Irrigation and Turfgrass Technician

Full Time Irrigation and Turfgrass Technician

Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs.

Denver Botanic Gardens is currently seeking a Full Time Irrigation and Turfgrass Technician in our Operations Department! Read below to see if the requirements might be a good fit for you:

Applications will be accepted through September 3, 2026 or until a candidate is found

Position Summary

This position oversees the irrigation and turfgrass areas at Chatfield Farms by applying the appropriate best practices. This position is responsible for the installation, maintenance and scheduling of the irrigation system by coordinating with the horticulture and farm staff on site. This position maintains turfgrass areas to the highest horticulture standards.

Must have the ability to handle multiple and changing priorities, maintaining confidentiality, and communication between staff.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintains turfgrass in cultivated areas at acceptable aesthetic levels to include fertilization, pest control and weed control.
• Coordinates with the horticulture and farms teams to schedule irrigation program efficiently.
• Performs weekly diagnostic evaluations of irrigation equipment, responds to emergency calls, troubleshoots problems and takes actions to ensure plant/system integrity.
• Performs tasks such as excavating trenches and ditches, laying pipe, installation, including cleaning and maintenance of water features and pumps.
• Collaborates with the Associate Director of Horticulture Chatfield Farms to develop and plan irrigation and turfgrass budgets.
• Manages design, planning and evaluation of existing irrigation and works with contractors for new systems.
• Participates in projects as assigned, including but not limited to snow removal, garden installations and construction projects.
• Oversees contractors performing irrigation repair and new installation.
• Creates and defines tasks and processes for volunteers, interns and seasonal gardeners.
• Maintains a positive, helpful and solution-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving members and visitors.
• Always uses appropriate safety procedures.
• Participates in Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms special events, which include but are not limited to concerts, Pumpkin Festival, Lavender Festival, Corn Maze, and Trail of Lights assisting in planning, set-up, and tear down.
• Coordinates with Public Events and Private Events to schedule irrigation according to event schedules on a weekly basis.
• Regular attendance at the worksite may be required. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work. Remote work is at the discretion of management at all times.
• All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position

Qualifications:

Knowledge,

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret horticultural periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or government regulations.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions, percentages, area, circumference and volume.
• Ability to write reports, professional correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Experience working with irrigation software such as, Rainbird Site…