Gotham Park Lead Gardener/Volunteer Coordinator

About Us

Gotham Park is the nonprofit grassroots organization reopening, revitalizing and reactivating the forgotten spaces under the Manhattan side of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Working with community partners and New York City agencies, we are creating a new community-led, world-class public space that nurtures connection, resilience, joy, discovery and wonder.

Role

Gotham Park is hiring a Lead Gardener/Volunteer Coordinator to help design, maintain, and activate its new public green space at the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan through environmental programming and volunteer engagement. The role focuses on running year-round stewardship initiatives, including community and corporate volunteer programs and a Youth Ambassador program, while collaborating closely with internal staff and local schools and community organizations. The Lead Gardener/Volunteer Coordinator will support Gotham Park’s programs and operations team in the design, planning, coordination, and delivery of Gotham Park’s volunteer-led environmental and horticultural programming initiatives. The role requires close and mutually supportive collaboration with Gotham Park’s Program Coordinator and will report to the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations.

Job Responsibilities

Horticulture/Gardening:

• Maintain a vibrant and healthy ecosystem within Gotham Park through planting, pruning, weeding, watering, soil amendment and seasonal maintenance.
• Ensure gardens remain lush and visually compelling during the growing season by promptly replacing plant loss and thoughtfully incorporating annuals into a primarily native perennial landscape, as appropriate.
• Maintain a beautiful and welcoming public space through sweeping, cleaning and litter pick-up when needed.
• Uphold Gotham Park’s commitment to a pesticide-free environment in all horticultural practices.
• Maintain inventory of gardening and volunteer supplies and coordinate replenishment orders with the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations when necessary.
• Maintain detailed data on Gotham Park’s environmental engagement and sustainable practices (e.g., plants installed, volunteers engaged, compost collected, etc.) in supportive collaboration with the executive, operations and finance teams.
• Work with local environmental groups and landscape designers as directed by Gotham Park executive team to support a healthy native ecosystem at Gotham Park; e.g., by building soils with compost, mulch, and native plantings.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations, the Pace Sustainability Initiative and/or other local environmental organizations to establish and maintain a system to collect food scraps and organic waste at the plaza for composting locally.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations and NYC agencies to install and maintain new irrigation systems throughout the park.

Volunteer Coordination and Community Engagement:

• Develop and execute an annual calendar of horticultural projects and volunteer engagement opportunities in collaboration with the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations, ensuring alignment with seasonal priorities and community needs.
• Coordinate, in collaboration with the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations volunteer events focused on horticultural and plaza stewardship approximately 3-5 times per week during the growing season, ensuring successful engagement.
• Lead and manage the Youth Ambassadors program, including developing and delivering a weekly curriculum focused on horticulture, community engagement, and climate solutions, with an emphasis on environmental stewardship at Gotham Park. Facilitate weekly sessions (Wednesdays, 4:30–6:30 PM) and oversee participant engagement during Stewardship Saturdays (10:00 AM–12:00 PM), ensuring a meaningful and educational experience for all participants.
• Regularly communicate with the entire network of volunteers to keep them engaged and aware of opportunities via email.
• Foster a welcoming and educational environment for volunteers and community members interested in horticulture and sustainability by involving them in Gotham Park’s sustainable horticultural maintenance.

Minimum education and experience

High school diploma or GED required. College or University-level coursework in environmental studies, biology, urban planning, civic engagement a plus. Experience in one or more of the following areas required: horticulture, sustainable landscape design, permaculture, urban gardening, parks management, soil health practices, environmental monitoring, urban studies, youth or older adult engagement, outdoor education.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

The ideal candidate should be organized, a self-starter, a strong communicator, able to effectively manage varied tasks simultaneously. The candidate should have experience and familiarity in youth, older adult and intergenerational program implementation and ability to manage and support a diverse and multigenerational group of volunteers.

Preferred candidates should demonstrate some or all of the following:

• Proven experience in horticulture, gardening, or landscape management.
• Knowledge of sustainable gardening practices and plant care techniques.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to engage with diverse community members.
• Passion for community engagement and environmental stewardship.
• Strong organizational, time management, and leadership skills.
• Ability to communicate and organize effectively – both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong computer skills – most importantly, proficiency in spreadsheets (Google Sheets or Excel); proficiency in Canva, Mailchimp, Microsoft Office, Google Suite and/or Eventbrite also a plus.
• Familiarity with the neighborhoods surrounding our site, including Chinatown, Two Bridges, the South Street Seaport, the Lower East Side, Little Italy and the Financial District, and experience, comfort, and passion in working with our local multigenerational and diverse community.
• Experience in volunteer recruitment and management.
• Experience working cooperatively with community groups and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with and excitement for public space development, sustainable horticultural design, urban green space stewardship, nature-based solutions for climate resilience, public environmental education and youth, older adult and intergenerational engagement.

Physical aspects of the job

This position requires familiarity and comfort with our local urban environment and the ability to: travel to and within the service area (below and around the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan and the surrounding neighborhoods); walk to and from the site and our storage location; pull wagons of materials and lift approximately 30-40 pounds; perform gardening and maintenance tasks that may include standing, crouching, kneeling, leaning over, digging, raking, etc.; stand at the site for extended periods of time; sit at a desk using the computer and telephone; and lead group presentations and speak in public.

This position requires use of a cell phone for on-site and remote coordination; Lead Gardener/Volunteer Coordinator will be responsible for purchase and maintenance of a cell phone and service plan.

Terms

This is a part-time (25-30 hours per week) hourly 1099 position with an initial period of six months, with the potential to transition to a full-time salaried position with benefits subject to the candidate’s performance and the organization’s need. This position has a starting hourly rate of $25 to $30 based on the candidate’s experience and education. This position includes both onsite work at Gotham Park, with hours determined by Gotham Park’s gardening, maintenance and volunteer programming needs, and some office work, both in New York, NY (Lower Manhattan). Part of the regular work week will be Saturday morning hours leading our weekly Stewardship Saturdays. This position directly responds to the Senior Manager of Plaza Operations and will be a part of the programs and operations team.

Diversity and Inclusion

Gotham Park is committed to developing and maintaining a diverse workforce that reflects the vibrance and diversity of our community. We aim to maximize the potential of all our staff members and volunteers by assuring a culture of competence and respect that is inclusive, free of bias and culturally sensitive. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Create a work climate that is inclusive, free of bias, culturally sensitive and based in competence and respect.

Application Instructions

Please send your resume and a cover letter or brief statement describing your qualifications for and interest in this position to: careers@gothampark.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour

Work Location: In person

Salary : $25 - $30