Horticulture Technician

Job Description

If you love getting your hands dirty and watching things grow, this role is for you. The Horticulture Technician helps keep the Zoo’s botanical gardens healthy, vibrant, and guest-ready through expert plant care, irrigation, and pest control.

Employment Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Starting Pay Rate: $14.48 - $18.10/hr

Experience Required: One (1) year of experience in formal landscape and grounds maintenance or an equivalent combination of education and experience to successfully perform the essential duties will be considered.

Minimum Education Requirements: High School diploma or G.E.D.

Department: Buildings and Gardens

Direct Supervisor: Assistant manager of Horticulture.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Primary Work Location: Zoo Setting both indoors and outdoors.

Certification: Valid Oklahoma driver’s license within thirty (30) days of hire and pass driver’s history check.

Other: This position is safety sensitive. It is subject to pre-employment and/or periodic background checks and drug testing. Priority consideration will be given to applicants that apply on or before 04/13/2026 at 5pm.

Job Summary: The horticulture technician helps maintain the horticultural program through plant health, pest control, flowerbed maintenance, and irrigation work of the Zoo’s botanical gardens.

Essential Job Functions

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following essential duties:

• Collaborate duties with team, contractors, and volunteers.
• Installs exterior, interior seasonal, ornamental plantings and turf. Performs related maintenance such as watering, irrigation systems, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, pruning, trimming, and landscape construction. Operate hand tools and heavy landscaping equipment.
• Propagate plant materials by various means, seed, cuttings, divisions in a greenhouse/nursery setting.
• Inspect, identifies, and treats for pests and diseases on exterior and interior plants.
• Contribute to the Botanical Garden plant database, and the Botanical Garden monthly newsletter.
• Provide quality customer service to both internal and external customers.
• Promote and contribute to the Oklahoma City Zoo’s sustainability initiatives and green practices.
• Maintains Gardens and Grounds in and around an assigned area. Removal of litter, debris and trash from gardens, pathways and grounds.
• Works with Buildings and Gardens Teams, and volunteers to provide quality service.
• Communicate effectively regarding the status of projects as they pertain to the assigned areas of horticulture and grounds maintenance.
• Foster constructive attitudes and team orientation among staff.
• Represent the zoo in a professional manner.
• Complete assigned tasks in a timely manner and meet deadlines.
• Driving around the Oklahoma City area throughout the year.
• Mow, weed, mulch, prune/ cut trees, load plant debris, and water plants and lawns.
• Operate hand tools and heavy landscaping equipment.
• Communicate and collaborate with Zoo personnel and professional colleagues.
• Represent the zoo in a professional manner.
• Create an atmosphere of respect with peers and work as a team.
• Driving around the Oklahoma City area throughout the year.
• Participate in conservation activities to support Zoo’s mission.
  
  

Non-Essential Job Functions

• Perform other duties as assigned.