Work Location: LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden

Position Summary: The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens is seeking a Senior Landscape Manager to be a key team member in the gardens. This position is hands-on, working to maintain the gardens to the highest horticultural standards. This position oversees an assistant landscape manager, student interns and landscape contractor. The successful candidate in this role will be an experienced landscape horticulturist in outdoor botanical displays, and with the knowledge and ability to serve as a role model in best horticultural practices. The candidate should be adept at using best management practices for the planting and maintenance of landscape beds and lawns of all specialty gardens and historic Windrush Gardens. The ability to conduct simple design and installation of seasonal color beds is extremely important. This position will also work closely with the Event Coordinator to ensure that garden spaces are maintained for an exceptional guest experience. This position reports to the Director of the Botanic Gardens.

Responsibilities:

• Landscape Tasks
  Maintains the plant collections by performing timely planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, fertilizing, irrigating, leaf raking, and other plant cultural practices with minimal supervision in order to maintain aesthetics and provide proper horticultural care.
• Maintains specialty garden areas consisting of the Children’s Garden, Pollinator Garden, Herb Garden, Tropical Garden, Rose Garden and event gardens.
• Demonstrates familiarity with the identification and maintenance of a broad range of trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous perennials, annuals, and turf grass; has the basic knowledge to provide proper horticultural care in a timely and efficient manner.
• Demonstrates ability to decide a course of action relative to soils and fertilization. Is up-to-date on accepted practices relative to soil care, pruning and planting in order to implement best management practices.
• Demonstrates familiarity with the common diseases, insects, weeds, and cultural problems of landscapes and turf in the mid-Atlantic region in order to make proper decisions for daily maintenance.
• Maintains Louisiana pesticide applicator certification for ornamentals and turf in order to legally and safely apply pesticides or organic control materials.
• Assists with special function set-up and tear-down in order to prepare the facilities in a timely manner for public events.
• With proper training, safely and proficiently uses grounds power equipment consisting of: tractor, loader, trucks, lawn mower, string trimmer, turf aerator, and pruners.

Skills and Abilities:

• Builds successful working relationships with coworkers and supervisors. Projects a positive image of the landscape services department. Communicates readily and works effectively as a member of a team.
• Works successfully with coworkers, interns, students, and volunteers in order to efficiently and effectively accomplish the workload of the department.
• Adapts to new work situations, people, ideas, procedures, and organizational structures, in order to be successful in a constantly changing work environment.
• Exhibits maturity, reliability, composure, and stability under pressure in order to handle on-the-job stresses and challenges.
• Understands and abides by a high standard of professional ethics in order to ensure the integrity of the organization.

Qualifications Requirements:

• 4-year degree and three to five years of gardening/horticulture experience.
• Ability to work occasional scheduled weekends.
• Physical dexterity to perform the job and ability to work outside year-round are necessary.
• Ability to frequently lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds and possess the physical strength to perform groundskeeping/gardening operations.

Salary and Benefits: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The LSU AgCenter has an attractive benefits package with a wide variety of benefit options, including retirement, multiple medical insurance options, supplemental insurances (dental, life, long-term disability, accident, vision, long-term care, etc.), Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollars on some child care and medical expenses), university holidays (14 per year, typically includes a week off at Christmas), generous annual (vacation) and sick leave benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and possible educational leave and tuition exemption for coursework at campuses of the LSU System. Specific benefits depend on job category, percent effort and length of employment.

Application Deadline: March 25, 2022 or until suitable candidate is located.

Date Available: April 1, 2022

Application Procedure: For consideration, please prepare the following materials: cover letter expressing interest, goals, and suitability for the position; resume; names and contact information for at least three professional references; and unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Then apply online at https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU (or through Workday for internal applicants).

For more information contact:

Dr. Jeff Kuehny

Chair of Search Committee

225-831-2349

JKuehny@agcenter.lsu.edu

www.lsuagcenter.com

The LSU Agricultural Center is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.