Greenhouse Technician

PeopleAdmin•Naperville, IL

6d•Onsite

About The Position

This role involves the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and seasonal maintenance of a greenhouse facility. The Greenhouse Technician will be responsible for environmental monitoring, system verifications, facility upkeep, and assisting students with experimental plants. This position requires strong communication and coordination skills to collaborate with various stakeholders, including students, faculty, internal departments, and external consultants. The role also involves performing physical labor and handling specialized cleaning solutions safely. Availability in the morning and afternoon is required.

Requirements

Knowledge of chemistry, plant biology, and greenhouse systems
Some familiarity with or working in a greenhouse
Excellent communication skills to effectively collaborate with students, faculty, internal departments (ITS, Maintenance, Housekeeping, College of Arts & Sciences), and/or external service consultants.
Ability to perform physical labor, including sweeping, lifting/moving pots, reassembling floor mats, and handling specialized acid cleaning solutions safely.
Must have availability in the morning and afternoon.

Responsibilities

Visually inspect and monitor greenhouse temperature and humidity levels via the control monitor, ensuring all data is being properly recorded by the system software.
Verify that the automated watering system and pad pump system are operating as programmed.
Visually inspect evaporative cooling pads for bowing, sagging, or dry streaks, and ensure the pads dry completely every 24 hours to prevent degradation.
Check the sump water level and clear out any resting debris.
Test and adjust water pH to remain within target parameters.
Sweep standing water from the floor, spray down floors to remove any nutrient build-up, and collect/discard plant debris to prevent drainage clogs.
Assist students with experimental plants and thoroughly clean up facility workspaces following student use.
Flush the cooling pad pump filter, wipe down the unit, and clean out the strainer (potentially twice a week) to prevent pump damage.
Turn off the system pump to remove, drain, and replace sediment plugs at the ends of the system.
Drain the sump to flush out sediment every two to four weeks. In environments with high salt concentrations, perform this drainage weekly to lower salt buildup.
Monitor bleed-off rates, inspect water flow rates across the spray bar, and clean any debris caught in the pump inlet.
Inspect the entire pad pump system for leaks, perform necessary repairs, and verify that the bleed-off connection is functioning continuously.
Examine the filter strainer and replace it if worn or damaged.
Conduct detailed pH testing on both the make-up water and the sump water.
Drain and thoroughly disinfect the entire water distribution system to maintain scale and algae control.
Collect and dispatch water samples to external testing solutions providers for quality analysis.
Communicate to Dr. Weremijewicz about maintenance needs.
Contact maintenance for specialized tasks such as clearing algae from the pad pump or cleaning the soil trap under the sinks.
Coordinate with housekeeping for an annual or semesterly floor power-wash and headhouse sweeping.
Reassemble non-slip safety mats after floor cleanings, and clean sprinkler heads, doors, and windows with acid cleaner to eliminate calcium/salt build-up.
Clean used pots/glassware, set up experimental pots with appropriate soil media, and coordinate greenhouse space allocation between classes, research initiatives, and internships.
Fill pots and source/sow seeds as requested.
Manage seasonal climate adjustments, including activating heating systems for fall/winter, shutting them off in the spring, and turning on the pad pump in late spring for cooling.
Drain the pump and piping system at the close of the season to avoid rust or freeze damage.
Follow standard operating procedures to test, restart, and replace worn parts upon spring system reactivation.