Company description

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Inc. (RIPA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works with the City of New York and local communities to provide an innovative and exciting destination through a wide range of sports venues, cultural events and environmental exploration. As the dedicated steward of Randall’s Island Park, the Alliance sustains, maintains, develops and programs the Park to support the wellbeing of all New Yorkers.

Job description

Job Type: Full-Time, Year-Round; 40 hours per week; 5 days per week; Exempt
Salary Range: $70,000-$75,000
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package 60 days following date of hire (health insurance, paid time off, etc.), free parking on site, etc.
Work Location: Randall’s Island Park, New York, NY 10035

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Horticulture Manager will report to the Director of Grounds and is responsible for planning, managing, and coordinating activities pertaining to high level quality maintenance of all gardens, meadows, and green streets at Randall’s Island Park. This role works to provide quality maintenance of trees, shrubs, herbaceous layers and ensures design intentions of themed gardens are maintained. The Horticulture Manager will oversee three year-round staff members, seven seasonal staff members and a group of interns. The Horticulture Manager will participate and work collaboratively to support Island-wide special events, tours, and volunteer group events.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Work with and provide assistance to the Director of Grounds in all facets of daily operations on maintenance of plants for various gardens on Randall’s Island.
Supervise staff members to obtain quality performance, efficiency, morale, productivity, communication, commitment, and teamwork while maintaining the high quality of the gardens and green streets.
Apply strong knowledge of plants, their cultural requirements, and their botanical nomenclature, including protection and transplanting of existing plants, soil preparation, planting, mulching, weeding, watering fertilization, irrigation, IPM, and seeding.
Perform all garden activities working with plan material, which includes, but is not limited to performance of all tasks necessary for the good health and overall appearance of garden areas, woody ornamentals, herbaceous perennials, and small trees.
Help to plan and schedule work assignments in all phases of garden maintenance.
Provide leadership for staff through effective communication, support, training, and professional development.
Plan and lead volunteer groups and tours in the Water’s Edge Garden, native meadows, and other gardens.
Document, report, and catalog plant-related information.
Operate small hand tools and basic power machinery, including hedge trimmers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers, ensuring equipment is secured and well-maintained.
General clean-up and litter removal of garden beds and pathways.
Oversee day-to-day tasks and report back progress to Director of Grounds.
Perform timekeeping by verifying and approving payroll for the Horticulture department.
Review and approve invoices and submit to the Chief Financial Officer for processing and payment.
Assist the Director of Grounds in budget preparation and track spending.
Ensure that proper safety and incident reporting procedures are followed; bring problems to the attention of the Director of Grounds and/or Chief of Staff/HR.
Collaborate with the Sports Field Manager to maximize on projects that would benefit from staffing overlap, equipment and material usage and ideas to cross-train staff on certain tasks that would maximize efficiency.
Pinpoint training and professional development opportunities for staff members.
Maintain regular communication with the Director of Environmental Programs, Public Programs Manager, Natural Areas Manager and Urban Farm Manager to assist with planning for horticultural-based programming events such as volunteer groups, tours, and festivals.
Support the Communications department by providing content for social media posts, when needed.
Act as an ambassador for RIPA, answering questions for park visitors, and creating a welcoming space.
Perform all other general tasks as assigned by the Director of Grounds.
This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Horticulture certificate / coursework AND five (5) years hands-on Horticulture and/or landscape design or similar experience.
Minimum of two (2) years of experience supervising, training, coaching, and/or developing staff members/interns.
Ability to apply emotional intelligence, discretion, and strong judgment, especially when managing staff.
Ability to manage and balance administrative aspects of the position in conjunction with outdoor work.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, GIS a plus.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, time-management and leadership skills.
Excellent planning and organizational skills, as well as strong attention to detail.
Experience leading volunteer events, tours, workshops, etc.
Ability to build positive working relationships across the organization.
Willing to work outdoors in all types of weather, under strenuous conditions.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
Ability to perform physical labor; must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
Motivated and punctual, able to work both independently, and as part of a team.
Ability to shift priorities and focus, when needed.

PREFERRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS
B.A. in Horticulture, Environmental Sciences, or other related fields.
Experience landscaping formally and/or informally.
Working knowledge of meadow ecology and cottage gardening, with an emphasis on native plant selection.
Valid NY State certified commercial pesticide applicators license in turf and ornamentals.
Experience working in a public park.
Experience working in a non-profit organization.


The Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and believes in a diverse and an inclusive workspace.
RIPA maintains confidentiality of all applications and therefore will never contact a present employer without prior consent from the applicant.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $50,000 - $75,000

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline