Your Role: Horticulturist
Your Manager: Horticulture Supervisor
Your Pay Structure (FLSA Status): Full-time, hourly/nonexempt
Safety Sensitive: This is a safety-sensitive position. Regardless of whether you are a medical marijuana licensee, you must receive a negative result on a 10-panel, pre-placement drug screening to include THC, prior to beginning work.
The Zoo
Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. (TZMI) is a nonprofit organization driven by our mission of Connecting, Caring, Advocating for Wildlife, People, and Wild Places. From trumpeting elephants to squawking parrots, each member of our team is integral to the success of the Zoo as Green Country’s largest paid daily attraction. At Tulsa Zoo, the IDEA is a zoo for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. Apply today for your opportunity to join our dynamic group of passionate individuals who bring the zoo to life each day, 365 days per year, caring for animals, interacting with guests, educating the public, and managing the Zoo’s grounds, operations, and facilities.
A Few of Your Many Benefits
- Free family-level Tulsa Zoo membership
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits beginning your first day of employment
- 401k
- Unlimited virtual visits with a mental health therapist at no cost to you
- Food, beverage, and retail discounts on zoo grounds
- Generous paid time off plans
Your Job
Horticulturists perform skilled and semi-skilled landscape duties and functions necessary to maintain Tulsa Zoo’s plant collections, landscapes, and grounds to meet or exceed desired standards in an efficient and independent manner.
Your Essential Responsibilities
If you disclose different abilities, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable you to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position.
- Oversee, install, and sustain turf, landscaping, and botanical garden collection.
- Perform related maintenance such as watering, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, pruning and trimming, and landscape construction.
- Plant and maintain woody and herbaceous species in exterior and interior installations.
- Aerate, fertilize, mow, trim, edge, and seed grounds and turf areas.
- Propagate plant materials by various means (seeds, cuttings, divisions, etc.) both in the field and greenhouse/nursery environment.
- Identify common native plant species as well as approved plants species for animal browse program.
- Following approved departmental and organizational standards, inspect, identify, and treat exterior and interior plants for pests and diseases.
- Operate, adjust, install, and repair irrigation systems, both automatic and manual.
- Operate and maintain a variety of light and heavy equipment, including mowing equipment, tractor, back-hoe, front-end loader, skid loader (Bobcat), trencher, tiller, and utility vehicles.
- Utilize a wide array of gas-powered, electric-powered, and handheld tools such as: shovels, rakes, pruners, hedge trimmers, chain saws, and blowers.
- Perform routine clearing of zoo sidewalks, pathways, parking areas, and service roads of litter, dirt, leaves, trash, snow/ice, etc. per pre-determined schedule.
- Monitor grounds for fallen limbs, trash, and other unwanted articles that are unsightly, hazardous, or potentially lost by patrons.
- Requisition supplies, materials, and equipment; monitor inventory; load and unload supplies.
- Assist with maintaining plant inventory and records.
- Train, assist, and oversee work of volunteers/interns and ensure their safety.
- Recognize signs of pest infestation in animal areas and combat pests/nuisance wildlife as directed.
- Maintain area compliance with all local, state, federal, and international regulations meeting the standards of USDA, AZA, etc.
- Attend and participate in staff meetings to discuss the needs of the collection and staff, to resolve problems, and to learn of new procedures and policies.
- Participate in visitor education programs, formal and informal presentations and outreach programs, scheduled talks, and provide accurate information to the public.
- Maintain necessary certifications as required.
- Maintain necessary testing/vaccinations as required (TB, rabies, etc.).
- Effectively communicate and demonstrate interpersonal skills with all levels of employees in a clear and professional manner.
- Demonstrate and adhere to TZMI’s workplace values.
- Know and follow zoo policies and procedures, including emergency protocols.
- Attend and participate in staff meetings and assigned training sessions.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This position has no direct reports.
What We Expect
Required Qualifications, Education and/or Experience
- Associate’s degree in horticulture or related field or equivalent from college or technical school; two years related experience and/or training in landscape maintenance, landscape construction, greenhouse/nursery, irrigation or similar; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Must be 18 years or older, possess a valid driver’s license, and be insurable on TZMI’s insurance carrier
- Must be able to work weekends, evenings, and holidays
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; write routine reports and correspondence; and communicate effectively before groups of customers, employees of TZMI, and the general public
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals
- Ability to use Microsoft Outlook and popular internet browsers
What You can Expect
Our Values
- We are enthusiastically committed to be part of the Tulsa Zoo community.
- We will all work together as one Zoo Team to support the Zoo’s mission.
- We will value and appreciate everyone and create a safe, understanding, and welcoming environment for all.
- We will all be accountable for achieving excellence.
- We will earn the trust of one another, acting honestly and treating each other with respect.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
Moving about – constantly
Sitting – occasionally
Standing – constantly
Reaching with hands and arms – constantly
Stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling – frequently
Exchange of in-person, phone, radio, or digital communication – frequently
Carrying or lifting up to 50 pounds – frequently
Pushing and/or pulling up to 50 pounds – frequently
Exposure to outdoor weather conditions – constantly
Exposure to high noise levels – frequently
Climbing and/or balancing - rarely
Gripping, pinching, writing, and other hand movements – constantly
