Employment Opportunities
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Click here to download an Hourly Employee Application
 

Communications Assistant (currently not available)

The Communications assistant will work closely with the Communications Coordinator to assist with planning and executing events and marketing to the several Gardens’ audiences including students, gardeners, tourists and the leisure tour industry. The assistant will help produce and distribute all Gardens’ publications including brochures, press releases, a bi-monthly email newsletter, advertisements, flyers, and posters. The assistant will also assist with making arrangements to exhibit at trade shows, write and distribute lead letters, and update the website. Experience with Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator and InDesign preferred. This position requires some weekend and evening hours. 20 hours per week preferred.

Custodial Assistant (currently not available)
The Custodial Assistant will assist with vacuuming, sweeping, mopping and scrubbing, cleaning windows, collecting trash from receptacles throughout the buildings, and refilling holders of disposable items, such as soap, bathroom tissue, paper towels, etc. Must be able to lift 50 pounds. Ability to communicate effectively with guests and staff, follow oral and written instructions and work in a crowded public area. Applicant must have knowledge of the safe use of chemical cleaning agents and possible hazards relating to environmental sanitation. Additional responsibilities include moving furniture, supplies, and miscellaneous equipment, delivering supplies to various areas, assisting with event set-up and tear-down including tables and chairs, sweeping sidewalks, cleaning debris from grounds and window cells and cleaning exterior windows.

Entomology Assistant (currently not available)

The Entomology employee assists in the development and maintenance of butterfly cultures for release in the Butterfly Wing. Such work will involve maintenance of a variety of lepidopteron colonies, processing and handling tropical chrysalis shipments, as well as preparation of artificial diets. This job provides the opportunity to work directly with all life stages throughout the rearing process with tropical and native butterfly species. The employee will work in a USDA regulated lab and must be comfortable working with live insects. The employee is also expected to greet and answer questions of garden visitors. This job requires a current driver’s license, the ability to lift 50 lbs, and tolerate extreme heat.

Groundskeeper (currently not available)

The Groundskeeper assists with all aspects of turfgrass management. Job responsibilities include mowing and trimming of turf on the grounds, application of fertilizer as directed, detaching, and core-airifying, edging, sod cutting (removal), seeding, sod installation, manual watering of certain turf areas as needed. The employee is also expected to greet and answer questions of garden visitors. Experience with or knowledge of ornamental native and exotic plants, as well as, turfgrass and turfgrass diseases is helpful. This job requires the ability to lift 50 lbs, tolerance of outdoor weather conditions, and a current driver’s license.

Assistant Indoor Horticulturist 

The Assistant Indoor Horticulturist assists with the maintenance of the permanent plantings and rotating displays in the Conservatory and Butterfly Wing. Job responsibilities include plant installation, watering, fertilizing, deadheading, pruning, staking, mulching, soil amending, and cleaning of walkways, ponds, walls and windows. This position also includes Greenhouse production responsibilities including watering, fertilizing, planting seeds, cuttings, plugs, and topiary forms and cleaning of greenhouses, head house, and greenhouse equipment. This position may also work closely with the Integrated Pest Management program performing, scouting, recording, and implementing of pest solutions. The employee is expected to greet and answer questions of garden visitors. Tropical plant and IPM knowledge is preferred but not required. This job requires lifting 50 lbs. a current driver’s license and the ability to tolerate heat or cold conditions.

Outdoor Horticulturist (currently not available)
An Outdoor Horticulturalist assists with many different aspects of the outdoor gardens. Job responsibilities include the installation of outdoor plant materials, weeding, watering, dead-heading, pruning, staking, raking, edging, amending soils, mulching, and walkway repair and grooming. The employee is also expected to greet and answer questions of garden visitors. Experience with or knowledge of ornamental, native, and exotic plants is helpful. This job requires the ability to life 50 lbs, tolerance of outdoor weather conditions, and a current driver's license. 

 Plant Collections Assistant (currently not available)
The Plant Collections Assistant works with maintaining the plant collection records. Job responsibilities include inputting data into the plant database, accessioning incoming and existing plant materials, creating accurate display labels for plant material, creating as-builds of installed plant materials, photographing certain plant collections, and creating and attaching permanent accession tags to the permanent plant collection. The employee is also expected to greet and answer garden and plant questions of garden visitors. Experience with or knowledge of ornamental, native, and exotic plants, as well as botanical nomenclature and classification are necessary. The job requires computer experience with Windows XP, Microsoft Office (including Microsoft Access), AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, a current driver's license, and the ability to tolerate outdoor weather conditions.

Reiman Gardens' Associate  (currently not available) 
An Associate has the important role of ensuring the guests have a positive first and last impression of Reiman Gardens. Job responsibilities include providing customer service to the Gardens' guests, taking admission from guests, promote and sell upcoming events, acquainting guests with local attractions, restaurants and hotels, answering questions and providing accurate helpful information, assisting in maintaining the general appearance of Reiman Gardens, meeting with rental clients prior to events, assisting with events set-up and tear down, and opening and closing the facilities. This job requires the ability to make independent decisions, interact with guests and Gardens' staff in a positive and tactful manner, resolve guests' problems or complaints, and multi-task in a fast-paced environment. An Associate must have excellent communications skills, both oral and written, and interpersonal skills including customer service. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the Internet, as well as knowledge of Gardens' facilities, features, and events are also necessary.
 
Weekend Coordinator (currently not available)
The Weekend Coordinator will serve as the weekend on-site manager acting as the customer service contact for all members and guests as well as the person responsible for all buildings, grounds and hourly employees working in a variety of horticulture, entomology and guest services areas. Works as a liaison to café and gift shop staff, supervises horticultural tasks and watering needs performed by one to two hourly employees, responsible for the set-up, introduction to, and successful execution of weekend education programs, supervises and assists weekend hourly staff, serves as contact for weekend rental clients and troubleshoots issues that may arise, answers guest questions and provides accurate helpful information, responsible for closing the facilities, including securing all buildings and ground, assists in maintaining the general appearance of Reiman Gardens and assists with event set-up and tear down of tables, chairs and room arrangements for weddings, receptions, private rentals and in-house events. Must be able to lift 50+ lbs. $8-$10/hourly wage, based on experience and abilities. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (with one-hour lunch) plus attendance at bi-monthly Friday morning staff meetings and bi-monthly Monday afternoon guest services meetings.

Internship Program   
The mission of the Reiman Gardens’ Internship Program is to promote the professional and intellectual development of students through a multi-disciplinary educational approach and hands-on work experience.

Reiman Gardens interns are partnered with a full-time professional staff member to explore day to day duties and experiences in an innovative public garden setting. In addition to their supervisor, the interns also interact with other Reiman Gardens staff members, volunteers and the general public. Interns are included in some staff meetings and garden projects, given the opportunity to write and publish an educational article about horticulture for the Ames community and plan and complete a project of their choosing with the assistance of their supervisor.

To download an internship application, click here.

For further information contact Lisa Orgler at (515)294-7569 or lorgler@iastate.edu
or Donna Wiegand djwiega@iastate.edu at (515) 294-9012

Send Internship Applications to: 
Donna Wiegand
Reiman Gardens
1407 University Blvd.
Ames, Iowa 50011