Conservatory Specialist

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond.  Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. 

At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.

• Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.

• Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.

• Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.

• Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.

• Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

About the Role

This is a horticulture-based position that cultivates plants in the Conservatory and Tropical Collections. This individual will work with other gardeners, nursery assistants, and volunteers in maintaining facilities, collections, and programs. At times S/he/they may lead work activities with volunteers and other staff. This individual will also be the primary liaison with Ask Me docents in the Rose Hills Conservatory. S/he/they will provide living material and assistance to support interpretive exhibits, programs, and classes on as as-needed basis. Reports to the Curator of the Conservatory and Tropical Collections.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.

Essential Duties

• Cultivates, propagates, waters, fertilizes, and chemically treats plants.

• Assists inventorying and mapping of living collections.

• Gathers and processes material for collections archiving and documentation.

• Participates in Huntington video communications and interviews for the public.

• Helps organize and provide supplies including potting mix, pots, tools, labels, etc.

• Calculates formulas and measures fertilizers, pesticides, etc.

• Cleans, organizes, and evaluates work areas as needed.

• Maintains assigned areas of the Conservatory and supports greenhouses in an orderly manner.

• Monitors and reports regularly on greenhouse climate conditions.

• Monitors plant health, including plant pests and development of controls.

• Maintains a working knowledge of key species in the Conservatory.

• Maintains necessary records and labeling practices.

• Assists with oversight of equipment and with repairs when needed.

• Works in collaboration with the Conservatory Technician in exhibit set-up and maintenance, as well as providing plants for programs, labs, and exhibits.

• Assists other Gardens staff with routine maintenance of areas immediately surrounding the Conservatory exterior.

• May perform other related duties as assigned.

Candidate Requirements and Experience

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Some coursework in horticulture and greenhouse practices required.

• Ability to work safely with equipment and chemicals required.

• Ability to maintain and develop irrigation systems required.

• Ability to communicate effectively and amicably with staff, volunteers, and visitors required.

• Ability to perform physical duties required, including lifting (50 lbs. regularly), digging, carrying, etc.

• Ability to perform careful, thoughtful work required.

• Ability to prioritize tasks and work schedule required.

• Effective written and oral communication skills required.

• Proficient reading ability and accuracy with details such as may be obtained through completion of some college course work.

• Valid driver’s license required.

Preferred:

• Two years' experience with nursery practices and indoor horticulture preferred.

• Successful completion of two-year college horticulture program preferred.

• Knowledge of scientific names of plants, botany and horticulture preferred.

Working Conditions  

• Working conditions include indoor environments subject to high humidity and high temperatures.

• The ability to navigate through vegetation, over rocks and up and down slopes is essential.

• The subject workplace is regularly occupied by visitors, and this may require answering questions relevant to the features of the site.

• Pay Range: $21.00- $23.00/hr. Commensurate with experience. 

• Medical, Dental, Vision  

• 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match 

• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays 

• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants 

• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions 

• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds