Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

We are the Scott Arboretum & Gardens which consists of 400+ acres of Swarthmore College’s academic and residential campus and the Crum Woods. The Arboretum’s plant collections and garden spaces surround all of the campus buildings and outdoor athletic areas. Our department consists of all aspects of the Scott Arboretum & Gardens which include horticulture, learning and engagement, and grounds operations.

The opportunity:

Provides timely and reliable support for assisting with the supervision of gardeners, as well as directly performing gardening care and maintenance of the Scott Arboretum & Gardens plant collections and garden areas. Coordinates restoration projects and regular maintenance of the Crum Woods and coordinates and implements the deer control program. Ensures proper record keeping and inventory of horticultural chemicals, pesticides, application equipment, and personal protection equipment for the department. Assists in supervising horticulturists, interns, and student workers. Provides knowledge and guidance for sustainable landscapes and integrated pest management, and monitors for insects and diseases for the department. Performs necessary grounds maintenance tasks. Assists in the execution of and participates in the Arboretum’s educational and outreach programs. Performs grounds maintenance tasks such as turf renovation, snow removal, event setup, and other jobs to support College and Arboretum events and classes. Works to fulfill the missions of the Arboretum and Swarthmore College.

Essential Responsibilities

HORTICULTURAL TASKS 50%

• Performs horticultural tasks and maintains the plant collections and garden spaces by doing timely planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, fertilizing, irrigating, leaf raking and other plant cultural practices in order to maintain campus aesthetics and provide proper horticultural care, and supervises others to do the same.
• Maintains specialty garden areas such as Bond Rose Garden, Cosby Courtyard, Harry Wood Garden, Lang Fragrance Garden, Singer Hall landscape, Winter Garden, cherry border, peony collection, gravel culture, Scott Outdoor Amphitheater, various courtyard gardens and major horticultural collections as the most intensively-maintained gardens on campus.
• Coordinates restoration projects and regular maintenance of the Crum Woods.  Coordinates and implements the deer control program of the Crum Woods.
• Ensures proper record keeping and inventory of horticultural chemicals, pesticides, application equipment, and personal protection equipment for the department.
• Provides knowledge and guidance for sustainable landscapes and integrated pest management, and monitors for insects and diseases for the department.

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT  30%

• Keeps campus areas, turf, roads, sidewalks and patios maintained in an efficient way.  Has the ability to prioritize these tasks in order to provide a safe and aesthetically-pleasing campus.
• Performs trash removal, irrigation, turf renovation, turf mowing, snow removal and leaf raking in order to efficiently maintain safety and high horticultural aesthetics on campus.
• Assists with special function set-up and tear-down in order to prepare the facilities in a timely way for College-hosted events.
• Is present for and assists in College emergencies, bad weather occurrences and special College functions in order to maintain campus safety for students, staff and visitors.

OPERATES AND MAINTAINS EQUIPMENT  10%

• Safely and proficiently uses all hand gardening tools, consisting of pruners, shovels, rakes, loppers, hedge shears and other gardening tools, and can train others to do the same.
• With proper training, safely and proficiently uses grounds power equipment consisting of: tractor, loader, trucks, lawn mower, chain saw, weed whip, turf aerator, turf slicer/seeder, snow plow and thrower, chain saw, brush chipper and other grounds maintenance equipment, and can train others to do the same.
• Coordinates and/or performs annual inspection and maintenance of pesticide application equipment.
• Is proficient at and performs daily maintenance of all grounds hand and power tools and equipment, and can train others to do the same.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT  10%

• Hires and supervises contractors working in the Crum Woods on trail restoration and maintenance.
• Coordinates the deer control program, permitting with the PA Game Commission and contracted studies related to the Crum Woods deer control efforts.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Assists in supervising 5 horticulturists, interns, student workers and volunteers
• Assists with supervision and training, gives feedback and works along with horticulture staff, arboretum volunteers, students and interns in order to enable them to competently perform horticulture duties.
• Coordinates crew’s daily activities in absence of Horticulture Supervisor.  Passes on instructions, which have been coordinated with Associate Director Horticulture and/or with Horticulture Supervisor, to fellow crew members and reports back at end of day in order to provide for efficient daily work of crew.

Who you are:

• Adapts with a positive attitude to new work situations, people, ideas, procedures, and organizational structures, in order to accommodate an evolving work environment.
• Builds successful relationships with constituents and coworkers. Communicates and works effectively as a team member, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the office.
• Exhibits maturity, reliability, composure, and stability under pressure in order to handle on-the-job challenges.
• Understands and abides by a high standard of professional ethics in order to ensure the integrity of the organization.
• Works successfully with diverse others and upholds the College’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in order to help the organization realize its commitment to excellence through diversity.
• Is optimistic and constructive in work conduct and outlook.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture or related discipline; or practical horticultural training course (two or four-year program) with five to seven years of gardening/horticulture experience.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.
• Experience in landscape sustainability, native ecosystem restoration, contract management, landscape design, public garden administration, college/university arboretum administration are desirable.
• Demonstrates familiarity with the identification and maintenance of a broad range of trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous perennials, annuals and turfgrass; has advanced knowledge to provide proper horticultural care in a timely, efficient manner.  Is up-to-date on accepted practices relative to soil care, pruning and planting in order to implement best management practices.
• Demonstrates familiarity with the common diseases, insects, weeds and cultural problems of landscapes and turf in the mid-Atlantic region in order to make proper decisions for daily maintenance.
• Demonstrates familiarity with sustainable landscape/gardening practices relating to soil and plant health.
• Possesses basic knowledge of restoration processes and maintenance of natural areas such as Crum Woods.
• Must possess a pesticide applicator's license and a valid driver's license.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work under harsh weather conditions and perform emergency storm-related damage services is required.
• Ability to work occasional scheduled weekends. Emergency work may require time outside of the normal workday.
• Physical dexterity to perform the job and ability to work outside year-round are necessary.
• Ability to frequently lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds and possess the physical strength to perform groundskeeping/gardening operations. Ability to carry a 35-pound backpack sprayer for extended periods. Hand, arm, and back strength to shovel, prune, and rake for extended periods. Ability to manipulate vibrating, hand-held power machinery for extended times.
• Ability to perform kneeling, bending, squatting motions for extended times. Ability to read and interpret pesticide labels, machinery safety manuals, and new information related to horticultural practices. Ability to maintain written maintenance records and keep a journal of daily work.

Working Conditions

• Must be available to be on-call one weekend per month.
• Ability to work under harsh weather conditions and perform emergency storm-related damage services is required.
• Ability to work occasional scheduled weekends. Emergency work may require time outside of the normal workday.
• Physical dexterity to perform the job and the ability to work outside year-round are necessary.
• High level of productivity; work pace is frequently fast-paced.
• Ability to work with diverse crew, faculty, staff, and volunteers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in working in a public garden or college/university setting.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume, including a cover letter, by October 24, 2025. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

The market range for this position is $28.00-$37.00 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

MVR Clearance Required by Position

Due to operating a College owned motor vehicle while performing essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle report (MVR) clearance is required prior to the start of employment.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.