Senior Coordinator Plant Information

Title: Senior Coordinator, Plant Information Service

Exemption Status: Exempt

Department: Plant Information Service, Lenhardt Library

Reports to: Senior Director, Lenhardt Library

Year-Round Full-time

Supervises: Master Gardener volunteers

Collaborates with: Library department staff and Volunteer Services department staff

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

• 2025 Chicago Botanic Garden Benefit Guide - Year-Round Full-time

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview:

The Senior Coordinator, along with a team of more than 50 master gardener volunteers, answers horticultural questions for members, visitors, and the public at a walk-up window, phone hotline, and by email. The person in this position oversees all aspects of the Plant Information Service, ensuring all technical horticultural information disseminated by master gardener volunteers is accurate, from a reliable source, and provided in a professional, timely, and courteous manner. Additionally, the person in this position is the Master Gardener Coordinator for the Chicago Botanic Garden, in accordance with University of Illinois Extension.

Responsibilities

In the Senior Coordinator, Plant Information Service role you will be responsible for the following:

• Serve as the primary professional employee for master gardeners requiring additional information to answer client questions.
• Train volunteers to use information files, phones, computers, and microscopes.
• Oversee volunteer schedules to ensure all shifts for the walk-up window, phone hotline, and email team, as well as special events, are staffed during operating hours.
• Prepare budgets for the Plant Information Service.
• Collect usage data and submit monthly reports to the Library Director.
• Communicate with Plant Information volunteers regarding scheduling, new horticultural information, and office issues.
• Create new content for the Plant Information Service web pages and promote the Plant Information Service internally and externally to Garden partners.
• Maintain office resources, books, supplies, and phone recordings; evaluate office procedures and strategies to enhance Plant Information Service operations.
• As Master Gardener Coordinator for the Chicago Botanic Garden, perform all administrative duties of the master gardener program. Approve volunteer activity and continuing education credits, share training opportunities, conduct background checks for trainees, track volunteer agreements, oversee required training courses, attend quarterly meetings with state and regional coordinators, collect data and compile reports, and maintain a master gardener database, all in accordance with the University of Illinois Extension.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in horticulture, botany, plant science, or related field
• At least two years of work experience in the horticulture industry or in a public garden
• At least two years of experience managing volunteers and/or staff
• At least one year of customer service experience
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Expertise with computers including Microsoft office products, aptitude to quickly learn new software, and expertise in identifying and searching reputable Internet resources

Physical Demands:
Office setting. Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, listening, speaking, and keyboarding. Use of office equipment including computers, telephones, copiers, scanners, and fax machines. Some requirements for lifting, pushing, or pulling items less than 20 pounds.

Why Apply?
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.