Horticulture

(Paid Opportunities) Return to Paid Opportunities

 Compensation: 55,000-65,000

Mount Auburn Cemetery comprises 175 acres and is located in Watertown and Cambridge, near Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1831, and now visited by more than 200,000 people each year, Mount Auburn is a National Historic Landmark, recognized as the first "rural cemetery" and the inspiration for the American Parks Movement during the ^{19th century} . As an active cemetery, Mount Auburn inspires all who visit, comforts the bereaved and commemorates the dead in a landscape of exceptional beauty. As an accredited arboretum, Mount Auburn boasts 5,000 trees and more than 20,000 plants overall.

Responsibilities/Duties

The Horticulture Department at Mount Auburn Cemetery is looking for an enthusiastic person to fill the position of Horticulturist.  Reporting to the Director of Horticulture, the individual will oversee a Mount Auburn horticultural area and will be responsible for landscape maintenance on a day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month basis, including weeding, mulching, irrigation, irrigation, pruning, bed preparation, planting, trimming, irrigation, fertilization, branch harvesting,  record-keeping, maintenance and disposal of lot plantations, new sales areas and other corporate plantations, all contained on and around Mount Auburn property.  Perimeter area as appropriate.  Coordinates and develops the use of volunteers for various gardening tasks in coordination with the Director of Horticulture and Volunteer Coordinator. 

• Conduct daily situational awareness within the area to manage trash or landscape issues that arise and impact the overall guest experience.
• Oversee and direct the seasonal workforce to achieve short- and long-term horticultural goals by prioritizing daily work assignments for all staff or volunteers in coordination with the Director of Horticulture.   
• Responsible for the complete maintenance of shrub and perennial beds
• Supervise and perform the planting and maintenance of lot plantations, which include ground covers, trees, shrubs and perennials, flower beds and maintain associated records in accordance with the Cemetery Services team.
• Supervise and perform planting and maintenance of corporate flower beds, urns/planters and conversions of curb/lawn fence lots to ground cover plantations.
• Supervise and conduct training and training of seasonal support staff and volunteers as needed on management best practices
• Assist the arboriculture team with all phases of tree work as requested. Perform ornamental pruning of trees during the winter months.
• Responsible for diagnosing plant pest problems, recommending treatments and improvements in plant health care, maintaining all appropriate records, and performing fumigations and pesticide treatments for outdoor plant collection from the Cemetery.
• In coordination with the horticultural curator's research, plan and implement regular horticultural improvements.
• You may be required to perform other duties as requested by the Director of Horticulture to assist other Sections or Departments or improve Mount Auburn, including assisting the burial team in establishing graves, greening graves, transporting burial devices and caskets, cleaning tombs and jackhammer graves when no other manpower is available.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Degree in Ornamental Horticulture or related field or equivalent training
• Five years of horticultural work experience with growing supervisory experience leading landscaping teams
• Proven ability to lead staff and lead work teams.  Must be able to make sound decisions efficiently and safely, often under pressure and in stressful situations
• Organized, independent worker capable of auto-initiating and prioritizing workloads
• Experience working on private estates and high-end residential landscaping is desired
• Ability to obtain a Commercial Pesticide Applicator License on "Shade and Ornamental Trees" (Category 36) within one year of hiring
• Ability to obtain a Massachusetts 2A Elevation License within one year of hiring
• MCA, MCH or ISA designation is highly desirable
• Ability to communicate successfully and tactfully with staff, suppliers and external contractors, lot owners, customers and visitors
• The experience of working in a greenhouse or the willingness to learn this function is desirable.
• Proficiency in basic computer skills and programs such as Outlook, Excel, Word, Powerpoint or willingness and ability to learn
• Bilingual communicator in Spanish a plus (not required)
• A valid driver's license is required
• Ability to shovel soil, snow and mulch and to lift fertilizer, lime, soil mixtures, moss, trees, shrubs and logs up to 80 pounds
• Ability to use and operate a variety of hand tools and power equipment, such as pole mowers, leaf blowers, snow blowers, backhoes, bucket trucks, chippers, chainsaws, and all other arboricultural equipment
• Pneumatic hammer and casket lift capacity for burials up to 100 pounds
• Ability to bend, walk, and/or stand for long periods of time
• Work outdoors in all seasons, including harsh weather conditions

Working hours: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday. Occasionally you may work other hours or days.

Additional Information

How to apply:
Send a cover letter stating your career goals and objectives with a current resume, as microsoft word documents to: jobs@mountauburn.org

Contact Information

Mount Auburn Cemetery
Contact Name: Mount Auburn Cemetery
Email: jobs@mountauburn.org