedules for Plant Information Master Gardener volunteers ensuring all shifts are fully staffed.

4. Collaborate with library staff on information resources and management of the Plant Information book and journal collection.

5. Maintain Plant Information Service resources, equipment, and inventories of office supplies.

6. Staff off-site Garden sponsored events as required.

7. Attend quarterly Plant Information Council Advisory meetings, create monthly reports, statistics, newsletters, and schedules.

8. Work with the other Plant Information Service Horticultural Specialists to create new office procedures and strategies to enhance the mission of Plant Information Service.

DEPARTMENT: Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden

REPORTS TO: Director, Library

SUPERVISES: Master Gardener volunteers

COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS: All areas of the Chicago Botanic Garden as necessary, and University of Illinois Cooperative Extension.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: Degree in horticulture, plant science, soil science, forestry or similar subject and previous work experience in a public garden, horticulture industry, library reference desk, customer service, or work with volunteers. Excellent oral and written communication skills required as well as expertise with computers including Microsoft office products and Internet searching. The work schedule is 25 hours per week, including one weekend day from April – October. Start date is July 21, 2008.