Associate Designer

Full-time, non-exempt

To be considered for this position, submit the following items by email to jobs@ruthbancroftgarden.org:

1. Resume
2. Letter of interest.
3. Work samples in an electronic portfolio.

Applicants without the above three items will not be forwarded for consideration.

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POSITION OVERVIEW

The Ruth Bancroft Garden (“Garden”) seeks an experienced and creative Associate Landscape Designer to join the Design Services team providing custom landscape designs and consultation to the clients of the Garden.  The ideal Associate Designer is passionate about dry gardening with particular emphasis on succulents and California Native plants that are exemplified in the Ruth Bancroft Garden collection.  The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a 3.5-acre collection of rare and unusual succulent and dry garden plants and the Design Services team provides design consultation to a variety of clients seeking to incorporate dry garden themes into their private landscape. This position will be responsible for promoting the Ruth Bancroft mission, teaching clients about appropriate plants, and designing landscape plans for their use in developing their property.  Excellent graphic and communication skills are a must.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Client Services

• Provide exceptional client service before, and during the design process. Conduct site visits, and process intake forms
• Create client custom proposals
• Provide consultative services on simple plant lists and recommendations
• Assist clients in the purchasing process from Nursery inventory
• Facilitates Garden engagement by showing customers mature specimens, generate excitement, and bridge their experience between residential landscaping projects and the Garden & Nursery
• Be on-site and available during construction to provide peace of mind to clients and answer basic question

Prepare Landscape Design Plans

• Draft custom computer-aided landscape plans, plant information, plant purchase list, and planting instructions
• Possess a strong knowledge of succulent, dry garden plants, and California Natives and be able to design exceptional plans that emphasize the unique form, color, and traits of these plants.
• Possess an eye for design, perspective, proportion, color and scale
• Apply knowledge of spatial requirement in the layout of landscape features such as gathering spaces, seating, tree canopies, paved areas, plants, walls and other items
• Basic understanding of the means and methods of landscape construction

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• Understand the cultural needs of plants, planting soil requirements, and make recommendations for the improvement of site soil nutrients and drainage.
• Understand irrigation systems and sprinkler-to-drip conversion
• lawn removal knowledge and experience is preferred
• Have a basic understanding of grading and drainage and how water moves through the landscape.
• Highly proficient in Vectorworks software

Other Garden Duties

• Work Garden events as needed including evenings and weekends.
• Facilitate Garden engagement by showing customers and guests mature specimens, generate excitement, and bridge their experience between residential landscaping projects and the Garden & Nursery
• Enrich the client and visitor experience

Administrative Duties

• Prepare client proposals and contracts
• Write clearly in email and letter formats
• Reply to and track inquiries for Design Services
• Answer calls, emails, and on-site inquiries regarding Design Services
• Adhere to procedures, guidelines, and policies outlined by the Garden

Qualifications

• Two years of professional experience working in a landscape design firm, garden, conservatory, or greenhouse in a design capacity. Strong organizational skills and technological savvy
• Strong computer literacy skills, including Vectorworks, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Slack, Zoom and general internet navigation.
• Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Write routine reports and correspondence. Speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.
• Excellent team leadership skills
• Flexibility and willingness to take on and manage multiple tasks and responsibilities simultaneously
• Passion for the mission of the Ruth Bancroft Garden
• Able to work weekends and evenings as necessary and accommodate a flexible schedule.
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the job requirements and duties.
• An Associate’s (A.A.) or Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from an accredited college or university in Landscape Architecture, landscape design, horticulture or equivalent.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear and use hands to handle or feel. The employee is required to stand and walk, often for extended periods of time out in the heat or cold, depending on the time of year. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. In addition to lifting, the employee must be able to carry items for some distance.

Benefits

• Pay range: $28.84/hr. – $32.96/hr.
• Benefits include three weeks paid time off (PTO), which increases after five years of service, holidays, health insurance subsidy, 403b

 

To be considered for this position, submit the following items by email to jobs@ruthbancroftgarden.org:

1. Resume
2. Letter of interest.
3. Work samples in an electronic portfolio.

Applicants without the above three items will not be forwarded for consideration

 

For more information on our Landscape Design services, visit:

https://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/nursery/landscape-design-service/