Horticulturist

Cultivate Living History: Horticulturist

At Filoli, our gardens are a living canvas where historical preservation, conservation, and horticultural excellence meet. Under the direction of the Garden Manager and Director of Horticulture & Conservation, the Horticulturist stewards a designated area of our historic estate. This role blends daily hands-on cultivation, technical plant management, team mentorship, and warm visitor interaction.

Experience Tracks:

• Horticulturist: Minimum 2 years of practical gardening experience.
• Provisional Horticulturist: Less than 1 year of experience (a structured program to build your skill set under Filoli leadership).

The Role: Stewarding Our Landscapes

You will set routine work priorities and lead day-to-day care for your assigned garden section-ensuring high aesthetic and historic standards while training interns and volunteers.

The Details

Location: Gorgeous Filoli Historic House & Garden

Position Type: Full-time, Non-Exempt, Hourly, Benefit Eligible

Schedule: Typically Tuesday through Saturday (5 consecutive days per week) from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, with evening and weekend flexibility needed for occasional events

Hourly Range: $36.00 to $39.00 per hour

Key Areas of Impact

• Formal Garden Care & Preservation: Execute precision pruning, hedging, topiary care, soil amendment, turf maintenance, and seasonal display plantings. Program and repair irrigation systems according to local climate data (CIMIS).
• Greenhouse & Production Ops: Propagate plants from seeds and cuttings, manage greenhouse mist and temperature systems, execute Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and maintain plant collection database records.
• Mentorship & Safety Leadership: Schedule routine work, lead group projects, and train Horticultural Trainees, Interns, and Service Learning volunteers. Lead safety workshops on equipment use, pesticide application, and ergonomics.
• Guest & Community Engagement: Share horticultural stories daily with estate visitors, lead private tours for donors and colleagues, and occasionally represent Filoli at garden clubs, public lectures, or learning classes.
• Special Events & Property Support: Partner across departments to support estate operations, seasonal lighting setups, and event logistics.

Success Profile: Who You Are

You are an energetic, detail-oriented grower with a strong foundation in plant science, safety, and collaborative teamwork.

• Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree in Horticulture (or related field) preferred, paired with at least 2 years of practical garden care (or under 1 year for our Provisional track).
• Certifications: Valid Driver's License required. A California Qualified Applicator Certificate/License (QAC/QAL) is required within 6 months of hire (Filoli supports ongoing certifications like ISA, QWEL, or ReScape).
• Technical & Mechanical Aptitude: Proficient in operating power equipment, tractors, and hand tools safely. Comfortable with basic software (Google Workspace, MS Office, and plant database tools).
• Cultural Alignment: Committed to integrating an equity lens into daily work, fostering psychological safety, and contributing to Filoli's DEAI goals.

Physical & Outdoor Reality: Gardening on a historic estate is active and physical! You will work outdoors in varied weather across uneven terrain, perform repetitive motions (up to 50% of shift), climb ladders/scaffolding up to 16'-25', and lift up to 35 lbs. frequently (and up to 60 lbs. occasionally).

Join Our Horticulture Team

If you are passionate about plant collections, sustainable land care, and sharing nature with a diverse community, we want to hear from you!

Ready to grow your career at Filoli? Apply today!