Horticulturalist

Join our dedicated team at Arlington Heights Park District as a Horticulture Specialist, where you'll play a vital role in enhancing our community’s outdoor spaces. In this full-time position, you will be responsible for establishing and maintaining turf through grading, seeding, and fertilizing, while also managing pest control and selecting plants that elevates our parks' beauty. Your expertise will be critical in preparing sites for planting, installing and caring for various plant materials and overseeing the maintenance of our natural areas. Join us in creating and maintaining vibrant parks for everyone to enjoy while making an meaningful impact to the community!

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES
  • Select trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and ground covers for planting designs
  • Prepares beds and sites, plants, trims, prunes, mulches, waters, weeds, stakes, fertilizes, rakes, shovels, digs, grades, backfills, and levels soil to complete and maintain horticultural projects
  • Installs, prunes, waters, mulches, stakes, transplants, and removes plant and tree materials
  • Manages weed, disease, and insect control
  • Follows written planting and site construction plans
  • Performs bed preparation, including timber, ledging and border installation, excavation, drainage installation, soil amendment, planting, mulching, and weed control
  • Establishes turf, grades, seeds, sods, fertilizes, aerates, top dresses, and overseeds sites
  • Applies pesticides to Park District grounds and/or horticultural areas

This position will need a strong knowledge of:
  • Capacity to identify trees, shrubs, weeds, and other plant, tree, and shrub species
  • Ability to diagnose and properly treat plants, trees, shrubs pests, and diseases
  • Capacity to safely operate a variety of maintenance equipment and machinery
  • Ability to clean, calibrate, make adjustments, and perform routine maintenance on equipment
  • Capacity to safely dispose of various chemicals
  • Ability to interpret and work from blueprints, sketches, and drawings
  • Ability to maintain positive and effective working relationships with supervisors and coworkers
  • Capacity to plan, direct, schedule, and train crew members
  • Ability to work harmoniously with coworkers
  • Ability to work around the general public and park patrons in public areas

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING
  • Minimum of AA/AS Degree in Horticulture required
  • Minimum three years of experience in horticultural or skilled grounds maintenance
  • Identification skills for native and non-native plant species of the Chicagoland areas preferred
  • Prescribed burn training S130, S190 certification or equivalent preferred
  • Or, any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training
  • Valid Illinois Driver’s License
  • Valid Illinois Pesticide Public Operator License or valid Illinois Applicator License in turf and/or ornamentals
  • CPR and AED Certification required within six months of employment

BENEFITS WE OFFER
In exchange for your time and talent, we offer a generous benefit package, including:
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
  • Life Insurance (basic & voluntary additional coverage)
  • IMRF Defined Benefit Pension
  • Short- and Long-Term Disability (IMRF)
  • 457 and ROTH 457 Defined Contribution Plans
  • Medical and Childcare Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Paid Time Off (sick, vacation, and Floating Holidays)
  • Childcare discounts
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Parental Leave
  • Park District facility and program discounts for employees and their families
 
AHPD OVERVIEW
The Arlington Heights Park District (AHPD) is one of the most noteworthy park districts in Illinois. Located 25 miles northwest from downtown Chicago, AHPD is the 3rd largest Park District in Cook County and the 12th largest in the State of Illinois. Since 1925, AHPD continues to enrich the community by providing fun, accessible, and impactful recreation and facilities for every age and every season. The District operates five community centers with outdoor pools, two tennis clubs, Lake Arlington, Arlington Ridge Center, two public golf clubs and a driving range, Arlington Heights Historical Museum, Senior Center, 58 parks, 44 playgrounds, 22 miles of jogging and bike trails across 714 acres of land. AHPD is a three times National Gold Medal Award recipient for excellence in the field of parks and recreation management and an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency.
 
The Arlington Heights Park District commits itself to diversity, equity, and inclusion to create a mutually respectful, multicultural, and equitable environment.

https://ahpd.bamboohr.com/careers/153

Job details

$57,900-$61,769
Open Until Filled
Arlington Heights Park District
 Print  Email