Facilities Assistant - Windy Harvest

Title: Facilities Assistant - Windy City Harvest

Exemption Status
:
Non-exempt

Department
:
Windy City Harvest

Reports to: Facilities Manager

Year-Round, Full-time

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values:
Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered.

A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

The facilities assistant plays a vital role in maintaining the greenhouses and farm sites at Windy City Harvest. The person in this position supports the upkeep and repair of facilities, equipment, and tools, while helping ensure the health and productivity of plants and growing systems. The facilities assistant works closely with staff to carry out daily operations and sustain efficient, safe, and functional farm environments.

Success in this role requires strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and a commitment to sustainability and high-quality site maintenance.

• Perform routine maintenance, repairs, and inspections of buildings, greenhouses, hoop houses, irrigation systems, and other farm structures.
• Identify and address safety hazards, leaks, structural concerns, and equipment issues; report concerns requiring additional support.
• Complete basic plumbing, electrical, carpentry, mechanical, and small-equipment repairs.
• Maintain walkways, work areas, storage spaces, landscaping, and overall site appearance at Farm on Ogden and assigned farm sites.
• Support waste, recycling, compost, snow removal, seasonal cleanup, and general site upkeep.
• Maintain and inspect hand tools, power tools, small machinery, and farm equipment; report or replace damaged or unsafe equipment.
• Support seasonal setup, breakdown, and storage of growing systems, farm infrastructure, and equipment.
• Support the transportation of vehicles, plants, supplies, equipment, and other materials to and from the main campus and assigned farm sites.
• Conduct regular fleet checks, including checking tire pressure and inspecting for visible damage, ensuring vehicle cabs are clean and orderly, and reporting maintenance or safety concerns.
• Maintain maintenance supplies and equipment inventories and track materials used for repairs and…