Director of Horticulture

(Paid Opportunities) Return to Paid Opportunities

Start Date: March 2025 Compensation: $120,000 - $180,000 based on skills and experience

The Bryant Park Corporation and the 34^th Street Partnership are hiring a full-time Director of Horticulture. The award-winning not-for-profit Business Improvement Districts, operating under a single management structure, share a mission to improve the quality of the commercial, physical, and public space environments in Midtown Manhattan.

This is a dynamic job with a wide range of responsibilities that vary seasonally. The ideal candidate is a seasoned Horticulturist with a passion for urban perennial maintenance and public horticulture. They possess excellent plant and pest identification skills, are fluent in botanical Latin, and have a keen eye for detail and planting composition. The candidate should have a proven ability to supervise and motivate an in-house horticulture team that serves both districts simultaneously.

They will join a multidisciplinary in-house team that includes professionals with backgrounds in horticulture, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, electrical construction, carpentry, and several multi-skilled technicians and craftsman; and work within an office that includes departments of Capital Projects, Events, Horticulture, Information Technology, Sanitation, Operations, Retail and Visitor Services, Security, and Digital Media.

This is a full time in-person (not remote) position starting in March 2025. Field / Office hours are typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with one hour for lunch. The position involves outdoor work in all weather conditions. Due to the nature of managing fieldwork, candidates must be willing to work occasionally at nights and on weekends.

Compensation
The position’s compensation includes competitive benefits: Paid Time Off, 403(b) Retirement Plan, Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vison Insurance, Health Care Savings Acct., etc. with employer matching contribution, and other allowances

Salary Range: $120,000 - $180,000 based on skills and experience

Responsibilities/Duties

Manage and supervise horticultural operations in both districts. Develop schedules and oversee daily operations of team maintaining trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and in both districts
Supervise the horticulture team in the field, providing guidance and feedback on essential tasks, ensuring proper horticultural techniques and best practices are followed. Guide the implementation of best practices to manage garden design and exceptional horticultural best practices, balancing natural aesthetics and historical integrity
Demonstrate expertise in the comprehensive growth and care of trees, shrubs, perennials, annual flowers and potted planters
Perform all duties associated with plant acquisition, installation, propagation, care and maintenance including shrubs, trees, and flowers
Develop and maintain annual plan for seasonal gardening / landscaping work such as planting, pruning, weeding, irrigation / watering, fertilizing, deadheading, mulching, dividing, soil placement, pest management, maintaining district wide planters for seasonal and holiday visual displays etc.
Develop and maintain an annual plan for seasonal sod / turf management work such as irrigation / watering, lawn treatments, mowing, aerating, topdressing, overseeding, dethatching, etc.
Ability to communicate with a diverse set of people, including supervisory and maintenance staff, contractors, constituents and city agencies
Field observation, site visits, construction supervision including contractor management, project cost control, detailed project record keeping, permitting and approval processes
Manages horticultural contract procurement and expenditure management, bid process management including development of RFPs, contracts and agreements with growers and third party contractors, as well as quality control and implementation of all horticultural field work
Assist in preparing budgets and managing expenditures within approved budgets.
Responsible for the hiring, training, supervision and evaluation of horticultural staff.
Reports directly to Vice President of Capital Projects and works with interdisciplinary in-house teams on projects as required

Qualifications/Requirements

A minimum of 7 years of hands-on horticulture experience in a supervisory capacity with expertise in public garden design and construction practices and management, and contract management with a demonstrated competency in business administration
Highly motivated, able to work independently to coordinate complex activities, prioritize conflicting demands and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Experience working for private sector organization(s) preferred
Experience working in the field with contractors required
Expertise in urban horticultural practices, B.A. in Public Horticulture or related fields or equivalent horticulture certificate
Experience administering contracts; strong financial and analytical skills; vendor relationship management and issues resolution
Strong interpersonal and teamwork qualities, with excellent listening skills, assertiveness in presenting ideas to others, and an ability to work effectively with others (both internal and external consultants/contractors)
Excellent communication skills and ability to prepare and perform presentations for executives and internal colleagues
Computer proficiency in: MS Excel, MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Internet search skills and the ability to learn new applications quickly. Comfort with MS Excel essential
Must be authorized to work lawfully in the United States

Additional Information

Submission Requirements; please include (via email):

A cover letter expressing why you are interested in the position (in body of email)
A resume as an attachment (PDF files only). Resumes should include contact information for references being offered

Contact Information

Bryant Park Corporation and the 34th Street Partnership
Email: doh@34bp.org