Lead Horticulture Technician

Duties And Responsibilities

• Support and oversee day-to-day tasks of assigned horticulture team members
• Prune and weed landscaped areas
• Monitor irrigation systems and ensure they are working properly
• Hand water all plantings that are not established
• Install plants when necessary
• Assist other departments and staff when requested
• Complete assigned tasks in an orderly and efficient manner
• Further horticulture knowledge during tenure at the Zoo
• Spray herbicide in areas that need attention
• Over seed any and all exhibits in assigned area
• Ensure overall health and quality of plants in assigned area, relaying all issues to the Horticulture Manager
• Assist keepers with exhibit maintenance when exhibit falls in your assigned area
• Notice and remove broken/dead tree limbs in assigned area, relaying unreachable branches to the Horticulture Manager
• Relay any and all work requests to the Horticulture Manager
• Assist the Horticulture Manager with turning the compost pile with a skid steer
• Repair broken not functioning irrigation heads and lines
• Keep all necessary equipment clean and maintained in proper working order
• Learn to operate heavy equipment to assist the Horticulture Manager when necessary
• Design/learn to design annual beds in assigned areas
• Mentor new staff when Horticulture Manager is unavailable
• Relay any issues at the park to the Horticulture Manager when he is absent

Skills

• Ability to work with little or no supervision
• Ability and motivation to learn the plants on grounds and their proper care
• Ability to help guide new employees through daily tasks
• Ability to interact professionally with both staff and visitors
• Ability to perform assigned tasks in an organized and efficient manner
• Ability to professionally and safely use small, medium and heavy equipment and tools required for the execution of assigned tasks
• Ability to identify issues in assigned area and work to find an efficient expedient solution

Physical Responsibilities

• Frequently stand and walk for most of an 8–10-hour shift and regularly bend, kneel, reach, climb, and perform repetitive motions while cleaning, maintaining grounds, or performing facilities repairs
• Frequently lift, carry, push, and pull up to 50 lbs and occasionally heavier items with assistance
• Safely navigate ladders, stairs, uneven surfaces, and wet or slippery areas