Horticultural Technician 2 - Gantry Plaza State Park

(Paid Opportunities) Return to Paid Opportunities

Salary: $43,108 - $55,223 + $3,026 (location pay)
Work location: Gantry Plaza State park, 4-09 47th road, long island city, ny 11101
Negotiating unit: Nu-05 professional, scientific & technical unit (pst)
Jurisdictional class: Competitive

Type of appointment: provisional*, full timePursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide their current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Agency

Responsibilities/Duties

Under the supervision of the Park Manager 2 and/or higher level personnel at Gantry Plaza State Park, the Horticultural Technician 2 will perform a variety of duties relating to the care and maintenance of plantings, local community gardens, vegetation and lawn maintenance at Gantry Plaza State Park. The Horticultural Technician 2 may be assigned at other state parks within the New York City Region by the Park Manager 2. The incumbent provides general horticultural services to the New York City region, complex garden area, greenhouse or major garden site or collection.

• operating in an independent manner, does planting, transplanting, watering, fertilizing, spraying, pruning and trimming of valuable, rare or specialized trees, shrubs, vines and flowers and identifies and supervises or otherwise handles the removal of invasive species;
• inspects the operating area to identify potential safety hazards, needs for skilled maintenance, landscaping requirements, litter control, refuse removal, etc., report findings to supervisor(s) and/or undertakes corrective action; takes soil samples and performs soil analysis;
• curates outdoor herbaceous and woody plant collections; identifies plant growth, nutrient, insect and disease problems, taking the appropriate corrective and remedial action, consulting as needed with supervisor(s); researches and assesses the best horticultural practices for managing the living collections; documents, reports, and catalogs plant-related information;
• selectively prunes plants to correct structural defects, to thin excessive growth within the plant’s framework and to remove portions of the plant damaged by disease, storm or insects to retain or restore the natural form of the plant;
• selectively formulates and applies herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and fertilizers to plant material to counteract insect and/or disease problems;
• develops management plans for outdoor gardens and living collections; maintains display beds through weeding, watering, pruning, deadheading, mulching, edging, raking and fertilization;
• performs appropriate soil preparation and planting of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees; performs seasonal landscaping work including planting, pruning, clean-up, bulb planting, dividing and transplanting, leaf removal;
• operates and maintains hand and portable power tools and motorized equipment such as mowers, tractors, sprayers, saws, tillers, trimmers, etc.
• supervises lower level and seasonal staff and volunteers in the care of plant material, and provides for materials and supplies in support of this work; assists with training and support of seasonal gardeners and interns;
• answers questions for park visitors about horticulture, history and design, and general park information; leads horticultural tours and assists with special programs, as needed;
• operates light trucks and other motor vehicles as required in the performance of duties;
• may be required to load and unload materials, tools and equipment of varying weights and sizes as needed in the performance of duties assigned;
• performs routine manual maintenance tasks required to develop, maintain and repair associated plantings, buildings, roads and equipment;
• maintains equipment and supplies properly and ensures that they are stored safely;
• performs snow and ice control measures and maintains grounds and structures as needed;
• may serve as second-in-command of the park at the direction of the Park Manager 2 or Complex Manager if no higher manager is present;
• is a member of NYC regional green team, conducting and assisting with trainings and green projects.

Qualifications/Requirements

1. four years of technical experience in horticulture, plant propagation, nursery, or greenhouse work,* which includes plant pest and disease detection and control. This experience must include one year of supervisory experience;
Or

2. an associate’s or higher-level degree and two years of technical experience in horticulture, plant propagation, nursery, or greenhouse work,* which includes plant pest and disease detection and control;
Or

3. a bachelor’s or higher-level degree in horticulture, agronomy, forestry, or an agricultural related field.
*NOTE: Individuals appointed provisionally must take and pass a Civil Service examination for this position and be reachable; i.e., be one of the top three (3) candidates on the resulting eligible list willing to accept the position.

OPERATING NEEDS:

• Ability to perform medium to heavy physical labor and to lift a minimum of 50 lbs.
• Selected candidate must possess and maintain a valid New York State Motor Vehicle Operator’s License as a term and condition of employment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with other staff and with park patrons. Ability to read, comprehend and prepare written materials.
• Ability to safely and effectively operate and use lawn/garden equipment and small hand tools
• Selected candidate must obtain a Pesticide Applicator’s License (category 3A) within 6 months of appointment and maintain it as a term and condition of employment.
• Employee must be qualified and medically cleared to wear a respirator and have knowledge of good safety practices which must be utilized.
• Selected candidate must be capable of and willing to learn to competently operate specialized grounds care equipment assigned to the facility such as an aerator, power rake, sod cutter and over-seeder.
• Preference will be given to individuals with progressive experience in the care of trees and shrubs and who have the ability to perform such work with little direct supervision.
• Selected candidate must complete CPR/AED training within the probationary period and must maintain the certification.
• Incumbent is required to take and pass chainsaw certification - levels 1, 2, 3 when training is given.

Additional Information

BENEFITS:

There are various benefits that a permanent employee is entitled to, based on their negotiating unit: employment with bonus days for additional years of service; 12 days annual
paid holidays; five days annual paid personal leave; and 13 days of annual paid sick leave.

Learn more about our benefits for permanent state employees, visit: https://parks.ny.gov/employment/benefits.aspx
How to apply
If you feel you meet the minimum qualifications and the agency’s operating needs, and are interested in being considered for this vacancy, you can obtain an employment application from your local park office, your region’s administrative headquarters or you can download an application from the nys office of parks, recreation and historic preservation website at https://parks.ny.gov/employment. please forward your application and resume, if available, to nycvacancies@parks.ny.gov and include the name of the park and the job title in the subject line of your email. applications are also accepted by mail. please mail to: office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, 163 west 125th street, 17th floor, new york, ny 10027, attention: personnel. all qualified persons are invited and encouraged to apply.

It is the responsibility of each applicant to accurately describe their experience and demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualifications and agency operating needs. If three or fewer interested promotional candidates respond to this notice, the agency may, at its discretion, nominate a qualified employee for non-competitive promotion under the provisions of section 52.7 of the civil service law. if certified by the department of civil service, mandatory reemployment list candidates must be considered first for appointment to this title.

Application packages containing all three required items detailed above can also be submitted by email to nycvacancies@parks.ny.gov
You must include “horticultural technician 2 – gantry plaza” in the title of Your e-mail for consideration.
Posting date: 4/5/22

Applications accepted until: 4/20/22

Contact Information

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Email: nycvacancies@parks.ny.gov
Website: Apply Online