Desert Collections Nursery Horticulturist

Title: Desert Collections Nursery Horticulturist

Location: San Marino

time type

Full time

job requisition id

R0001364

Job Description:

About Us

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

The Huntington

Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

The Culture

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond.  Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. 

At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.

• Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.

• Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.

• Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.

• Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.

• Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

Job Description

About the Role 

Working under the supervision of and reporting to the Bernie and Miyako Storch Curator of the Desert Garden and Collections, responsible for the care of assigned collections in the Desert Collections Nursery. This includes potting, watering, labeling, tracking and recording in BG Base, in collaboration with the Curator and the Plant Records Specialist. Associated responsibilities relate to curation, research and conservation, and education and interpretation. 

S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach. 

Essential Duties 

1. HORTICULTURE 

• Ensures the health and quality of plants in the assigned areas of the Collections utilizing best horticultural practices, including grooming, repotting, watering, and fertilizing. 

• Collaborates with nursery staff and volunteers dedicated to achieve horticultural goals. 

• Maintains a clean, organized, and safe working environment in the nursery. 

• Supports the overall quality and professional standards of the Desert Collections in alignment with the Living Collections Policy. 

2. CURATION 

• Assists the Curator and colleagues in improving the quality of plant collections. 

• Collaborates with Plant Recorder to ensure that all Desert Collections accessions are properly documented and tracked in the database. 

• Collaborates with Plant Recorder and nursery staff and volunteers to assure that all plants under their care in the Desert Collections are properly labeled and tracked. 

3. RESEARCH and CONSERVATION 

• Ensures collections are propagated in support of preservation, conservation, research, display, interpretation, exchange, introduction, and distribution through the International Succulent Introductions (ISI) program. 

• Assists the Curator in promoting and exchanging material with other institutions, collectors, and researchers, through ISI, reciprocal exchange, and sales. 

• Supports research efforts by providing plant material and assisting with to interpretation of collections. 

4. EDUCATION and INTERPRETATION 

• Promotes understanding and appreciation of the Desert Collections through ongoing engagement with researchers, public audiences, and Huntington staff.  

• Collaborates with staff, docents, and volunteers on interpretive and educational initiatives. 

Candidate Requirements and Experience 

Knowledge, skills and abilities: 

• A minimum of two years’ horticultural experience. 

• Basic knowledge of plant taxonomy and succulents. 

• Excellent communication skills. 

• Ability to collaborate productively with a wide range of coworkers and colleagues, specialists and researchers in botany. 

• Associate’s degree or higher degree in botany, horticulture or related field. 

Working Conditions 

• Expect to work outdoors daily in ALL weather conditions. Rain gear/watering boots will be provided. 

• Expect to wear clothing and footwear appropriate for exposure to soil in wet or dusty conditions. 

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, stoop, bend, lift up to 25 lbs. 

Compensation & Benefits  

We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:  

• Pay Rate: $19.75/hr. 

• Medical, Dental, Vision   

• 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match  

• Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions  

• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays  

• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants  

• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions  

• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds