Garden Docent (currently not available)

Engage and guide visitors to parts of the Gardens, answer questions, help guide visitors to special features in the Gardens and monitor Gardens to ensure that visitors are interacting appropriately. Conduct visitor surveys and assist in selling Gardens’ memberships. Assist with event and rental furniture set ups. Fill in as a Butterfly Wing Docent and Gardens’ Tour Guide when needed. 

 

Candidates must be able to approach and interact with visitors and be able to communicate effectively with guests and staff, follow oral and written instructions, and work in a crowded public area.  Training will be provided for work in the Butterfly Wing and guided tours.  Candidates must be able to work scheduled shifts during weekday mornings, and must be able to work a minimum of a two-hour block of time. This position is only available to Iowa State students. Email job application (which can be found at www.reimangardens.com under employment opportunities) and resume to Reiman Gardens - Rajean Birkestrand @ rlbirke@iastate.edu.

Gift Shop Assistant (currently not available)
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. This position is for Iowa State University students only.

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. 
 

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.

 
Indoor Gardener (currently not available)
The Indoor Gardener will assist the Horticulturist with the maintenance of the permanent plantings and rotating displays in the Conservatory and Butterfly Wing and with the production of crops in the greenhouses.  Job responsibilities include watering, fertilizing, plant installation, deadheading, pruning, staking, amending soil, sowing seeds, propagating cuttings, transplanting plugs, planting topiary forms, and cleaning.  This position may also help with the Integrated Pest Management program by scouting, recording, and implementing pest solutions.  The employee is also expected to greet and answer questions from garden visitors.  Tropical plant and IPM knowledge is preferred but not required.  This position requires the ability to lift 50 lbs, tolerance of hot/humid greenhouse conditions, and a current driver’s license.  Must be able to commit to two hour block of time between 7:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.  Must be able to work weekends and/or holidays.  Send resume and completed application to Rajean Birkestrand, 1407 University Blvd., Ames, IA  50011. 

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. Must be able to work in 3 hour increments with preferences of Wednesday mornings, any day during midday, some weekends, and holidays.

Groundskeeper(currently not available)

The Groundskeeper assists with all aspects of turf grass 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, turf grass and turf grass diseases is helpful. This job requires the ability to lift 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.