About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The starting pay range for this position is $22.76 - $28.45/hour. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service

• 457B Retirement Plan

• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year

• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location

Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) is seeking a Park Horticulturist in the Northeast and Northwest districts of Denver. This position will work four ten-hour shifts per week, 5:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. To see a map of the districts in Denver please click here.

What You’ll Do

This is an exciting and unique opportunity for anyone with a passion for creating beautiful landscapes and natural areas for the citizens of Denver. Park Horticulturists perform restoration, cultivation, care, and management within a variety of natural and traditional park landscapes and gardens. This position is an opportunity for a proven, high-performing park professional to take the next step in their career.

DPR recognizes the importance of diversity in the representation of our organization to best serve our customers and community. To that end, DPR is committed to:

• Examining department policies and processes that value diverse perspectives and eliminate barriers to inclusion

• Identifying where inequities exist and implementing strategies to ensure equitable outcomes

• Strengthening diversity in Parks and Recreation services by transforming policies to institutionalize equity

• Reinvesting in resources aimed at ensuring DPR is an equitable and just organization

Specifically, as a Park Horticulturist you will:

• Perform cultivation, restoration, management, and general maintenance of flower gardens, lawns, shrubs, trees, ground covers, natural areas, and wildlife habitats

• Work outdoors alongside other team members and use leadership skills to guide less seasoned workers to implement best practices in horticulture

• Prepare working sketches of flower beds or water conserving landscapes

• Prepare, fertilize, amend, or condition soils for different types of plants or plant communities

• Participate in the planning and development of planting programs, natural open space restoration projects, and planting management schedules

• Make recommendations for the number and types of plants to be grown in assigned locations

• Perform weed management

• Determine appropriate growing conditions such as soil, sunlight, moisture levels, temperature, and humidity most suitable to the variety of plants under cultivation or restoration

• Prepare reports and maintain records of plant maintenance, weed management and restoration activities

• Ensure safe handling and proper utilization of hand-powered tools, motorized equipment, and spray equipment

• Safely mix, prepare, and appropriately apply chemicals

• Develop and modify work plans to align with innovative approaches and best practices

• Perform related park maintenance tasks such as trash collection, bathroom maintenance and cleaning, vandalism repair/graffiti removal, and snow removal operations as needed

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

In addition to the minimum requirements, our ideal candidates will have a passion for beautifying the City’s gardens, parks, and open spaces, while remaining committed to serving the citizens of Denver. Our ideal candidates will have:

• Annual and perennial design and maintenance experience

• Knowledge of a wide range of flower and shrub varieties

• Experience performing lead work or guiding others

• An eye for creativity and innovation

• Strong collaboration and communication skills

• The ability to take direction and work independently

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET, or TASC Certificate

• Experience: Three (3) years of experience in the cultivation and care of a wide variety of ornamental/native plants OR horticultural/ecological restoration

• Licensures/Certification(s): Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Requires Certification in Pesticide Application by the State of Colorado by completion of probationary period. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment

• Equivalency: Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirement except for one year of experience in the care of a wide variety of ornamental/native plants or horticultural/ecological restoration. For example, successful completion of a Master Gardener Program may substitute up to four semester hours of course work. Relevant Continuing Education Units (CEU) in horticulture or Naturalist Training Programs may substitute for three semester hours at the rate of forty-five contact classroom hours of seminars, workshops, etc. Additional appropriate experience in horticulture, botany, natural resources, range management, or horticultural/ecological restoration may be substituted for the education requirement

Application Deadline

Applications for this position are accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CJ1983 Park Horticulturist

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$22.76 - $34.14

Starting Pay

$22.76 - $28.45/hour based on experience and education

Agency

Parks and Recreation

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.