Horticultural Specialist
- Employer
- University of Virginia
- Location
- Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
View more categoriesView less categories
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Horticultural Specialist
Recognized as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the U.S., the University of Virginia is seeking a Horticultural Specialist who will provide expertise in the installation and maintenance of intensely planted garden demonstration areas throughout UVA Grounds. This role is responsible for fostering a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach towards maintaining horticultural beauty and health, applying deep knowledge of proper techniques, utilizing integrated pest management, and maintaining accurate records of efforts. Through collaborative partnerships, the Horticultural Specialist will participate in the ongoing development, renovation, and construction of displays.
To be successful, the incumbent must possess considerable knowledge of horticulture principles and the practices applicable to maintaining formal gardens. This should include extensive knowledge of soil and plant health, identification and care of ground covers, bulbs, annuals, perennials and trees and shrub. Working knowledge of the principles and methods of garden construction, as well as the ability to operate large and small equipment is necessary. The Horticultural Specialist must be able to use judgment and initiative while working independently to successfully complete work assignments with minimal of supervision. This role requires strong communication skills and the ability to foster positive interactions with departmental staff in addition to students, faculty and staff, and the visiting public.
Responsibilities
- Apply subject matter expertise of a wide range of plant species and current standards to properly plan, install, and maintain horticultural displays and gardens.
- Perform a daily maintenance and cleaning routine to remove weeds, debris and litter from demonstration areas. This includes keeping walkways clear and ensuring hardscapes are in good order to promote both beauty and the safety of students, staff, and visitors. Snow removal, leaf removal, and storm damage clean up are also within the realm of garden maintenance.
- Protect all plant material within the assigned garden from the damaging effects of pest and disease, monitoring on a set schedule to detect early signs of damage, and implementing interventions including practicing Integrated Pest Management.
- Properly install all new herbaceous and woody plant material, performing tasks including but not limited to choosing the correct mulch and applying it in the proper fashion, irrigating the collection and monitoring soil moisture, pruning, and fertilizer application.
- Maintain up to date records, identifying key plants and key plant pest within the assigned area and treatments that are applied.
- Provide hands-on training and enthusiastic leadership to Grounds Workers tasked with supporting the maintenance efforts in the assigned area.
- Provide interpretation of the Formal Gardens, assisting with guided tours and other events as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience: Four years of experience.
- Licensure/Certifications: Valid VA driver's license. Certification may be required within 12 months of hire for specific equipment usage and/or specialty.
Preferred Qualifications
- Education: Horticultural or related degrees
- Experience: Maintenance or installation of intensely designed gardens
- Licensure/Certifications: Any Horticulture Related Certificate (i.e VNLA, PGMS, VTC, CBLP)
Physical Demands
This job will require standing, traveling, and lifting various weights above and below the waist various weights which may include different landscape equipment and materials. The use of both hands and repetitive motion will be required while pruning, driving, weeding, and pushing lawn mowers. This position is exposed to varying temperatures due to outside work and to noise from working around and with machinery. Employees are potentially exposed to contaminants and chemicals due to the use of fuel and landscape fertilizers, etc
Salary Range
The anticipated hiring range is $20.00–$24.00, commensurate with education and experience.
Position Type & Work Location
- This is a non-exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.
- This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and must be performed fully on-site.
About UVA and the Community
To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.
Application Timeline
Application review will begin after July 4, 2026.
Additional Requirements
- Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.
- This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship at this time.
How to Apply
Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0084612. Complete an application with the following documents:
- Resume
- Cover Letter
Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.
Reference Check Process
Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.
Contact
- For questions about the position, please contact Travis Mawyer at tlm3s@virginia.edu
- For questions about the application process, please contact Rich Haverstrom, Academic Recruiter, at rkh6j@virginia.edu
The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.
Organization
In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.
What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation’s leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.
Each of the University’s eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger’s, 2016).
As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.
RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES
As an R1 institution, the University’s research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.
Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty’s engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.
NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM
UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.
Established as the nation’s 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children’s Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.
The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.
INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING
The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.
One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University’s residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation: UVA’s faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.
Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards. Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow’s leaders inside and outside the classroom.
LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Living in Charlottesville you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries. No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.
In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others. Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses. The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers.
The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
- Telephone
- 434-985-4532
- Location
-
2420 Old Ivy
Charlottesvle
Virginia
22911-7433
United States
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