Address
Form of workNursery Technician (Temporary)
Marin Headlands Nursery
Organization Description:
Since 1981, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (Parks Conservancy) has served as the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, collaborating with the Presidio Trust, partners, donors, and the community to support the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The GGNRA stretches across three Bay Area counties, north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge, and includes iconic places such as Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, Alcatraz Island, Crissy Field, Mori Point, Lands End, and the Presidio of San Francisco.
The Parks Conservancy engages at the intersection of national park sites, local communities, social justice, and climate resilience. Collaborating with partners, our staff are dedicated to enhancing public awareness and providing volunteer and educational opportunities in the parks. We are park builders, caretakers, ambassadors, and educators, all working to connect people to parks, in support of our vision Parks for All Forever. Join us.
Department Description:
The Park Nurseries support the mission of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area by growing native plants for restoration efforts, providing educational experiences, and connecting local communities with parklands. As a team and as a public-serving program, we are committed to equity and inclusion and are working to increase access for historically excluded communities. With the involvement of community volunteers, the Marin Headlands Nursery grows up to 60,000 plants a year. The Marin Headlands Nursery is located at Fort Cronkhite in Marin County.
Position Overview:
The Marin Headlands Nursery seeks a Temporary Nursery Technician to perform daily plant care and propagation. The Nursery Technician works alongside staff including the Nursery Manager and Seed Ecologist, as well as seasonal interns and community volunteers in a small team setting. This position also works regularly with the greater Nurseries Team. Technical training will be provided for nursery-specific duties and responsibilities.
This is a temporary, full-time, benefitted position, anticipated to be from mid-May through December 2024. The schedule is 40 hours per week, 8-hour work days, Tuesday – Saturday.
Reports To: Nursery Manager, Marin Headlands Nursery
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Propagation and plant care: Daily responsibilities include the propagation and care of healthy nursery plants (e.g., watering, pest and disease management, fertilizing, sowing, transplanting, weeding, pruning, consolidating, and testing for pathogens).
- Facilities maintenance and equipment: Maintain healthy plant production conditions by following best practices for nursery sanitation (e.g. clean, sanitize, weed, sweep, etc.). Perform routine facilities maintenance duties: help keep equipment and irrigation in good working condition; maintain Nursery grounds; operate equipment and power tools (including drills, power washers, etc.).
- Record keeping: Use provided forms to keep detailed, accurate records of propagation activities, volunteer statistics, and plant inventory; enter data into spreadsheets/databases on a regular basis.
- Community programming support: Co-lead small, regular volunteer programs and ensure quality of work done during programs. Play active role with visitors, program participants, and seasonal interns. Provide groups with instructions on nursery tasks and information about the Nursery.
- Typical programs include: Tuesday and Wednesday Volunteer Programs (weekly), Saturday Public Programs (twice a month either at the Marin Headlands Nursery or Presidio Nursery), and Community Groups (as scheduled).
- Seed Collection & Cleaning: Assist Seed Ecologist with stored seed management, seed lab equipment, lab tidying, seed projects, and field preparations especially for group collection trips. Seasonal duties include seed collection, scouting plant populations and reporting back on plant phenology, mapping collection locations, and processing seed.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
We are looking for candidates with the ability to work in a nursery setting who have some related work experience. This may be demonstrated in many different ways, including volunteer or personal experiences, nursery work, or participation in environmental restoration, landscaping, gardening, or a related field.
There is no minimum education requirement for this position. We will consider candidates based on interest in this line of work as well as any combination of relevant education, experience, or training. We are looking for candidates with the following skills:
- Previous work related to plant care (such as at a nursery or with environmental restoration, landscaping, gardening, etc.)
- Ability to work with and instruct volunteers in a nursery setting.
- Independent work and teamwork: Able to work in a focused manner, whether alone or in a team. Supports fellow team members, balances team and individual responsibilities. After initial guidance and training, can work on projects independently.
- Interpersonal skills: Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and capabilities of different people in different situations; relates effectively to others when encountering challenges.
- Community access: Interested in working as a team to make programs accessible and meaningful to people from different communities, including those historically excluded from environmental experiences.
- Organization and accuracy: Works with attention to detail and thoroughness.
Certifications or Licenses:
- Driver’s License in good standing required. Drives company vehicles after a successful DMV record check and clearance to drive company vehicles.
- CPR and First Aid certification preferred (if needed, training would be provided during work time within the first 2 months).
Health and Safety:
It is the goal of the Parks Conservancy to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. We work to mitigate hazards and risks that may cause harm to employees, consistent with state and federal laws. Employees play an active role in creating a safe and healthy workplace and are expected to comply with all applicable health and safety rules.
The Parks Conservancy requires all employees to be vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 and to provide proof of such vaccination as a condition of employment.
Physical Requirements and Work Environments:
Primary work location is the Marin Headlands Nursery. This position will occasionally work at the Presidio Nursery in San Francisco. This position is performed primarily in a nursery setting which is a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces. Work sometimes involves rigorous physical activity and repetitive propagation tasks. Work regularly requires wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety glasses, ear plugs, gloves, etc. Required PPE is provided. This position follows safety protocols especially related to driving and using tools.
There are a variety of work environments for this position, including:
- Nursery facilities: Regularly stands or walks for 6-8 hours per day, often outdoors or in greenhouse facilities. Frequently lifts, carries, or positions objects weighing up to 35 pounds.
- Indoors/office setting: Sitting and/or operating computers, up to 6-8 hours per day.
- In the field: Exposure to weather extremes, ticks, poison oak, and other conditions can be expected occasionally.
- Driving: Regularly drives pickup trucks and other vehicles.
Pay Rate and Benefits:
- $21-23/hour (grade 8) commensurate with skills and experience.
- Benefits include:
- Medical, dental, and vision plans for employee and family
- Paid vacation and personal days, paid holidays, and sick days
- 403(b) retirement plan
- Employer-match Commuter Program
- Employee Assistance Program, employee discounts and more
Application Instructions: Apply by April 21, 2024.
Submit a resume and cover letter with your application. In your application, highlight experience relevant to the position (as described in “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” section above). Even if experience is not directly related, we would still like to see your full employment history. Please include why you are interested in this position in your cover letter. References will be requested if you are contacted for an interview.
If you have questions about this position, please email rbinaoro@parksconservancy.org.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Recruitment, placement and promotions are conducted without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical handicap, veteran status or sexual orientation, or any other classification protected by Federal, State, and local laws & ordinances. We will consider qualified candidates with criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.
