Director Of Horticulture

OVERVIEW

A popular year-round destination, Governors Island is a 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor located between Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront. For almost two centuries, the Island was closed to the public, operating as a military base for the U.S. Army and, later, the Coast Guard. Today, an award-winning new park is complemented by dozens of unique historic buildings, educational and cultural facilities, a rich arts and culture program and a 22-acre National Monument managed by the National Park Service.

Looking ahead, the long-term vision for Governors Island focuses on continuing to expand year-round public access by enlivening it with transformative public art and culture, extraordinary recreational and open space, and research and education dedicated to addressing the global climate crisis.

The Director of Horticulture is a full-time leadership role at the Trust for Governors Island (Trust). The Director will be responsible for all aspects of management and long-term care of Governors Island’s diverse gardens. The Director will shape open space management protocols and lead a professional horticulture team. Must have a hands‑on leadership style, strategic vision, in-depth knowledge of native plants and ecological gardening, and an understanding of arboriculture.

• Directly oversee all horticultural activities on Governors Island including:
  • The development and implementation of daily and seasonal maintenance practices and a cohesive management plan;
  • Establishment of a zone management system;
  • Plant selection, acquisition and installation;
  • Garden design;
  • Tree care;
  • Pest identification and management.
• Demonstrate expertise in diverse garden settings, native plants, ecological gardening, and horticultural design.
• Supervise the horticulture team in the field, providing guidance and feedback on essential tasks, ensuring best practices are followed. Expected presence in the field at least 25% of efforts to provide direct supervision or direct care for plantings or landscaping work.
• Ensure optimal staffing of the horticulture team, including recruiting, hiring, training and scheduling.
• Develop and implement best practices and standards for all members of the horticulture team, ensuring that employees receive ongoing instruction and opportunities for professional development.
• Lead the measurement of the horticulture team’s performance and ensure compliance with Trust policies, including safety, job performance and personal conduct.
• Provide expertise and vision for new and existing team members, articulating departmental priorities on a daily/weekly basis and ensuring that work plans are designed and executed in conjunction with such priorities.
• Develop and maintain annual plan for seasonal gardening / landscaping work such as planting, pruning, weeding, watering, fertilizing, mulching, pest management, etc.
• Assess existing horticultural challenges in planted areas and work with horticulture staff, designers, and consultants to formulate appropriate responses and implement changes as necessary.
• Develop and maintain budgets and monitor spending related to horticulture maintenance.
• Lead procurement, including bid process and RFP development, contract development, project management and on-site supervision of third‑party vendors for open space modifications, renovations, maintenance, and care.
• Ensure materials, vehicles, tools and equipment are adequately supplied, in good repair and properly maintained and stored.
• Lead the information capture and maintenance of records of plantings, planted areas, trees, and related information, to be collected and recorded in the Trust’s asset management system.
• Cultivate a healthy and supportive culture amongst the horticulture team and collaborate effectively with other Island‑wide teams.
• Collaborate with Landscaping leadership on existing landscape challenges, provide consult on turf management as requested.
• Actively promote and contribute to the Trust’s sustainability initiatives open space management.
• Coordinate with the Trust’s Programming staff to facilitate event load‑ins and set‑ups to ensure protection of gardens and planted…