At The Garden — Employment

Employment at the Chicago Botanic Garden

TITLE: Horticultural Therapy Services Assistant – FILLED

PURPOSE: Maintain the Enabling Garden as a state-of-the-art display of barrier-free garden design, tools, techniques, and plants. This is a seasonal position extending from mid-March through mid-November.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assist the department manager with planning, ordering, soil preparation, planting, labeling, and maintenance of aesthetic year-round plant displays to Chicago Botanic Garden standards that emphasize unique sensory qualities, are used by horticultural therapists, support on-site program needs, and are accessioned in accordance with plant collections management policies. Ordered plant material produced in- house requires the use of the Garden’s Plant Requisition System (PRS) and close coordination with the Plant Production Department.
Support recruitment, training, scheduling, and management of a corps of volunteers to greet visitors; give demonstrations and tours; support Enabling Garden events; and maintain general cleanliness of plant displays to public garden standards.
Coordinate and account for product sales emanating from the “Tool Shed” and maintain monthly clients- served data reports.
Coordinate the Enabling Garden use schedule with other HTS staff.
Monitor general hardscape maintenance needs, prepare and submit work orders, and coordinate work with the Maintenance and Construction Departments; monitor and report pest and disease control needs to the Plant Healthcare Department.
With guidance from the supervisor, purchase and organize all supplies, tools, and equipment needed for the Enabling Garden.
Support all Enabling Garden programs and special events.

DEPARTMENT: Community and Youth Education; Horticultural Therapy Services

REPORTS TO: Enabling Garden Supervisor

SUPERVISES: While in Enabling Garden: Volunteers, Interns, and Students

COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS: Maintenance, Construction, Plant Healthcare, Horticulture, Group Tours, Grounds Maintenance, Plant Production, Volunteer Services.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: Associated degree in horticulture or a related field. Three years' experience maintaining highly detailed landscapes. Friendly and outgoing personality with communication skills appropriate for business essential with volunteers, visitors, and individuals having various physical and cognitive abilities. Basic understanding of disabilities and appropriate interaction skills. Strong knowledge of herbaceous plant materials — their design, use, and maintenance in outdoor display. Must be well organized, detail-oriented and able to use computer for word processing. Licensed driver insurable by the Society. Ability to lift and carry 35 lbs.