Gardener

Position Summary
The Gardener reports to the Director of Facilities and Grounds and is responsible for maintaining existing gardens and grounds as part of the ten acre core campus, designing new gardens and landscape areas in accord with campus needs, managing the campus composting program, and addressing landscape problems.

Primary Responsibilities

Maintains perennial garden beds, annual container gardens, and hanging baskets. This entails spring bed preparation, pruning, mulching, weeding, watering, plant division, spent plant replacement, soil fertility
Monitors campus lawns for removal of trash, down tree limbs and fall leaves.
Collects food scraps from kitchen and coffee house for composting up to three days per week and maintains the organization of the compost area.
Invasive plant monitoring and removal.
Plant pest monitoring and control, specifically Hemlock Wooly Adelgid.
Maintains inventory of gardening tools and equipment.
Reports grounds-related safety concerns such as loose walkway stones, broken pavement, and loose handrails and exposed underground electrical wiring.
Identifies gardening needs i.e. new garden design, retaining walls, additional equipment, garden shed repair
Updates Director of Facilities and Grounds on job progress and concerns.

Qualifications

Knowledge of horticultural practices and landscape design. Ability to assess needs and identify problems related to job. Awareness of job-related safety procedures. Ability to manage a varied workload. Ability to understand and carry out written and verbal instructions. Must be sociable and self-motivated.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit, stand, stoop, and walk over uneven terrain. The employee is frequently required to use hands for delicate and complex movements and to manipulate tools. The employee is required to talk fluently, to hear, and to see. The employee must be able to lift and/or move objects weighing more than 50 pounds and be able to handle hazardous materials appropriately. Position demands frequent exposure to inclement weather conditions. The employee is occasionally required to work at a computer.

Compensation

Compensation discussions are a part of the interviewing process.

To Apply

Initial application deadline is May 7, 2008. The position will remain open until filled.

Send resume, cover letter, and references, by May 7, 2008 to Scott Klein, Director of Facilities and Grounds, Penland School of Crafts, PO Box 37, Penland, NC 28765 or scottklein@penland.org. Inquiries about the position should be directed to Scott Klein at scottklein@penland.org or 828-766-6292.

Penland School of Crafts is a national center for craft education offering residential workshops, residencies, outreach and exhibitions. Located on 400 acres in the NC mountains, Penland has 15 teaching studios and 48 historic and contemporary buildings. Penland operates with a $3.7 million annual operating budget and a $7.1 million endowment. Penland School of Crafts is an equal opportunity employer with a part- and full-time staff of 64.