Plant Stock Specialist at City of New York

*ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT FULL-TIME ANNUALLY PAID PARKS EMPLOYEES*

The Division of Environment and Planning aims to protect, restore, and expand New York City's green spaces and natural areas to maximize their benefits for environmental and community health and resilience. The Natural Resources Group within Environment and Planning manages over 10,000 acres of natural areas across the five boroughs, including forests, grasslands, and wetlands, and has secured tens of millions of dollars in grants from state, federal and private sources over the past decades to fund the restoration and management across these ecosystems

Major Responsibilities

• Under general supervision, monitor outdoor nursery stock to assess health, readiness, and quality for distribution. Maintain accurate inventory records and communicate availability or issues to the Distribution Coordinator.
• Lead and assist with pulling, staging, and preparing plant orders for grading, moves, consolidation and pickup.
• Implement and support the nursery’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program: monitor plant health, identify pests or disease, coordinate treatments, and lead safe pesticide use, purchasing and recordkeeping.
• Assist with soil, potting media blends, fertility management and site-wide sanitation efforts.
• Maintain organized work areas, coordinate seasonal yard maintenance and production tasks, and operate hand and power tools or equipment safely, reporting repairs as needed.
• Participate in indoor nursery work such as transplanting and, seasonally, support seed team activities including field preparation, harvesting, cleaning, and occasional off-site wild seed collections.
• Drive vehicles and operate motorized equipment including mowers, tractors, and two-cycle tools such as hedge-trimmers.
• Enter field work information into data forms, spreadsheets or web-based databases promptly.
• As needed, supervise and train staff, interns and volunteers; interact with colleagues and the public in a courteous and professional manner.
  
  

How to Apply: Go to cityjobs.nyc.gov and search for Job ID# 755471.

All applicants must apply via cityjobs.nyc.gov. The City is no longer using ESS to accept applications.

• Current Employees please include your ERN on your cover letter and resume.
  
  

Work Location: Staten Island, Plant Ecology Center and Nursery

NOTE: All resumes must be received no later than the last day of the posting period. References will be required upon request.

nyc.gov/parks

MOVEMENT IN THE FACE OF CIVIL SERVICE LISTS IS PROHIBITED UNDER CIVIL SERVICE LAW.

For information about applying for Civil Service Exams go to: Civil Service Exams - Department of Citywide Administrative Services (nyc.gov)

GARDENER - 81310

Minimum Qualifications

• One year of full-time experience in gardening work, including experience in each of the following planting, cultivating and caring for trees, plants shrubs and lawns; or
• A certificate from a horticulture or botanic program containing college-level courses, such as programs offered by the New York Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, etc.; or
• A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience that is equivalent to 1 above. Thirty semester credits from an accredited college, at least fifteen of which must be in horticulture, agriculture, agronomy, plant pathology, botany, landscape design or architecture, entomology, forestry, floriculture, plant production and/or crop management, may be substituted for the one year of the work experience described in 1 above.
• To be appointed or assigned to Gardener - Assignment Level II, after meeting the qualification requirements for Gardener - Assignment Level I, candidates must have one additional year of satisfactory, full time experience in gardening work, including experience in each of the following areas: propagating, planting, cultivating, and caring for trees, plants, shrubs and lawns. To be appointed or assigned to Gardener - Assignment Level II, candidates must have a Commercial Pesticide Applicator - Category 3A License issued by the New York State Department of Environmental conservation. This license must be maintained for the duration of employment.
  
  

Driver License Requirement: A motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York. This license must be maintained for the duration of employment.

Preferred Skills

Preference will be given to applicants who filed for the Gardener Civil Service Examination (Exam No. 5077). 1. Permanent Gardeners will receive preference in hiring. 2. Experience in nursery or greenhouse plant production, distribution and stock management. 3. Knowledge of IPM practices, plant health, soil or fertility management. 4. Strong organizational skills and accuracy in documentation or inventory tracking. 5. Strong communication skills ability to lead small teams and operate nursery tools and equipment safely.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

Residency in New York City, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk, Putnam or Westchester counties required for employees with over two years of city service. New York City residency required within 90 days of hire for all other candidates.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

, $64,852.00 – $80,292.00