Living Collections Coordinator

A Day in the Life

As the Living Collections Coordinator, you are responsible for helping maintain maps and records of plants and seeds in the Living Collections, under the direction of the Living Collections Curator. You will help oversee our IrisBG database, specifically updating plant records, accessioning new plants and seeds, and performing data entry. This involves manufacture, maintenance, placement, and annual inventory of accession labels in the Living Collections, manufacture and maintenance of public information labels, as well as using GIS to map the Garden’s plantings and infrastructure. This full-time (40 hours/week), non-exempt position reports to the Living Collections Curator.

The Team

Our Horticulture team includes long term employees and folks just starting out, but they all have one thing in common – a passion for our mission to conserve native plants. You’ll be in good company!

What You’ll Do

• Help maintain the living collections database, including: accessioning new plant and seed material, updating plant records, mapping plant locations, recording plant maintenance events, and documenting removed plantings.
• Participate in regular inventories to ensure consistency between living collections data and the physical living collection.
• Help maintain the living collections data and map new planting locations using ArcGIS. Create new data layers as needed to produce maps of plants and infrastructure for staff across all departments.
• Manufacture, install, and inventory accession labels, ensuring consistency in style, placement, and validity of data.
• Manufacture, install, and inventory plant identification labels for the public, ensuring consistency in style, placement, and validity of data.
• Maintain the living collection seed bank, including accessioning of new plant materials, updating inventory, and processing specimens for deposit.
• Analyze living collections records and GIS data to assist with producing reports and maps as requested.
• Participate in collecting trips to various locations in the state to acquire propagation materials for the living collections.
• Assist with horticultural research projects, publications, and poster presentations, including collecting data, data analysis, and proofreading.
• Coordinate and help ensure proper identification of new plant materials by Garden staff and taxonomic experts; process voucher specimens as required.
• Assist with generating content for the Garden’s website, Ironwood newsletter, or other communications requests.
• Manage volunteers and interns as needed to complete any of the above essential duties.

You Must Be Able To

• Use computer databases and programs proficiently, especially ArcGIS, Microsoft Office products (especially Excel), as well as being able to learn new programs, as needed.
• Efficiently and accurately manage data, including process documentation, as well as cleaning and maintaining datasets.
• Work independently, and as a member of the Living Collections and Horticulture teams, in a cooperative environment.
• Effectively direct and effectively manage volunteers and interns.
• Work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Communicate clearly and efficiently, both verbally and in writing.
• Regularly perform physically strenuous work in an outdoor environment, including: standing/walking for extended periods of time, occasional fieldwork, sitting up to 2.0 hours at a time, lifting and carrying 25 lbs., bending, squatting, and walking the Garden trails and beds.

You Will Definitely Need:

• General knowledge or course work related to plant identification, plant biology, horticulture, ecology, GIS.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• A bachelor's degree in horticulture, botany, natural resource management, library science, or other related fields; OR be working towards such a degree; OR an equivalent combination of training, skills, and experience.
• A valid California driver’s license.

It Would Be Nice if You Had:

• Experience with Iris BG, BG Base, CCH2 or any other collections management software.
• Basic knowledge of native California flora.
• Previous experience at botanic gardens, museum programs or similar experience.

More About Us

The Garden is a beautiful place to work! And in this role, you are often outdoors. In addition to beautiful views, birds, and adorable chipmunks, outdoor work environments also include exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations, rain, dust, allergens, poison oak, insects, small wild animals, and sun exposure.

Disclaimer:

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily, and if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.