Horticulturist
About The Position
Join the North Carolina Zoo during an exciting period of growth as we prepare for the opening of Asia! Do you enjoy working outdoors planting and maintaining large landscapes? The North Carolina Zoo is seeking to hire multiple, experienced and enthusiastic team members to join our multiple Horticulture teams. A Horticulturist at the North Carolina Zoo is responsible for maintaining and enhancing plant collections and landscapes that support animal habitats, visitor experiences, and conservation goals. Their work supports the horticulture mission to advance public awareness of the importance of plants and their role in nature and contributes to the goal of creating living pictures of wild places that respectfully represent animal habitats.
Requirements
- High school or General Educational Development (GED) diploma and two years of progressive experience in horticultural work; OR Associate's degree in agriculture and natural resources, greenhouse and grounds maintenance, horticulture technology, landscape gardening or closely related field from an appropriately accredited institution; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Must have a valid driver’s license issued from within the United States or be able to obtain one within 90 days of employment.
- Must be able to lift between 30-50 pounds of aggregate material to a height of 18 inches and transport it laterally at a distance of 4.5 feet on a frequent basis.
- Must be able to perform the physical demands of the job for extended and irregular periods, under adverse conditions in all extremes of weather.
- Experience with computers for research, data entry and/or record keeping.
- Selected candidate must be a team player and maintain effective work relationships.
Nice To Haves
- A valid North Carolina Pesticide Applicator’s license.
- Demonstrated thorough working knowledge of plant maintenance procedures and horticultural practices used in landscape installation and grounds maintenance.
- Demonstrated plant knowledge and experience in integrated pest/weed management.
- Demonstrated experience with various equipment used for landscaping such as string trimmers, blowers, tractors, front-end loaders, skid-steers and/or other related equipment.
- Demonstrated experience with irrigation installation, maintenance and repairs.
Responsibilities
- Daily landscape maintenance, including leaf-blowing, weeding, mulching, and pruning, as well as fertilizing, watering and pesticide applications.
- Landscape construction and design.
- Landscape equipment operation and daily maintenance inspection.
- Comply with safety, environmental, and all Zoo Standard Operating Procedures.
- Interact with Zoo guests, answer questions and provide information.
- Grow a thorough knowledge of the Zoo's plant collection.
- Use computers for plant research, data entry and record keeping.
Benefits
- Sign-on bonus of $1000 is being offered for eligible candidates.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility for those with student loans.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
High school or GED
