Horticulture Operations Lead

Horticulture Operations Lead

The Horticultural Society of New York seeks a hands-on, people-focused Horticulture Operations Lead to support and guide our horticulture team across NYC’s green spaces. This role balances operational duties, training staff in basic gardening skills, and leading the team to install and maintain garden spaces in both public and private areas. Partnering with the Director of Horticultural Operations, the Lead helps shape vibrant urban spaces while managing and coaching Field Supervisors, Gardeners, and HORTNYC Trainees. The ideal candidate is skilled in team leadership, thrives in a hands-on role, and is committed to fostering a positive, high-performing work culture.

The mission of The Horticultural Society of New York is to improve human lives through horticulture. Our social service and public programs create green spaces in all neighborhoods as a vital part of social infrastructure, train people for jobs that grow and sustain green communities, and develop fresh approaches to improve New Yorkers’ health, well-being, and environment through horticulture.

Responsibilities Include:

Operational Management of Teams

• Lead/coordinate multiple field crews (teams of 4-5 gardeners) performing horticultural maintenance and installations
• Design and implement work schedule for teams assigned
• Coordinate driving duties between team members, assuring an equal distribution of hours for assigned drivers
• Troubleshoot logistical challenges and general conflicts as they arise in real time
• Responsible for ensuring consistent inventory of tools, supplies, and uniforms
• Report to the Director of Horticultural Operations to order appropriate tools and supplies when inventory is depleted
• Ensure vehicles assigned to teams are maintained and that inspections and driving logs are completed by staff assigned to drive each day
• Assist with horticultural and landscape projects’ logistics
• Review Site Plans and scheduled contract work
• Provide input/feedback on logical improvements based on knowledge of site, operational need, and horticultural experience
• Survey condition of sites
• Document status of job site at arrival and departure
• Communicate improvements needed or issues
• Take photos of all sites as directed to document progress and/or for social media or promotional use

Administrative/Contract

• Communicate with clients on site to ensure tasks are completed as needed to the client’s satisfaction.
• Deliver receipts, timesheets, and other relevant paperwork on time
• Create/update site maps 
• Improve and create sustainability practices/initiatives
• Complete and follow-up on performance and performance management for teams
• Provide Staff with Support, Training and Guidance
• Communicate regularly with staff on site to ensure tasks are completed with minimal interruptions
• Provide training and supervision to HORTNYC trainees as directed by Management
• Support staff recruitment, hiring, and retention
• Administrative Support, including timesheets scheduling, and other relevant communicating paperwork, communicating via email, and maintaining up-to-date reports and logs
• With the support of HR, manage individual issues for staff including time management, technology, interpersonal conflicts, communication and move issues to disciplinary performance management as needed

Required Qualifications:

• Horticulturist/gardener with 3 or more years of hands-on experience designing, building, and maintaining urban green spaces or equivalent professional work experience
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple worksites, with mobile teams in a multi-site operation
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects at once while consistently meeting expected deadlines
• Experience leading or supervising a small team
• Experience managing staff who faced barriers to employment
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to take initiative and perform follow-up, and the ability to connect with people working in decentralized work locations
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively while managing multiple projects and priorities
• Knowledge of green infrastructure design and implementation
• Valid NYS Driver's License with clean driving record and ability to maintain a clean MVR
• The ability to handle sensitive and confidential information - The ability to appropriately handle staff issues and conflicts, including moving staff through performance management as needed
• Excellent computer skills
• Excellent attention to detail and deadlines
• All employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their start date

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds at a time
• Must be able to squat, lift, stretch, bend, and stand for extended periods of time.
• Able to sit and use a computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to perform physical labor outside in various weather conditions

Benefits

The Hort offers all Full-Time regular employees a generous Paid Time Off package, term life insurance policy, and Employee Assistance Program. Pre-tax benefits include transit, Flexible Spending Account, medical, dental, and vision insurance. A 401(k)-retirement plan is available after one year of service.

Additional Details

• Rate: $64,500-$67,000.00 annually
• Employment Classification: Full-Time Regular
• Reports To: Director of Horticultural Operations
• Schedule: Monday- Friday

How to Apply

To be considered, click here to submit your application and required materials. Only complete applications will be reviewed. No phone calls.

Please be advised that due to the high volume of applicants, we can only contact candidates whose skills and background best fit the needs of the open positions. We appreciate your interest in employment opportunities at The Horticultural Society of New York.  

The Hort is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. It is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law.

We provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations are also available for these individuals during the hiring process. Please email jobs@thehort.org should you require reasonable accommodation during the hiring process.