Horticulture Manager

Position Description Precinct One's Mission Precinct One's mission is that we are committed to become a national model for delivering responsive public service utilizing inclusive, innovative and collaborative approaches to improve the quality of life, advance equality of opportunity and promote the fair treatment of all people in Harris County. The Policy team advances the mission by developing and advancing equitable public policy that enhances the quality of life of all Harris County residents. What you will do at Precinct One This position oversees the work of crews performing landscaping tasks, plant health care, soil management, and irrigation maintenance and repair. Duties include scheduling and assigning tasks, monitoring, and evaluating employee performance, personnel concerns, enforcing Precinct policies, horticulture standards, and safety regulations, as well as providing staff training. Supervision and staff management: overseeing the scheduling, training and performance of horticulturists and irrigation. You will plan and execute horticultural maintenance: managing all aspects of plant care, landscaping, and sustainable practices to maintain and enhance park green spaces. Essential Duties and Responsibilities * The Manager will manage equipment and facilities: coordinating the maintenance and repair of horticulture equipment and ensure the safe operation of horticulture facilities. * Oversee budgeting and resource allocation: Assist in preparing budgets, manage expenses, and procure necessary materials for park horticulture. * Engage with the community and public: Respond to public inquiries, participate in educational programs, and support special horticultural events. * Ensure regulatory compliance: Maintain compliance with environmental regulations and ensure staff licensing and certification standards are met. * Lead special projects and strategic initiatives: Plan and implement horticultural projects and contribute to long-term park improvements strategies. Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@. This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate. Requirements What you will bring to Precinct One Education: * Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Park and Resource Management, Recreation and Park Administration, Environmental Resources, Forestry, Arboriculture, or a closely related field of study from an accredited college or university. Experience and/or technical training in forestry, arboriculture, or related fields may substitutes for education on a year-for year basis. Experience: * Three (3) years of experience in park maintenance, including horticultural practices, landscaping, groundskeeping, facility repairs, and general upkeep of park areas * Five (5) years of experience leading or supervising the work of others * Prior government, municipal/county public works experience * Proficiency in all Microsoft software applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint License: * Valid Texas State Driver's License Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: * Extensive knowledge of horticultural practices, ground maintenance, park operations, occupational hazards, and safety precautions. * Understanding of natural resource conservation and public relations. * Ability to coach and lead staff effectively while practicing sound budget management. * Knowledgeable about the operation of park maintenance equipment, tools, and horticulture techniques. NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications. Preferences License: * Texas Certified Nursery Professional (TCNP) or similar state-level certification. (preferred) * Pesticide Applicator License from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). (preferred) * TCEQ Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester License. (preferred) General Information Position Type and Typical Hours of Work: * Full-time | Regular * Monday - Friday Work Environment and Physical Demands: * Primarily outdoor work in a park setting with exposure to varying environmental conditions, including heat, cold, rain, and direct sunlight. * Exposure to hazardous chemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides) and potential allergens from plants or insects. * Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required for special events or emergency responses (e.g., inclement weather, park safety issues). * Must be able to lift, carry, and move objects up to 50 pounds.Frequent standing, walking, bending, stooping, and working in varying weather conditions, including extreme heat, humidity, cold, and rain.Ability to operate landscaping equipment, including lawnmowers, trimmers, and irrigation tools, as well as manual tools like shovels and rakes. What You Get in Return You will be surrounded by coworkers who bring their best daily. Passionate people who want to make a difference in the communities Precinct One serves and Harris County as a whole. You will be in a mission-driven organization surrounded by colleagues who bring their best to work each day and collaborate to make a difference in the communities Precinct One serves along with Harris County as a whole.Harris County employees receive a competitive salary plus medical, dental and vision insurance at no cost to the employee after the first two months of full-time continued employment. Vacation, sick time and floating holidays allow our employees to recharge and balance work and personal time. Mandatory participation in our retirement program allows employees to save for retirement. Various other benefits and discounts lead to the satisfaction and engagement of our employees. About Precinct One There are four precincts in Harris County. The four elected commissioners, along with an elected county judge, serve as members of Harris County Commissioners Court, the administrative head of the county's government. Commissioner Rodney Ellis represents the constituents of Precinct One. With approximately 1.17 million residents, Harris County Precinct One is a diverse, urban precinct that covers 363 square miles. Precinct One's multi-racial, multi-ethnic population is roughly 33 percent African American, 38 percent Latino, 21 percent Anglo, 6 percent Asian and 2 percent other or multiple races. Precinct One stretches south to Brazoria County and reaches into eastern and northern sections of Harris County. The Precinct's territory includes a large section of Downtown Houston, including the Downtown Harris County Courthouse Complex, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park and the BBVA Compass Stadium. Other notable landmarks include the 263-acre NRG Park Complex and the renowned Texas Medical Center. The Precinct is also the higher educational home to Houston Community College, Rice University, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas. Precinct One manages more than 21 parks, 10 community centers, numerous hike-and-bike trails, three maintenance service centers and several area offices, all of which provide an array of services to Precinct One residents. How to apply If this job sounds interesting, you meet the required qualifications and you can see yourself working for Precinct One, we invite you to apply. Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards. Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department. BENEFITS Harris County offers a competitive benefits program, including comprehensive group health and related benefits plan as well as defined benefit retirement plan. The following list of benefits is offered only to employees in regular (full-time) positions: * Medical Coverage * Dental Coverage * Vision Coverage * Wellness Plan * Life Insurance * Long-term disability * Employee Assistance Program * Ten (10) days of vacation each year for the first five (5) years of service * Accrual rates increase based on years of service * Eleven (11) County-observed holidays and one (1) floating holiday * Professional development opportunities * Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan * Healthcare Reimbursement Account * 457 Deferred Compensation Plan The following benefits are also available to regular (full-time) employment and may be available to part-time employees: * Retirement Pension (TCDRS) * Flexible schedule (varies by department) * Transportation Assistance (Metro RideSponsor Program) In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, Group Health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed. For plan details, visit the Harris County benefits website: 01 Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position? * High School or GED diploma * Associate Degree * Bachelor's Degree * Master's Degree or higher * None of the above 02 If you selected a college degree in response to the previous question, which of the following best describes your major? * Horticulture * Park and Resource Management * Forestry * Environmental Resources * Recreation and Park Administration * Arboriculture * Other Related Field * Unrelated Field * N/A; No Degree 03 Which of the following best describes your experience in park maintenance, including horticultural practices, landscaping, groundskeeping, facility repairs, and general upkeep of park areas? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) * Less than one (1) year * One (1) year or more but less than two (2) years * Two (2) years or more but less than three (3) years * Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years * Four (4) years or more but less than five (5) years * Five (5) years or more but less than six (6) years * Six (6) years or more but less than seven (7) years * Seven (7) years or more * I do not have this experience. 04 Please provide the dates of employment during which you obtained experience in park maintenance, including horticultural practices, landscaping, groundskeeping, facility repairs, and general upkeep of park areas. Provide the month and year that began and ended the experience. Example: "January 2020 - December 2023" If this experience is not clearly documented in the Work Experience section, your application will be disqualified. If you do not have this experience, please type "N/A" in the space provided. 05 Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience leading or supervising the work of others? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) * Less than three (3) years * Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years * Four (4) years or more but less than five (5) years * Five (5) years or more but less than six (6) years * Six (6) years or more but less than seven (7) years * Seven (7) years or more * I do not have this experience 06 Please provide the dates of employment during which you obtained experience leading or supervising the work of others. Provide the month and year that began and ended the experience. Example: "January 2020 - December 2023" If this experience is not clearly documented in the Work Experience section, your application will be disqualified. If you do not have this experience, please type "N/A" in the space provided. 07 Do you have prior government, municipal/county public works experience? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) * Yes * No 08 Which of the following describes your level of proficiency using a personal computer and common office software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Please select your level of proficiency based on the following descriptions: Advanced: A person with this level of skills is able to produce very large, complex formal documents that require a table of contents, footnotes, endnotes, bookmarks, and other special elements; a wide range of graphic effects, and use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data. Has full mastery of Macro commands and skills to tie the objects together into a cohesive system by using Macros and Visual Basic for Applications code. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Intermediate: A person with this level of skills is able to customize toolbars, import and insert graphs, embed Excel data, and elaborate reports. Understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Able to use complex query techniques, create efficient forms and reports, and create Macros to automate these forms. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Basic: A person with this level of skills is able to use basic formatting, editing, printing functions, and understands the document page setup. Has the ability to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Understands the different database concepts and structures and is familiar with data validation and is able to create a simple presentation in PowerPoint, run it, and print it. Entry Level: A person with this level of skills has the ability to open, create, save and modify documents in Word, send and receive email in Outlook and create spreadsheets in Excel. Format documents for printing, comfortable using the printer menu to preview documents. Has ability to change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check. * Advanced * Intermediate * Basic * Entry Level * Not proficient 09 For this position, a valid Texas Driver's License is necessary. Please choose the option that best describes your situation: Do you meet the above requirement? (Please be sure to include all related details in the Certificates and Licenses section of your application.) * Yes, I currently hold a valid Texas Driver's License. * Yes, I possess a valid Out-of-State Driver's License, but I am aware that I must acquire a valid Texas Driver's License before the start date. * No, I do not currently have a driver's license, but I commit to obtaining one before the start date. * No, I do not currently have a valid driver's license. 10 Which of the following professional credentials do you currently hold? Select all that apply and please be sure to include all related details in the Certificates and Licenses section of your application. * Texas Certified Nursery Professional (TCNP) or similar state-level certification * Pesticide Applicator License from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) * TCEQ Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester License * None of the above Required Question Agency Harris County Address 1111 Fannin St Ste. 600 Houston, Texas, 77002 Phone 713-274-5445 Website

Created: 2025-01-18