Horticultural Technician

The Department of Botany is seeking a Horticultural Technician to support teaching in Botany courses and care for diverse plants in the Botany Garden and Greenhouse collections. The Botany Garden and Greenhouse living botanical collections are among the largest and most diverse university plant collections in the U.S., with 2300 taxa in 220 plant families, spread across 8000 sq. ft of greenhouses and a 1.3-acre garden.

The Horticultural Technician's primary responsibilities include horticultural care of diverse plants, support for Botany courses, planning and implementing plant production, maintaining greenhouse facilities, maintaining accurate records, leading student workers and volunteers and serving as a horticultural expert and consultant for Botany and external users.

The Department of Botany, within the College of Letters and Science, provides an exciting research, teaching, and service environment with broad expertise ranging from the cell, organism, and species levels to the dynamics of plant communities and ecosystems. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked among the top research universities in the nation and Madison is the state capital with a large base for educational research and government activities as well as university-industry interactions. The progressive and vibrant City of Madison, with its outstanding intellectual, cultural and year-round recreational activities, consistently ranks as having among the highest quality of life in the country.

• Executes the technical day-to-day operational activities of a greenhouse complex, botanical garden, or plant research project(s)

• Coordinates the maintenance of a greenhouse facility, equipment, and environmental controls. May coordinate the care of animals and other organisms

• Serves as a horticultural expert and consultant to internal and external stakeholders. May assist with laboratory demonstrations when necessary

• Trains, assists, and monitors the work of students and unit staff as needed

• Plans and implements instructional plant production schedules; determines and implements proper cultural practices for plant materials, disease and pest control practices, and plant requirements for light, temperature, moisture, and nutrition

• Maintains records of plant acquisitions and of greenhouse/garden activities and schedules

Letters & Science/Botany

The typical starting salary for this position is $18.36 - $20.25 per hour ($38,188- $42,120 annually) depending on qualifications and experience. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays and paid time off; competitive insurance and saving accounts; and retirement benefits.

- 1 year minimum experience in professional horitculture (two years required if no relevant degree)

- Experience planning and executing plant propagation and production schedules

- Horticultural skills including pruning, watering, fertilization, repotting and planting

- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs

- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook

- Experience growing diverse plants in a greenhouse and/or garden setting, especially including groups such as crop plants, house plants, tropicals, temperate plants, succulents and orchids

- Experience leading employees, volunteers, and/or students in a horticultural setting

- Experience or coursework in plant taxonomy and/or plant identification

- Experience maintaining greenhouse facilities and equipment

Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture, Botany, or related field is preferred.

We are eager to learn more about how your experience and passion may align with this position. You will be asked to upload a resume and cover letter as a part of the application process. Your cover letter and resume should address how your skills, knowledge, and abilities are transferable to this role. Additional materials submitted other than your cover letter and resume will not be considered.

Selected applicants will receive an invitation to participate in interviews in late-July. Once final applicants are identified, they will be asked to provide names and contact information for at least three professional references, including a current or former supervisor.

For questions on the position, contact: Julie Olson at jkolson2@wisc.edu

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.