Garden Manager

This is a full-time professional position under the direct supervision of the Program Director of the Washington Youth Garden (WYG) at the U.S. National Arboretum. Via garden science education and best practices of organic gardening, the mission of the WYG is to inspire children and families to engage in self-discovery as related to relationships with food, the environment, and to one's overall health and to the health and well-being of their communities.

WYG is a project of the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), a small, non-profit organization located on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, D.C. FONA is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to enhancing, through private and public sector resources, support for educational, outreach and research programs that advance the mission of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Position Overview:

The Garden Manager is responsible for planning, designing and overseeing the maintenance of a ¾-acre demonstration and production garden used for WYG educational programs, workshops, trainings and U.S. National Arboretum visitors. The purpose of the garden is to showcase best practices in organic gardening that will facilitate an understanding and appreciation for the relationship between our food and the land.

The Garden Manager shares the responsibility for the safety and well-being of the children, families and educators participating in the program and ensures that a favorable educational environment is maintained. (S)he must be comfortable working with diverse populations, especially, elementary school children (age 8 to 12).

In addition, the Garden Manager must possess good communication and interpersonal skills and work closely with Program Director, Education Coordinator, FONA staff and Board, USNA staff, WYG partners, school personnel, parents, volunteers and interns.

Responsibilities:

• Plan, design and oversee maintenance of WYG demonstration and production garden and greenhouse space for the purposes of garden science education and organic produce production.
• Recruit, train, supervise and coordinate communication with volunteers and interns. Coordinate with USNA's Volunteer and Intern Coordinator and other partners to identify service work groups and provide supervision accordingly.
• Inventory, secure and manage all garden based supplies (including in-kind), tools and equipment and coordinate and oversee all facilities' usage (via USNA) and facilities' upgrades to the garden.
• Coordinate the distribution of produce grown in the garden among participants and with the community through programs, farmers' markets food distribution organizations, restaurants and special vents.
• Coordinate with Education Coordinator the development and facilitation (where necessary) of the garden-based components of WYG's four major programs: Garden Science, SPROUT, Growing Food...Growing Together and Seed to Supper.
• Assist Education Coordinator and Program Director with developing and presenting gardening education workshops for teacher trainings, conferences, community based organizations and general public.
• Assist Program Director with WYG research and development responsibilities: program assessment, outreach, partnership development, fundraising, and special events coordination.

Qualifications:

The Garden Manager must have a BA/BS in Agriculture, Horticulture, Botany, Biology, Environmental Studies or a related field and have a minimum of 3 years work experience, including supervision and management experience. Non-profit related and program development experience is ideal, as is teaching experience in traditional and/or non-traditional classroom settings.

The ability to communicate well (orally and written) with various stakeholders (children, parents, USNA and FONA staff and Board, volunteers, school personnel, partners, funders, visitors and general public) is imperative. (S)he must be capable of physical work in various weather conditions, able to lift 50 lbs, possess a driver's license and have access to reliable transportation. First Aid/CPR certification and bilingual skills are highly recommended.

Compensation: Salary is commensurate upon experience. Excellent benefits package: 100% paid health and disability insurance. Free parking.

To Apply:

Please submit your application by August 19, 2011. Please
email resume, cover letter, and references to Susan Beaudoin.

Susan Beaudoin
Washington Youth Garden
Friends of the National Arboretum
3501 New York Avenue, NE
Washington DC 20002