Associate Director of Student and Public Engagement, Marsh Botanical Garden

Overview

Reporting to the Director of Marsh Botanical Garden, the Associate Director (AD) of Student and Public Engagement strategically develops and executes the public and educational mission of Marsh Botanical Garden through the growth and expansion of our permanent plant diversity collections and student and public programming, fundraising, events, and tours. Through active collaboration with other Yale and community partners, the AD develops and oversees an ambitious and diverse array of programs that support engagement by Yale students and the New Haven community, and the use of garden collections as resources for education, student research, and public engagement.

The AD will contribute significantly to the garden’s role as a vital creative and intellectual force within the university and the greater New Haven community. This position facilitates campus and community outreach and develops programs to engage students, faculty, and the larger community around the collection, its greenhouses, and outdoor facilities including participation in community-wide activities with local educational and non-profit organizations.

• Partner with the Faculty Director and the Associate Director of Research to conceive, develop and execute the strategic vision and programming for Marsh Botanical Garden, including collaborations with other universities, programs, public institutions, potential partners and research centers.
• Foster integration of garden collections into teaching across the Yale curriculum; develop collaborative relationships to expand how the garden contributes to scholarly endeavors; ensure maximum teaching opportunities by partnering with faculty from a wide range of academic departments.
• Lead and oversee the growth of the MBG community and educational programs; direct the operations of initiatives within MBG; provide direction and leadership in support of philosophy, mission, strategy, goals, and objectives; assist with recruiting students to engage in MBG research and outreach; facilitate internal and external collaborations.
• Identify and pursue funding sources to support and grow teaching and outreach programming; manage the lifecycle from identification to grant writing and submission, in partnership with relevant parties including the Yale Peabody Museum and the Yale School of the Environment.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Yale’s development office to cultivate a community of garden supporters; work with University donors; provide updates to existing donors and engage alumni to support special projects, collaborations and research; develop and host programs for Yale reunions.
• Supervise indoor and outdoor horticultural staff to care for living plant collections, implementing sustainable gardening practices and integrated pest management.
• Establish and oversee a systematic plant record policy, including the plant collection and accessioning policy and labeling aligned with the MBG mission.
• Manage and maintain BG-Base and other relevant electronic collections records.
• Coordinate climate control in greenhouses, irrigation systems and maintenance of horticultural equipment collaboratively with University Grounds, Facilities and other entities.
• Manage and maintain the inventory of plant propagation and maintenance equipment and supplies; ensure materials and equipment are ordered as needed.
• Develop communication materials for the campus, botanical community, and the public; design and produce brochures for MBG and program initiatives; design, write, edit, produce and distribute newsletters and annual reports; manage MBG online presence and initiatives (website, social media, digital publications); design and maintain websites for the Garden and initiatives.
• Develop, manage and administer budgets for programs and initiatives in partnership with the Operations Manager; revise contracts and renewal processes as appropriate.
• Establish and maintain high horticultural standards and practices; manage and develop MBG salaried and hourly staff, volunteers, docents and student employees.
• Maintain positive and professional relationships with Yale faculty, students, administrators,…