Supervisory Horticulturist - (Director of Horticulture)

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) has a leadership position as Director of Horticulture within Capitol Grounds and Arboretum (CGA); Horticulture Division. The Supervisory Horticulturist primary purpose of the position is to provide leadership and long-term planning for the Gardening Division, including planning and managing long term human capital, budget, customer experience, curatorial and other critical processes.

Qualifications:

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

To qualify at the GS-14 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-13 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:

• Performing administrative and technical supervision of subordinate staff in the performance of gardening and grounds maintenance and repair work to include staffing levels, performance management, training and development and organization and position management;
• Providing guidance and managing maintenance programs for a public gardens that include seasonal horticultural displays and landscape preservations;
• Performing gardening work, including estimating material and labor costs for a variety of landscape projects, directing actual work operations and maintaining contact with the organization funding the project; and
• Serving as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent.

Responsibilities:

Supervisory and Managerial Responsibilities

• Supervises the staff of the division through subordinate supervisors. Performs administrative and technical supervisory functions for subordinates. Assigns duties and evaluates performance. Manages the organizational unit’s budget and workload. Develops performance requirements for subordinates and ensures a mutual understanding of the performance standards.
• Develops work improvement plans for subordinates. Provides advice and counsel to subordinates on administrative and technical work matters. 

Garden and Grounds Leadership

• Provides professional leadership of subordinate supervisors and team leaders of Urban Forester, Plant Health Care Specialist, Turfgrass Management Specialists, Certified Arborists, Horticulturists, Gardeners, and other plant science specialists. Outlines overall responsibilities, makes assignments, sets priorities and provides professional, technical and administrative advice and assistance as required. Plans organizational structure and staffing needs, determines types of jobs required and assigns duties to key subordinate positions. 
• Directs the work of  the Plant Health Care Specialist to ensure optimum health of the living collection. Responsible to mitigate plant pests throughout our urban landscape and collaborates with federal agencies to monitor exotic and potentially devastating invasive species. 
• Oversees the development and execution of the CGA arboretum program including specimens of historical significance. Responsible for directing work of the Urban Forester and coordinating work prioritization and work execution of over 4,800 trees to maintain health and safety. 
• Directs the work of the Turfgrass Management Specialists and the turf team. Prioritizes work and plans budget and resource needs. Coordinates maintenance tasks between the Turfgrass Management Specialists and the Supervisory Horticulturist. 
• Analyzes long-range needs, unusual problems or unusual questions affecting the operations and maintenance of the Capitol gardens and grounds. 

Contract Administration

• Advises the Deputy Executive Director on the use of outside contractors when that is the most reasonable course of action to accomplish specific aspects of a job or an entire work project that cannot be performed by AOC staff.  
• Serves as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) for designated contracts. 
• Evaluates employee and contractor performance in meeting operational requirements, contract requirements and core processes. 
• Performs technical oversight and support to contract workers and others assigned to projects by ensuring that plans, blueprints, materials and other tools required are available and by obtaining needed information and decisions from the supervisory engineer, landscape architect or other technical staff. 

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Maintains a DC pesticide applicator license in categories III – A, B & C, (3A) exterior ornamental plants, (3B) interior plant-scapes and/or (3C) turf grass, dependent upon the pesticides used.

**This position is considered "essential". Reporting to work during emergencies and inclement weather situations is required.****

Salary : $143,913