Director, Greenhouse & Education Center

Director, Greenhouse & Education Center

The Horticultural Society of New York (The Hort) seeks a highly organized and hands-on Director, Greenhouse & Education Center to manage a team charged with stewarding the Greenhouse and Education Center at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park. Reporting to the Vice President of Community Engagement this individual will oversee the daily management, operations, partnerships, programming, and logistics. This position partners with the Senior Directors of TH and Horticulture ensures that the facility, gardens, greenhouse collections, equipment, and public-facing spaces are safe, functional, welcoming, and prepared to support educational and community programming. The Director serves as the primary coordinator for facilities operations and works closely with program staff, public agencies, vendors, and community partners to ensure the site operates efficiently and reflects The Hort's mission to improve human lives through horticulture. 

The Horticultural Society of New York brings plants into the places where daily life happens, especially in neighborhoods with the least access to green space. We turn “unplantable” urban spaces—sidewalks, medians, traffic triangles, and streets—into gardens and plantings that last. We engage communities through learning, wellness, and paid work, so the benefits of plants are more accessible to New Yorkers across our city.

Responsibilities

Partnerships and Audience Development

• Build and steward the local partnerships that bring participants to each program

• Lead the relationships with the local school districts to support school engagement with the Greenhouse Education Center

• Represent the center to NYS Parks, NYC Public Schools and local institutions.

• Develop the audience for each program area and keep those relationships warm over time

• Collaborate internally with the Senior Director of Therapeutic Horticulture and Workforce Training and the Senior Director of Horticulture

Staff, Facilities & Site Management

• Oversee daily operations of the Greenhouse and Education Center. Ensure the center and gardens are clean, stocked, attended, safe, and welcoming.

• Ensure compliance with park, city, and organizational safety standards.

• Oversee client services for Greenhouse visitors

Greenhouse, Garden & Program Operations

• Oversee inventory of all items within the Greenhouse including plants, tools, supplies, and equipment.

• Build out greenhouse programming schedules in alignment with educational and community programming needs.

• Supervise onsite staff and set direction for the on-site team.

• Develop and implement schedules for staff, facilitators, and programs.

• Coordinate guest facilitated programs including outreach, scheduling and program review

• Coordinate logistics of high school internship program, HORTGreenhouse

• Track the site operating budget and supply expenditures.

• Support grant reporting related to site programming and operations.

Logistics & Operations Administration

• Manage purchasing, receiving, storage, and inventory systems.

• Coordinate site access, deliveries, permits, and operational schedules.

• Track facility budgets, supply expenditures, and operational metrics.

• Support grant reporting related to programming, facility and site operations

Events & Public Programming

• Manage community events, seasonal celebrations, workshops, exhibitions, and open houses.

• Coordinate logistics with operations staff and external partners.

• Support fundraising and donor engagement events held at the site.

• Other tasks, as directed

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience running a public-facing site or program, or coordinating community stewardship, within an established institution.

• Experience building and stewarding partnerships and audiences with community institutions, schools, or public agencies.

• Strong organizational and budget management skills.

• Commitment to The Hort's mission to improve human lives through horticulture. Horticultural expertise is not required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual (Spanish/ English)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PPT, etc.)

Physical Requirements

• Able to lift 50+ pounds and comfortable working outside in all weather conditions.

• Ability to squat, lift, stretch, bend, sit and stand for extended periods of time

• Ability to perform physical labor outside in all weather conditions.

• Comfort navigating the subway, bus, streets, and other modes of transportation throughout NYC

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:

• Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; with evening flexibility

• Work Locations: In person- Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park Greenhouse and Education Center, and other approved locations

• Reports to: Vice President of Community Engagement

• Salary: $85,000- $88, 000 annual salary

• Background Check: Facilitators may be screened by the DOE Office of Personnel Investigation and submit fingerprints

How to Apply

Please include a brief cover letter detailing your interests along with the completed application and resume. 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 open positions' needs. Thank you for 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