Job description
Verdant Labs Nursery is seeking a highly skilled Horticulture Specialist to join our dynamic horticulture team in Santa Cruz. The ideal candidate combines hands-on greenhouse experience with strong plant science knowledge and a passion for sustainable cultivation. You will lead propagation, manage daily greenhouse operations, and implement best-in-class IPM practices to ensure healthy crops and high quality yields.
As a pivotal member of our cultivation team, you will collaborate with breeding, agronomy, and sales teams to bring robust plant materials to market and support our educational programs for the community.
Responsibility
- Develop and execute propagation programs for vegetative and seed stock to meet production schedules.
- Oversee day-to-day greenhouse operations, climate control, irrigation, and nutrient management.
- Monitor pest pressures and implement integrated pest management strategies to minimize chemical inputs.
- Maintain accurate cultivation records, trial layouts, and data for KPI tracking.
- Train and supervise junior staff and interns; ensure safe work practices.
- Coordinate with the breeding and product development teams to evaluate new cultivars and release-ready materials.
- Ensure compliance with safety, labeling, and organic certification standards where applicable.
- Optimize resource use and implement sustainable horticulture practices to reduce waste and energy use.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Plant Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- Minimum 3 years of professional greenhouse or nursery cultivation experience.
- Strong knowledge of plant propagation, soil science, nutrient management, and irrigation.
- Experience with integrated pest management, disease diagnosis, and preventive care.
- Proficiency with data collection, spreadsheet analysis, and basic horticultural software.
- Excellent communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities; ability to train others.
- Physical ability to lift up to 50 pounds and perform routine manual tasks; valid driver’s license preferred.