Landscape & Sustainability Manager

ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION•Boston, MA

2d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Esplanade Association is seeking a seasoned Landscape & Sustainability Manager to lead park stewardship, horticultural enhancement, and the long-term ecological sustainability of the 64-acre Charles River Esplanade. The manager serves as the organization’s primary internal and external resource on maintenance and improvement projects, tracking and reporting on the condition of the park’s living and built infrastructure and overseeing day-to-day horticultural, maintenance, and volunteer activities. Working with senior leadership, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), staff, volunteers, contractors, and partners, the manager guides the strategy and implementation of landscape, horticulture, and sustainability programs. The role promotes ecological health, operational resilience, and an exceptional visitor experience. The position leads annual and seasonal stewardship and maintenance planning; landscape and horticultural operations; environmental and climate-resilience initiatives; and the supervision of horticulture staff, seasonal employees, interns, and volunteers. It also manages contractors and consultants, supports community engagement and environmental programming, and contributes to planning, budgeting, grants, records, and equipment management. Success includes maintaining the park’s extensive living and built infrastructure in line with DCR and industry standards, developing the Park Care team, and tracking and reporting on climate-action goals. This is a full-time, exempt position averaging 40 hours per week. Hours are currently Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with infrequent predetermined evening or weekend commitments. When the Smith Family Pavilion and Charlesbank Campus opens, the schedule is expected to shift to Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours may vary based on program needs, including additional evening, weekend, or early-morning hours around the grand opening. Work takes place indoors and outdoors across seasons.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture, environmental science, horticulture, sustainability, or a related field.
3 to 5 years of project management experience combining grounds or facilities care with environmental strategy.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong professional relationships.
Strong project management, organizational, communication, and stakeholder-engagement skills.
Experience developing and managing budgets.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn and adapt to various software.
Demonstrated ability, or clearly demonstrated capacity, to organize, manage, and motivate staff and volunteers and to work under pressure or with rapidly changing priorities.
Knowledge of the Charles River Esplanade and a passion for parks, historic landmarks, recreation, culture, education, green space, and sustainability.
Ability to safely operate and/or drive light and heavy equipment, including chainsaws, pole saws, string trimmers, basic lawnmowers, and hand tools.
Valid Massachusetts driver’s license at the time of appointment and throughout employment.
Ability to bend, reach, carry, climb, and lift 40 pounds as necessary to perform assigned duties.
Ability to work indoors and outdoors across seasons and to accommodate schedule variations, including occasional evening, weekend, or early-morning commitments.

Nice To Haves

Credentials such as SITES AP, ISA Certified Arborist, or MA Master Gardener Certificate.
Bilingual or multilingual skills.

Responsibilities

Lead annual and seasonal stewardship, maintenance, and enhancement planning for the Esplanade’s living and built infrastructure, including the Tree Management and Succession Plan.
Oversee staff and contractor landscape and horticultural operations, including planting design, irrigation, soil health, turf care, nuisance and invasive species control, and tree care.
Maintain high standards of horticultural excellence, landscape quality, ecological health, operational efficiency, and visitor experience.
Allocate staff, volunteers, equipment, and other resources to support operational goals.
Lead the sustainability strategy and advance initiatives for ecological health, climate resilience, and resource conservation in alignment with the EA 2024 Climate Action Plan, environmental regulations, and industry best practices.
Oversee environmental projects and research, including green infrastructure, stormwater management, riverbank restoration, waste reduction, and energy and water conservation.
Track organization-wide sustainability goals and performance metrics and prepare annual progress and impact reports.
Work with staff, partners, and regional organizations to track environmental projects and regulations and advance shared sustainability objectives.
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate horticulture staff, seasonal employees, interns, and volunteers.
Review staffing and recommend improvements to workflows and assigned responsibilities.
Manage contractors and consultants supporting landscape maintenance, tree care, and capital projects.
Promote approachability, kindness, safety, professionalism, cleanliness, organization, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Build and maintain relationships with DCR staff, community partners, donors, volunteers, and stakeholders.
Support environmental education, garden tours, public outreach, and sustainability-focused programming.
Collaborate with internal teams to incorporate landscape and sustainability initiatives into visitor experiences and public programs.
Support departmental budgeting, strategic planning, and grant applications and reporting.
Maintain presentation-ready inventories, records, GIS/maps, databases, and operational documentation.
Manage equipment, tools, and vehicles and keep service and maintenance records up to date.

Benefits

15 vacation, 12 sick, and 2 personal days per year; vacation increases to 17 days after 2 years of service.
11 holidays, including five specified days off and six floating holidays depending on holidays worked.
Health and dental insurance, with 80% of the monthly premium paid by EA.
Health savings account with a $2,500 EA contribution for employees enrolled in the EA health plan.
403(b) retirement plan.
Commuter benefits through pre-tax deduction of up to $300 per month.
Paid professional development opportunities.
Competitive salary of $70,000–$80,000, based on experience, qualifications, and demonstrated skills.
Opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
Training and development.