Park Horticulturist – Denver Parks and Recreation

Denver Parks and Recreation is seeking a Park Horticulturist in our Northwest Park district. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for anyone with a passion for creating beautiful landscapes and natural areas for the citizens of Denver.

Park Horticulturists perform restoration, cultivation, care, and management within a variety of natural and traditional park landscapes and gardens. This position will support Denver’s Northwest Park district, which includes a high percentage of natural areas and native landscapes such as perennial and annual gardens, ornamental grasses, shrubs, turf management, and open spaces. This position will provide much focus to these areas but will also focus on many of the traditional park landscapes. This position will typically work Monday – Friday, 6:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. with occasional weekend shifts. To see a map of the Northwest Park Operations District please click here.

DPR recognizes the importance of diversity in the representation of our organization to best serve our customers and community. To that end, DPR is committed to:

• Examining department policies and processes that value diverse perspectives and eliminate barriers to inclusion

• Identifying where inequities exist and implementing strategies to ensure equitable outcomes

• Strengthening diversity in Parks and Recreation services by transforming policies to institutionalize equity

• Reinvesting in resources aimed at ensuring DPR is an equitable and just organization

Job duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Perform cultivation, restoration, management, and general maintenance of flower gardens, lawns, shrubs, trees, ground covers, natural areas, and wildlife habitats

• Work outdoors alongside other team members and use leadership skills to guide less seasoned workers to implement best practices in horticulture

• Prepare working sketches of flower beds or water conserving landscapes

• Prepare, fertilize, amend, or condition soils for different types of plants or plant communities

• Participate in the planning and development of planting programs, natural open space restoration projects, and planting management schedules

• Make recommendations for the number and types of plants to be grown in assigned locations

• Perform weed management

• Determine appropriate growing conditions such as soil, sunlight, moisture levels, temperature, and humidity most suitable to the variety of plants under cultivation or restoration

• Prepare reports and maintain records of plant maintenance, weed management and restoration activities

• Ensure safe handling and proper utilization of hand-powered tools, motorized equipment, and spray equipment

• Safely mix, prepare, and appropriately apply chemicals

• Develop and modify work plans to align with innovative approaches and best practices

• Perform related park maintenance tasks such as trash collection, bathroom maintenance and cleaning, vandalism repair/graffiti removal, and snow removal operations as needed

About You

In addition to the minimum requirements, our ideal candidate will have a passion for beautifying the City’s gardens, parks, and open spaces, while remaining committed to serving the citizens of Denver. Our ideal candidate will have:

• Experience with native and open space management

• Annual and perennial design and maintenance experience

• Knowledge of a wide range of flower and shrub varieties

• Experience performing lead work or guiding others

• An eye for creativity and innovation

• Strong collaboration and communication skills

• The ability to take direction and work independently

We realize your time is valuable so please do not apply if you do not have at least the following required minimum qualifications:

• Education: Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET, or TASC Certificate

• Experience: Three (3) years of experience in the cultivation and care of a wide variety of ornamental/native plants OR horticultural/ecological restoration

• Licensures/Certification(s): Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Requires Certification in Pesticide Application by the State of Colorado by completion of probationary period. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment

• Equivalency: Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirement except for one year of experience in the care of a wide variety of ornamental/native plants or horticultural/ecological restoration. For example, successful completion of a Master Gardener Program may substitute up to four semester hours of course work. Relevant Continuing Education Units (CEU) in horticulture or Naturalist Training Programs may substitute for three semester hours at the rate of forty-five contact classroom hours of seminars, workshops, etc. Additional appropriate experience in horticulture, botany, natural resources, range management, or horticultural/ecological restoration may be substituted for the education requirement