Compare your current skills to what this opportunity needs—we'll show you what you already have and what could strengthen your application.
Job Description
at Chicago Botanic Garden in
Glencoe, Illinois, United States Job Description Title:
Plant Propagator Exemption Status:
Non-exempt Department:
Plant Production Reports to:
Manager, Plant Production Schedule:
Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.(weekends and holidays as needed)
Employment Status:
Year-Round, Full-Time Supervises:
Growers, Assistant Growers, Seasonal Staff, Interns, and Volunteers Year-Round, Full-time Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following
Benefits:
2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf
Compensation Philosophy:
At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated. Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount. The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate's qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate's salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual's contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets. Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments Position Overview The Plant Propagator leads propagation activities that support the Garden's living collections, seasonal displays, research initiatives, conservation programs, and plant production operations. The person in this position is responsible for propagating plant material, managing propagation schedules, forecasting production capacity, maintaining accurate records, and overseeing the Garden's stock plant program. Working collaboratively with production growers, scientists, graduate students, volunteers, and external partners, the Plant Propagator coordinates propagation requests, assesses production capacity, and supports projects that advance the Garden's mission. The person in this position serves as a technical resource for propagation systems, plant databases, and labeling processes and contributes to the department's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program through biological controls and a rotational spray program. This position works in a world-class greenhouse and nursery facility, completed in 2019, which supports one of the largest plant production operations among public gardens in the United States. Responsibilities In this role, you be responsible for the following: Propagate plants through seed, cutting, division, grafting, budding, and other propagation methods to support Garden programs and initiatives. Grow plant material to transplantable size and coordinate delivery to production growers according to established schedules. Schedule and maintain propagation information within the production database to ensure accurate forecasting, inventory management, and production planning. Forecast weekly and monthly propagation space capacity and communicate utilization needs, constraints, and recommendations to the Manager, Plant Production. Maintain accurate production records and ensure all plant material is properly labeled and tracked. Monitor and adjust propagation equipment and environmental settings using the Argus Environmental Control System. Manage and maintain the Garden's stock plant collections to support internal plant material requests and long-term production needs. Serve as a technical resource for the Plant Production team by supporting the Brahms database, plant records, labeling systems, and related production documentation. Coordinate propagation-related requests from Garden science programs, graduate students,... For full info follow application link. Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans, and Individual with Disabilities To view full details and how to apply, please login or create a Job Seeker account
