Assistant Director Of Horticulture

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE

Reports to: Senior Director of Horticulture & Maintenance

Uniformed: Yes Hours/Week: 37.5 Weekend Hours Required: Yes

About the Hudson River Park Trust:

Hudson River Park encompasses approximately 550 total acres of property, 400 of which are within the Hudson River estuary. The balance consists of a combination of piers and upland property, incorporating both traditional passive and active public open spaces as well as limited municipal and commercial uses as authorized by the Park’s enabling statute. The Park is immediately adjacent to the New York State Department of Transportation’s heavily used Route 9A bikeway. The Park consists of many landscape types including but not limited to ornamental display gardens, pollinator gardens, natural habitat areas, native grasses, lawns as well as 2,675 trees. The Parks landscape is irrigated with 9 separate fully automatic systems using Tucor 2-wire decoders and controllers.

The Hudson River Park Trust (“Trust”) is a public benefit corporation established by New York State legislation in 1998 and a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission of planning, designing, constructing and operating Hudson River Park (the “Park”) along approximately four miles of Manhattan’s West Side. The Horticulture Department consists of 10 full-time employees, including a staff person assigned to the volunteer program and another to composting. The park landscapes are divided into 8 zones and managed by the remaining full-time staff in the Department. Additionally, from April 1 thru Dec 1, the Horticulture Department will have 10-12seasonal employees to assist with overall maintenance of the landscapes.

Job Description:

The Assistant Director will report to the Senior Director of Horticulture & Maintenance and provide day to day leadership of zone management, horticultural infrastructure and equipment, quality assurance, staff supervision and development, project planning and management. In addition, the Assistant Director from time to time, may be tasked to provide project management support elsewhere within the Operations Unit of the Trust. The successful candidate shall monitor horticultural systems, tasks, and activities throughout the park and help implement horticultural plans established by the Senior Director. The Assistant Director must be able to work independently, provide assistance and direction to staff, and make timely, sound decisions.

Specific Tasks & Responsibilities Include:

Staff Development & Management

§ Communicate and provide direction to staff on daily assignments. Follow up with staff in field to offer guidance and ensure completion of tasks within a reasonable timeframe.

§ Provide hands-on training to staff in horticulture maintenance standards and techniques including the proper and safe use and maintenance of tools and equipment.

§ Ensure staff compliance with and adherence to all applicable safety standards commensurate with policy and regulations including OSHA, standard operating procedures, and guidelines.

§ Assist the Senior Director with staff performance appraisals and career development.

§ Assist the Senior Director with talent acquisition process; provide initial screening of labor pool, interview candidates and make recommendations for hiring of seasonal and full-time staff.

Zone Management

• Assist the Senior Director with the creation of zones, maps and collection of landscape data within each zone that will help to inform distribution of labor, critical areas in need of attention, project planning, etc.
• Assist the Senior Director with preparation of procedures, standards, and manuals for horticultural maintenance regiments and practices.
• Fill-in on an as needed basis for zone leaders to ensure daily park openings and supervise staff within designated zone.
• Assist staff by supervising daily data entry into CMMS (Cartegraph Asset Management) and creating work tasks; provide review and additional support to zone leaders with CMMS (Cartegraph) by reviewing data accuracy and facilitating trainings.
• Perform inspections of landscape for each zone. Providing a detailed report of the landscape quality.

Planning & Design

• Prepare plans for small/medium/large scale renovations of gardens, landscape and turf areas including but not limited to; site analysis, design concept, preparation of plans, specifications, scopes of work, and cost estimates for implementation or inclusion in operating or capital budgets. Identify, procure, and manage design services for larger scale renovations by following the Trust’s procurement guidelines.
• Plan and manage the installation of seasonal displays throughout the park.
• Assist the Senior Director with plant sourcing, procurement including cost vs. quality analysis, qualification of nurseries, scheduling, and delivery.
• Provide field supervision for all plant material installations and add new horticultural assets and associated data into CMMS (Cartegraph).
• Continuously evaluate systems and landscape features and recommend plans for short- and long-term improvement.

Project Management

• Maintain the accuracy of horticultural data in CMMS (Cartegraph).
• Manage and serve as point of contact for contractors, including but not limited to, irrigation, compost consultant, tree care, landscaping services, etc.
• Evaluate design, impact, and installation and maintenance of all temporary and permanent installations within the park; coordinate with HRPT departments and external entities as necessary.
• Oversee commissioning and acceptance of all newly constructed horticulture elements from the Trust’s Design & Construction department, work to resolve any discrepancies that would impact acceptance by the Trust. Oversee receipt of all post construction deliverables, such as attic stock, maintenance instructions, warranty information, etc.
• Liaise with Design & Construction staff and monitor capital projects with horticulture installations, ensure quality and health during the construction process in consultation with the Senior Director.

Plant Healthcare

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Ability to Relocate:

• New York, NY 10014: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person