Horticulturalist

Department

The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art is located in Sarasota, Florida, and is a department of Florida State University.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Associate Director of Facilities and Grounds, this position is responsible for performing hands-on garden work, managing, maintaining, and developing The Ringling's gardens.

• Provide expert advice on the care, maintenance, and propagation of the museum's gardens. Manage, maintain, and enhance the health and aesthetics of The Ringling's living collections and garden spaces. Performs planting, weeding, pruning, trimming, and other activities to ensure gardens are attractive and well-kept. Utilizes pertinent management reports to schedule, evaluate, and improve plant health and general appearance of campus gardens. Generates and responds to emails and work orders via online work order system. Updates work orders in Facilities Dude regarding progress or completion of work order assignments. Assists as needed in reviewing project costing, monitoring supplies inventory and maintenance, and makes recommendations for long-range planning of grounds and gardens preventative maintenance.
• Serves as point of contact for gardens' volunteers, community service workers, and interns. Collaborates with the Grounds Supervisor for Groundskeeper support in the maintenance of garden spaces. Organizes, monitors, and inspects special garden projects to evaluate progress and ensure project quality. Supervises work performed by staff and volunteers in the gardens and provides assistance in the proper care of trees, shrubs, ground covers, and plants.
• Oversees gardens' spray program and pest management including the application of integrated pest management practices. Monitors for the presence of pest and takes appropriate measures to treat issues as they arise.
• Safely operates company vehicles, mowers, and power tools and grounds keeping equipment. Ensure maintenance equipment is operating safely and returned clean to shop at end of each work day. Perform routing and preventative maintenance and cleaning of all tools.
• Serves as the subject matter expert on the campus grounds and gardens. Collaborates interdepartmentally to develop programming and promote gardens and grounds. Provides gardens and grounds based programming and educational workshops. Participates in community outreach initiatives to cultivate relations, increase awareness of the gardens, and increase volunteer support from outside groups such as local garden clubs, universities, and horticulture facilities. Answers visitor questions regarding the gardens. Develops signage for the gardens.
• Assists as needed with grounds projects and grounds maintenance. May cover areas of responsibility for other grounds staff. Responds to and assists with emergency grounds needs. Performs other duties as assigned that support the Facilities department and operations of the museum.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in agronomy, arboriculture, horticulture, landscaping, landscape design, or landscape technology or a high school degree and four years of appropriate experience.
• Ability to meet physical requirements as determined by position including lift up to 25 lbs., walk long distances, and work in extreme weather conditions.
• Valid Florida driver's license or the ability to obtain prior to hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Skill in public speaking.
• Ability to:
  • Perform groundskeeping work to include the transplanting, cultivation, pruning, and trimming of plants, shrubs, and trees.
  • Effectively train and direct the work of others.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
  • Prioritize, organize and perform multiple work assignments simultaneously.
  • Perform assigned responsibilities with minimal to moderate supervision.
• Knowledge of and ability to:
  • Applicable computer applications and basic computer functions such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Outlook), along with the ability to use the TreeKeeper software suite and the ability to maintain computerized records.
  • Identify safety hazards and necessary safety precautions to establish a safe work environment.
  • Safely operate machinery, tools, equipment and materials used in area of work.

University Information

One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Founded in 1851, Florida State University is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. FSU is a community steeped in tradition that fosters research and encourages creativity. At FSU, there’s the excitement of being part of a vibrant academic and professional community, surrounded by people whose ideas are shaping tomorrow’s news!

Learn more about Florida State University and our campuses.

Anticipated Salary Range

Rate of pay will be commensurate with the selected candidate's education, skills, and experience. Find out more about our comprehensive benefits package under the "FSU Total Rewards" section.

FSU Total Rewards

FSU offers a robust Total Rewards package. Visit our FSU Total Rewards website to learn more about our Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Recognition, and Employee Development programs.

Use our FSU Total Compensation Calculator to calculate Total Compensation options based on potential salary, benefits and retirement contributions, earned leave, and other employment-related perks.

How To Apply

If qualified and interested in a specific job opening as advertised, apply through the FSU Careers site (jobs.fsu.edu). If you are a current FSU employee, apply through myFSU Self Service.

Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include all work history up to ten years, and education details even if attaching a resume.

Your application is not considered complete without attaching a position-relevant cover letter and resume.

Veterans' Preference

Certain service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, Certain service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for post secondary educational requirements, in employment by the state and its political subdivisions and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled. Veterans' Preference applies to University Support Personnel System (USPS) positions only.

IMPORTANT: To claim Veterans' Preference, select “yes” to the question on the application questionnaire and upload a DD-214 (or equivalent), the Veterans' Preference Certification form, and other documentation if applicable with your online application before midnight of the position closing date.

Click the links for Veterans’ Preference eligibility requirements and Veterans’ Preference required documentation (PDF), or call FSU Human Resources at (850) 644-6034.

Considerations

• This is an USPS (University Support Personnel System) position.
• This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check.
• Work Location: Sarasota, FL
• Employees are required to wear the standard issue uniform while at work.
• This role is designated as essential and may be required to work before, during, or after an emergency museum closure.

Working Hours

• Monday - Friday from 6:30 AM and 3:00 PM with a 30 minute meal period.

Weekends, evenings, and holidays may be required per the needs of the Ringling.

Equal Employment Opportunity

FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Organization

Working at Florida State University

One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University — with the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation, Doctoral/Research University-Extensive — offers a distinctive academic environment built on its cherished values and unique heritage, welcoming campus on the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida, championship athletics, and prime location in the heart of the state capital.

Combining traditional strength in the arts and humanities with recognized leadership in the sciences, Florida State University provides unmatched opportunities for students and faculty through challenging academics, cultural discovery and community interaction.

Underlying and supporting the educational experience at Florida State University is the development of new generations of citizen leaders, based on the concepts inscribed in our seal: Vires, Artes, Mores — Strength, Skill and Character.

Epitomized by recently named Rhodes Scholars Garrett Johnson and Myron Rolle — elite athletes and scholars committed to public service — and Joseph O'Shea — a campus and community leader as well as a top scholar — Florida State's 40,000 students are dedicated to academic excellence and providing leadership in our complex world.

Florida State University's 16 colleges offer more than 275 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, professional and specialist degree programs, including medicine and law, covering a broad array of disciplines critical to society today. Each year the University awards over 2,000 graduate and professional degrees.

With its impressive breadth of leading graduate, professional and undergraduate programs, Florida State University is a demanding, intellectually stimulating, yet warm and caring environment for students and faculty. Recognized nationally for its commitment to diversity, Florida State University is a national leader in the number of doctorates awarded to African-American students and in the graduation rate of African-American undergraduates. Its College of Medicine and College of Law are ranked in the nation's Top 10 for Hispanic students.

Florida State University's arts programs — dance, film, music and theatre — rank among the finest in the world, offering an arts education comparable to leading conservatories. Its creative writing program is ranked among the nation's best and is home to the most consistently honored and published student body in the United States. Florida State is responsible for governance of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and associated arts programs, one of the largest museum/university complexes in the nation.

Other programs consistently included in the top public university list include physics, chemistry, political science, psychology, criminology, public administration, library science, information, human sciences, business and law.

At the Ph.D. level, interdisciplinary programs draw on notable research faculty strengths that transcend the traditional disciplines, including neuroscience, molecular biophysics, computational science, materials science and research at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory—home to the world's most powerful magnets.