Como Park Zoo and Conservatory -Horticulture Supervisor

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
-Horticulture Supervisor

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory – City of Saint Paul

Do you thrive at the intersection of plant science, leadership, and public spaces? The City of Saint Paul is seeking a passionate and experienced Horticulture Supervisor to lead and elevate the horticulture operations at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. This role blends expert-level plant care with team leadership, sustainable practices, and public engagement — helping shape one of Minnesota’s most beloved botanical and garden destinations.

From greenhouse crop production and botanical collections curation to ornamental landscapes and the Japanese Garden, this position ensures that our living collections are vibrant, sustainable, and inspiring for thousands of visitors each year.

In this role, you can expect to:

Lead and develop a high‑performing team
Supervise horticulture staff, volunteers, and interns — providing direction, coaching, scheduling, performance management, and hands‑on support.

Curate and care for diverse plant collections
Oversee botanical collections, floriculture crop production, greenhouse operations, zoo exhibit landscapes, and the Japanese Garden — ensuring expert‑level cultural care and display excellence.

Design and maintain exceptional public displays
Plan, organize, and evaluate seasonal and permanent plant installations that meet high aesthetic and quality standards.

Implement sustainable horticulture practices
Lead Integrated Pest Management (IPM), biocontrol programs, pesticide application compliance, and environmentally responsible crop production systems.

Manage operations, safety, and resources
Develop work plans and schedules, maintain inventories and procurement records, oversee SDS and pesticide compliance, ensure PPE standards, and support facility improvements and capital recommendations.

Position Requirements Eight years of experience in horticulture or a related industry, not including sales. Public gardens experience and leadership experience is preferred.

NOTE:

A Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture or a closely related plant science degree such as botany, agriculture, greenhouse management or floriculture, may be substituted for four years of experience. An Associate’s degree in those areas may be substituted for two years of experience. Must possess a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Non‑Commercial Pesticide Applicator License (written tests part A and

E) within six months of the date of appointment. Must possess and maintain a valid Minnesota Class D Driver's License or equivalent out‑of‑state driver's license.

Our Benefits:
We offer competitive wages, and a variety of excellent benefits (Download PDF reader), including health insurance, retirement contributions and paid vacation and sick time.

Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:
The City of Saint Paul is dedicated to dismantling systemic racial, cultural, and economic barriers that prevent people from fully enjoying and participating in our community and ensuring fairness in opportunities and outcomes for all individuals. At the City of Saint Paul, we want our workforce to reflect the diverse city that we serve. Our leaders are guided by an unapologetic equity agenda, which promotes the belief that true equity is building a city that works for all of us.

We encourage you to apply as we are most interested in finding the best candidate for this job.

• Submit a City of Saint Paul online application by the closing date.
• Upload or submit the following required document(s) via the online application system. (Zip files and web links will not be accepted. Each uploaded attachment is limited to 10MB.)
  • A resume (optional).

Need technical support? For help with the online application, please call