Hybrid Horticulture Supervisor en City of Wilmington, NC

About the Department

The purpose of this position is to supervise horticulturists and maintenance workers to improve and maintain City parks and open spaces. This is accomplished by directing staff. assigning tasks, training others, meeting with citizens, addressing complaints and concerns, conducting performance evaluations, making hiring and termination decisions, meeting with contractors, and managing projects. 

Other duties include leading crews during emergency situations, preparing long-range maintenance plans with an emphasis on integrated pest management (IPM), projecting and monitoring expenditures, researching trends, and supervising greenhouse and growing operations.  

Position Duties

• Monitors and supervises employees in daily work activities; planning, directing and inspecting work; ensuring the maintenance of equipment and providing a safe work environment by evaluating procedures for safety standard and ensuring adherence to these safety protocols.   Responsible for maintaining effective staff and employee relations.
  
  
• Maintains effective communication with citizens, administering all aspects of park ordinances, and responding to citizen-initiated service requests.
  
  
• Manages the section's administrative functions, including advising the Superintendent in matters relating to division activities, assisting in determining budgetary criteria, preparing division budgets, initiating regular equipment reports, setting cost projections, overseeing capital projects, preparing orders for greenhouse operations, and coordinating all related tasks.
  
  
• Supervises and assigns the activities of staff and carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the City’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include coordinating and assisting with interviewing; training employees; working with employees to establish goals and career development plans; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance, recommending personnel actions, and addressing complaints and resolving conflicts. 

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Associate’s degree or higher in horticulture, landscape gardening, turf grass, arboriculture, or other related field of study and a minimum of three (3) years of experience maintaining grounds, amenities, greenhouses, irrigation systems, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training necessary to perform the essential functions of the position. 

• Valid Driver's License
• Possession of a pesticide license from the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire. 
• Knowledgeable in the care of a variety of trees, shrubs, and plants, such as found in the City of Wilmington; soil preparation and enrichments techniques, plant diseases and deficiencies and appropriate corrective measures, horticulture nomenclature; operation, adjustment, preventive maintenance and minor repair of hand and power tools and equipment related to the work; safety principles, practices and equipment related to the work; shop mathematics; basic hand written and computerized record keeping practices.
• Skilled in practical supervisory principles and practices, effective communication (to include conducting constructive or difficult conversations with employees and other internal and external customers and establishing and maintaining effective interpersonal relationships. 

Other Qualifications

Physical Demands: 

• Exerting up to 20 lbs. occasionally, 10 lbs. frequently, or negligible amounts constantly OR requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

• This position generally requires work indoors/office sin an indoor Some outdoor work may be necessary for particular responsibilities.