The Horticulture Supervisor is responsible for leading and overseeing the year-round care, maintenance, and stewardship of the Park’s ornamental plantings and native landscaped areas. Working under the direction of the Horticulture Manager and Director of Greenspace, this role supervises a Horticulture team and ensures high standards of landscape quality, ecological health, and public experience.
This position manages assigned park zones in the Japanese Garden, Lake Plaza and Parkwide areas and includes diverse landscapes with perennials, bioswales, naturalized areas, green infrastructure, water features, rental venues, and hardscaping. The Supervisor leads staff, seasonal workers, interns, and volunteers while collaborating across departments to support conservation initiatives, capital projects, community events, and daily park operations.
Duties and Responsibilities
Leadership & Supervision
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Lead, train, coach, and evaluate greenspace and horticulture staff, seasonal workers, interns, and volunteers.
- Develop daily, weekly, and seasonal work plans; delegate and prioritize tasks to ensure efficient maintenance across park zones.
- Foster a culture of safety, professionalism, and accountability.
- Monitor employee's attendance, schedule and assign weekend rotational shifts as needed, and review timesheets for approval
Horticulture & Conservation Management
- Oversee maintenance and enhancement of ornamental garden beds, native landscaped areas, bioswales, lawns, pond and water areas, shrubs, and trees.
- Plan, supervise, and ensure completion of seasonal landscape tasks including planting, pruning hedging, mulching, weeding, irrigation management, soil care, fertilization, and pest/disease management.
- Apply appropriate pruning techniques according to Japanese Garden aesthetic standards. Train staff on unique cultural practices, handiwork crafts and traditional methods for Japanese Garden maintenance as guided by designers and instructors.
- Monitor plant health, scout for pests, and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
- Assist with design and implementation of planting plans and landscape improvements.
- Ensure consistent horticultural standards across assigned areas through inspections and proactive interventions.
Coordination & Operations
- Collaborate with arborists, contractors, and other departments to complete projects and resolve maintenance issues.
- Monitor irrigation systems and report issues; utilizing relevant work order systems to ensure tracking and timely repairs.
- Track and manage equipment, supplies, and materials; ensure proper inventory and maintenance.
- Coordinate and lead volunteer projects, including training, task assignments, and supply staging.
- Operate a variety of equipment including utility vehicles, tractors, blowers, edgers, trimmers, and spray equipment.
- Document and report on work activities, asset conditions, and maintenance needs using appropriate software systems.
Public Engagement & Safety
- Represent the park professionally when interacting with visitors; educate the public on park etiquette and horticulture practices.
- Participate in educational tours and support community outreach programs related to the Japanese Garden and cross-departmental initiatives.
- Enforce safety policies and procedures, including proper use of PPE.
- Promote a safe and welcoming environment for staff, volunteers, and visitors. Identify and report hazards, infrastructure issues, and public safety concerns.
- Maintain clean and organized workspaces, storage areas, and equipment.
- Required to work at a public park with a high degree of public interaction.
- Requires physical labor, including bending, kneeling, standing, and regularly lifting/moving up to 25 lbs., frequently up to 50 lbs.
- Primarily outdoor work in variable weather conditions.
- Interaction with the public and volunteers.
- Flexibility to work overtime, weekends, holidays, and special events.
Work Schedule
- Typical schedule is Monday – Friday, 6:30AM-3:00 PM, with rotational weekend shifts.
- This is a field-based role requiring flexibility; hours will adjust as needed to support park operations, including nights, weekends, holidays, and special events
Qualifications
3+ years’ experience in horticulture, conservation, or landscape maintenance, including supervisory experience.
High school diploma or GED required; a degree in Horticulture, Natural Science, Environmental Science, or a related field preferred; or completion of a professional training program such as Texas Master Naturalist, Texas Master Gardener, Certified Landscape Professional, or a similar horticulture program.
Functional knowledge of irrigation systems, chemical application, equipment maintenance, plant identification, and proper horticultural techniques.
Experience in park operations or public garden settings preferred.
Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Must possess a valid Texas driver’s license and able to work legally in the United States
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Must pass a background check, pre-employment drug test, and participate in random drug testing program
