Associate Director for the Arboretum and Botanic Garden - CAMPUS ONLY RECRUITMENT

This is a CAMPUS ONLY recruitment. Only current employees, or former employees with current Preferential Rehire rights will be considered for this position. Former employees with Preferential Rehire rights should apply through the external candidate gateway and identify themselves as such in their application to be considered for this position.

Current UCSC employees must apply to the job posting in the Internal Candidate Gateway. If you accessed this recruitment through the Internal UCSC gateway, you can apply via the "Apply" button at the bottom of this job posting. If you accessed this recruitment through the external gateway, you should access the internal job posting by going to the jobs.ucsc.edu weblink and clicking the "Internal UCSC Applicants" button.

If you are a current UCSC employee and apply through the External Candidate Gateway, you will not be considered for this position.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTION

For full consideration for an interview, all applicants are required to submit a Contributions to Diversity Statement with their application. For more information regarding this statement, please visit the following websites:

https://academicpersonnel.ucsc.edu/academic-employment/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/dei-resources-for-candidates/

https://senate.ucsc.edu/committees/codei-committee-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/DivStateGuidelines.pdf

HOW TO APPLY

For full consideration, applicants should attach their resume and cover letter when applying for a job opening. For guidance related to the application process or if you are experiencing difficulties when applying, please review the Applicant Resources on our website.

• How to Apply
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• Tips for Applicants
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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 03-10-2025

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden https://arboretum.ucsc.edu/ is a unit within the Division of Finance, Operations and Administration https://foa.ucsc.edu/. Our division includes a broad and diverse set of operational units whose team members work daily to support the core mission of UC Santa Cruz to advance excellence in teaching, research, and service. Units in FOA foster a diverse, safe, sustainable, innovative, and community-centered environment through exceptional service. As a division, we are committed to the ongoing work of building an inclusive and supportive community, where we collaborate to achieve shared goals. We seek to attract and develop a diverse workforce who contribute to these goals, support our increasingly diverse faculty, staff, students, and community members, and contribute to equity across our institution.

The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden's 115 acres host a rich and diverse collection that contains representatives from more than 300 plant families from mostly Mediterranean climates. The garden maintains collections of rare and threatened plants as well as plants of scientific and horticultural interest. Particular specialties are world conifers and primitive angiosperms. The formal gardens include plants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and California. Some of the species in these collections are not otherwise available for study in American botanical gardens and arboreta.

More information can be found at: https://arboretum.ucsc.edu/

JOB SUMMARY

The Associate Director for the Arboretum and Botanic Garden leads, supervises, directs, evaluates, develops, and maintains the grounds and gardens (e.g., South Africa, New Zealand, Australian) at the Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The Associate Director ensures the quality, accuracy, and design of the collections, plantings, and interpretations, and works with the Executive Director to develop the horticultural plan for the gardens.

The Associate Director has horticultural expertise, acts on behalf of the Executive director, when they are not available and leads a team of horticultural professionals, seasonal gardeners, students, and volunteers. The Associate Director works with the Director and collaborates with other senior Garden staff to conduct strategic planning, develop communications, and steward donors. The Associate Director represents the Arboretum to the campus community and general public, conducts educational outreach, provides guest lectures in courses, and engages with courses doing experiential learning at the Arboretum. The Associate Director partners with faculty to write grants that support the mission and vision of the Arboretum.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $85,400 - $103,250. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri, occasional weekends
• Shift Includes: Day, Weekend

Employee Classification: Career appointment

Job End Date: 06/30/2026 with the possibility of extension

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus

Union Representation: Non-Represented

Job Code Classification: CURATORIAL SUPV 2 (006129)

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

25% - Education, Outreach, and Programs Development

• Serve as a horticultural resource for the Arboretum by answering visitor and staff questions, writing articles, serving on planning teams, organizing and delivering talks on behalf of the Arboretum, giving demonstrations, media interviews and answering questions from visitors and/or other organizations.
• Establish and maintain good working relationships with colleagues, donors, volunteers, students, board members, and faculty with an emphasis on tact, diplomacy, flexibility, collaboration, professionalism, and discretion. Using a University vehicle or personal vehicle, meet with donors and researchers off-site to maintain and cultivate relationships.
• Conduct interactions and operations in a manner to improve inclusivity and broaden the reach of the Arboretum.
• Serve as an external representative of the Arboretum and participate with the scientific community and professional organizations, as requested.
• Participate in developing interpretations to engage, educate, and inspire appreciation for plants and the natural world and for their conversation.
• Develop curriculum for classes, provide guest lectures, and provide mentoring/advising to student visitors.
• Other duties as assigned in support of the goals and mission of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

25% - Manage and Maintain Collections

• Make recommendations for developing the collections.
• Understand and support the scope and focus of the collections as a whole and the separate gardens and garden areas.
• Develop plans for enhancing the collections and visitors' experiences. Track maintenance and repair requirements. Make recommendations, oversee, and implement agreed-upon garden renovations, seasonal showcases, pathways, and demonstration gardens.
• Maintain public garden areas to be safe and display the collections to their best.
• Manage plants for health, structure, scale, and display quality. Control unwanted plant migration. Identify and prevent risks to visitors and staff safety.
• Through subordinate staff, oversee garden upkeep including planting, pruning, unwanted plant migration, weeding, watering, fertilizing, pest control, path maintenance, control of invasive plant species, debris removal, and other activities involved in cultivating plants.

25% - Administration and Operations

• Collaborate with the Executive Director to establish best management practices for all Arboretum operations, particularly in horticulture.
• Coordinate and strategize with staff on operating facilities (greenhouses, buildings, and infrastructure), safety equipment and emergency protocols.
• Develop budgets, timelines, action plans, and reports to facilitate strategic planning.
• Expand outreach to other relevant non-profits, particularly with the Amah Mutsun Land Trust and Tribal Band, and also with ethnobotanical research. Using University vehicle or personal vehicle, travel to culturally important sites on private lands and rugged terrain, and offices to collaborate with non-profits.
• Assist with external funding initiatives to identify potential granting agencies, foundations, industry partners, and donors.
• Develop partnerships with campus, community and national organizations that support the mission and vision of the Arboretum.

25% - Leadership and Supervision

• Recruit, hire, orient, and train Museum Scientists, Assistant Museum Scientist, and student employees to support garden maintenance and strategic projects in accordance with campus policies and procedures, particularly those regarding safety and security.
• Provide feedback and learning and development opportunities for staff employees.
• Evaluate staff on an annual basis.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in Botany, Natural History/Resources, Horticulture, or equivalent combination of training and/ or experience.
• Demonstrated horticultural experience with in-depth knowledge of plant culture, maintenance, and identification.
• Excellent knowledge of botanical and/or horticulture concepts and practices.
• Demonstrated ability to work with and support people from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, including those from currently marginalized and historically under-represented groups.
• Effective interpersonal skills with an emphasis on tact, diplomacy, flexibility, collaboration, professionalism, and discretion.
• Effective written communication skills.
• Effective oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise staff.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to work effectively as part of team.
• Ability to provide a high degree of attention to detail.
• Organizational ability to prioritize assignments, meet deadlines, develop metrics, and achieve established goals.
• Ability to safely operate hand tools and power equipment, including mowers, saws, and weed whackers. Experience in training others in using these tools.
• Proficiency with computers sufficient to update plant database, share documents and drives, and correspond with the campus and external communities.
• Willingness to collaborate on any and all tasks required for maintaining the highest standards of garden and overall park management.
• Familiarity with botanical and/or horticultural literature.
• Knowledge of horticultural practices, especially for drought-tolerant plants.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in Botany, Horticulture, Natural History/Resources, or related field.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to equity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Experience in the collection and documentation of plants collected from the wild.
• Teaching experience sufficient to coordinate interns, or teach short courses or workshops.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
• Must possess a valid license to drive in the state of California and be able to participate in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) pull notice program.
• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• Ability to work long periods of time in wilderness conditions and to travel to remote areas.
• Ability to successfully work with and around a variety of fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides.
• Ability to perform vertebrate pest control such as trapping, baiting, or other types of rodent control.
• Ability to conduct outdoor site visits, including use of required personal protective equipment, as required to conduct investigations, inspections, or view work in place.
• The selected candidate will be required to work all scheduled hours on-site.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• Ability to work safely in areas where hazardous materials are present or stored.
• Ability to travel within a defined regional or service area.
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees.

For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination