Formal Garden Manager
 

Filoli is a 654-acre historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, located on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula near Woodside, CA, and one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century.  As a team member here, you will be able to connect rich history with a vibrant future through beauty, nature and shared stories.  You have the opportunity to preserve, build upon and share the wonder of this place.

In our daily interaction with guests, we envision a time when all people honor nature, value unique experiences and appreciate beauty in everyday life.  You will also actively play a part in creating a vibrant future through our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan.  Embedding the core principles of Diversity & Inclusivity, Sustainability and Organizational Excellence into each pillar of the plan, we are focusing on five main pillars of our organization:   People & Culture, Fundraising & Financial Strength, Infrastructure Investments, Visibility & Branding and Engagement & Education.  We welcome and appreciate your contributions to Filoli.

SUMMARY

With an emphasis on achieving the highest standards of horticulture and display, the Formal Garden Manager is a multi-faceted position where organization, supervision, communication and leadership are all present, with a proven proficiency in horticulture, pest control and safety. This position is responsible for preserving and maintaining the historic formal gardens, as well as all horticulture operations for the garden and grounds of Filoli Center. The Formal Garden Manager assumes a high level of responsibility, is responsible for the direct and daily supervision of all Formal Garden Department personnel and is a key member of the Horticulture Department management team.

The Formal Garden Manager is an exempt salary position and depending on candidate experience, the salary range is $80,000 to $83,844 per year.  This position is eligible for employee benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, LTD, Flex Plan, 401(k) (eligible after 6 months of employment), vacation, sick leave and holiday pay.  The Manager will work a flexible schedule to cover 7 day a week operation as well as support events and programs that may occur evenings and weekends.  Flexibility to meet the needs of the organization is important.
 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Leadership

• In coordination with the Director, responsible for internal management and operational integration of the Formal Garden Program;
• As a member of the Operations Team, represent the Horticulture Department; prepare and implement plans for events and programs;
• Manage the day to day responsibilities for garden volunteers who support various aspects of horticulture in the garden including bluebirds, and trails;
• Represent Filoli regionally and nationally in the horticulture community by serving as an external speaker and presenter and providing content for blogs and various publications;
• Coordinate with peer departments especially in the area of operations, event and program planning and scheduling, and cross departmental function;
• Partner with others in the oversight of safety programs, accident prevention, emergency communication and documentation of training;
• In coordination with development, participate in the fundraising process, including direct solicitation, project proposals and reporting;
• Participates in weekly operations meeting and regular management meetings;
• Part of Plant Collections Committee administering Plant Collections Policy;

Horticulture

Plan, schedule, coordinate and delegate horticulture work activities and priorities for all Formal Garden areas:

• Oversee the day to day operations of the formal garden areas (Area 1-4, not including greenhouses, nursery, plant shop, orchards or cutting garden);
• Coordinate on the preservation of the Filoli landscape and vistas including historic garden restoration and ensuring proper plant selection and placement and the preservation of garden objects within the formal garden;
• Directly manage staff, apprentices, interns and volunteers to support the area operation including interviewing, onboarding, training, and evaluation;
• Be “hands-on” leader and actively working in daily horticultural tasks in garden areas;
• Implement overall quality standards to be maintained throughout the Formal Garden with a commitment to adopting sustainable ideology and practices whenever possible;
• Oversee annual display changes preparation, scheduling, and installation;
• Participate in seasonal display development including concept, design, plant selection, containers and specialty displays and photo “vignettes”;
• Coordinate with the Horticulture Productions Manager for plant production for displays;
• Oversee the formal gardens turf and hedge management programs;
• Maintain the oversight and operations in natural areas including brush control, mowing, trail maintenance;
• Manage Filoli’s Tree Program to ensure preservation of trees (maintenance, removals, replacements and enhancements) and public safety;
• Support overall plant health and soil nutrition strategies for all gardens, including sustainable practices and integrated pest management;
• Serve as a certified pesticide applicator, comply with and support Filoli Pesticide Use Policies and responsible for the storage, handling and record keeping of the integrated pest management program, including the maintenance of MSDS sheets, as necessary, and communicating pesticide use with the San Francisco Water Department;
• Maintain a program of propagating historic plants from the garden for both routine replacement and in-kind replacement of sensitive specimens;
• Assist Director of Horticulture to supervise and plan plant collections management recordkeeping and mapping activities;
• Plan and implement Holidays at Filoli outdoor lighting and displays;
• Oversee management of apprentice and interns including project development, training, and projects;
• Support and facilitate the development of expanded programs in the areas of horticulture production and education including interpretation of gardens and plant collections through tours, classes and other programs;
• Manage small tools and equipment including basic maintenance and repairs and/or coordinating outside support;
• Partner with Facilities Department on structural repairs and improvements in the garden, as well as small equipment oversight (maintenance, repair and replacement);
• Enforce safety standards regarding the use of equipment and pest management for the garden staff, interns and volunteers;
• Interact daily with Filoli visitors and encourage Horticulture Department to share information about our historic horticultural landscapes and displays;
• Provide support for special events and programs;

Personnel and Budget

• Directly manage Formal Garden staff including hiring, scheduling (garden maintenance rotation and staffing), time tracking and management, training; evaluating and all coordination with Human Resources;
• Manage day to day activities of Formal Garden apprentices and interns with Area Leads;
• Oversee regular vendors and on-site contractors;
• Facilitate volunteer program - training, on-boarding and management;
• In coordination with Director, responsible for Horticulture budget oversight within an approved budget; responsible for tracking and coding and reconciling with accounting;

• Purchase and control inventory of garden department tools, power equipment, supplies, services, vehicles, etc. as funded by the approved budget;

General

• Fulfill expectations as listed in Filoli’s Expectations for Directors, Managers and Supervisors (see attached);
• Maintain clear and effective documentation, communication, record keeping and scheduling with electronic hardware and software provided;

• Ability to provide the highest quality service to all customers in every interaction;
• Uphold all Filoli's policies, procedures, guidelines and standards;
• Maintain flexibility and perform other duties as assigned to respond to the needs of the organization;
• Attendance and punctuality are essential to work and all work-related functions.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has direct and daily supervisory responsibilities for approximately 6 employees: 2 Horticulture Leads and 4 Horticulture Assistants and will indirectly supervise seasonal interns.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

An individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed above and any additional responsibilities as directed as well as satisfy the educational and skill requirements listed below:

Education and/or Experience:

Education: Master’s (preferred) or Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture, Botany, Natural Sciences or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of at least 4 years working in a botanical garden, large nursery, formal estate garden, or similar environment;
• Minimum of 2 years of hands-on supervisory experience of at least 5 or more employees;
• Landscape construction experience (preferred);
• Strong mechanical proficiency in large and small garden equipment;
• Strong proficiency and knowledge of Microsoft Office products and Google Applications;
• Proficiency with collections management and collection management systems such as IRIS BG.

Skills and Abilities:

• Perform basic maintenance of and safely use and teach use of: tractor, skid steer, rotary mowers, reel mowers (both walk behind and ride-on), aerators, dethatchers, blowers, weed eaters, power edgers, rototillers, electric hedgers, chain saws, pole saws, scaffolding, ladders, sprayers, chippers, dump trucks, electric carts, pneumatic pruning equipment, generators, etc.;
• Thorough understanding of irrigation systems from scheduling to mechanics, as well as understanding of California Irrigation Management Information Systems (CIMIS) and water conservation methods;
• Thorough understanding of horticultural practices and techniques used in formal garden maintenance;
• Knowledge of formal garden design concepts;
• Understanding of historic preservation concepts in a horticultural setting
• Effectively teach/coach how to clean and store equipment;
• Properly use and teach use of protective gear;
• Demonstrate some mechanical knowledge and repairs;
• Label, record and teach gas usage, fertilizer and pesticide use, planting information, propagation data entry, temperatures, irrigation schedules, area schedules, etc.;

• High proficiency in a PC, Windows environment and Microsoft Office products as well as Google Applications;

• Proficient with computerized collection management database;
• Communicate (listening and speaking) effectively with volunteers or employees of the organization;
• Work independently, and demonstrate wise decision-making within the bounds of the area of responsibility and authority;
• Take direction, multi-task and work effectively in a team environment;
• Ability to interact with donors, members, staff and volunteers;
• Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

A California Qualified Applicator’s Certificate is required and Pest Control Advisor’s License is preferred or must be obtained within six months of employment. A valid Driver’s License is required.
 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job including:

• Stand, walk across uneven terrain, climb ladders (extensive use of orchard and extension ladders up to 16’ and scaffolding up to 25’) and stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, handle, lift, carry, push and bend frequently;
• Possess strength sufficient to exert force up to 60 lbs. occasionally and/or up to 35 lbs. frequently, and/or up to 20 lbs. constantly to lift, carry, push and pull or otherwise move objects;
• Perform repetitive motions up to 50% of time using tools, equipment and a keyboard & mouse;
• Able to drive vehicles and large garden equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but there are occasional (2-3x a day) when the noise level requires the use of protective gear to shield ears. Due to the use of garden equipment and possible airborne debris, the use of protective eye gear is required when appropriate.
 

HOW TO APPLY

1. Candidates with the above prerequisites are invited to submit their resumes along with a cover letter outlining their related experience and background to:  https://filoli.applicantstack.com/x/openings
2. Possession of minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview.
3. Please, no phone calls.
4. Thank you for your interest in Filoli!

Please visit our website for more information:  www.filoli.org

Filoli is an equal opportunity employer who values diversity in the workplace.