Careers & Opportunities
Join our team!
See position details below for current openings and application information. No phone calls or visits, please. All applications should be directed to jobs@bartramsgarden.org; please read the full position details before applying.
Bartram’s Garden recognizes the value of promoting a diverse workforce. All individuals, including those from historically under-represented groups, are strongly encouraged to apply. In addition, any form of personal or professional connections to Southwest Philadelphia will be considered a plus for all applicants. If desired, applicants are invited to reflect in their cover letter or other written statement on how their professional and lived experiences position them for their requested role.
Employee Benefits at Bartram’s Garden
Based in a beautiful setting, Bartram’s Garden offers a range of competitive benefits, including:
- Comprehensive health coverage plans (including medical, vision, prescription and dental) for employees and their eligible dependents.
- A generous annual paid time off (PTO) package, sick time, vacation, and winter break.
- Paid short-term and long-term disability coverage.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
We are also a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program qualified employer.
2025 RSI Seasonal Assistant Gardener
Posted April 24, 2025
Duties and Responsibilities
- General garden work: Planting, pruning, watering, weeding, garden maintenance, mulching, leaf cleanup and assistance to garden staff on specific directed work in a variety of landscapes including botanical gardens, nursery, meadow, pond and wetlands.
- Grounds maintenance: General ground maintenance in and around the garden including mowing and small equipment use such as blowers and string trimmers.
- Volunteer and Visitor Engagement: Promote a positive visitor experience and support volunteer events as assigned.
- Nursery Work: Assistance with nursery care and maintenance; watering, weeding plant pots, up-potting/transplanting, tagging, propagation assistance, and nursery area maintenance.
- Support ongoing programs, horticulture, facilities, and special events as assigned.
Qualifications
- Prior relevant horticultural experience and/or candidates currently seeking horticultural degree/certifications are preferred.
- A valid PA driver’s license is required.
- Ability to lift 50 lbs. and to perform physical tasks in all temperature and weather conditions. Kneeling, squatting, standing, and walking for extended periods of time and on uneven ground will be required.
- Ability to operate equipment and tools safely and efficiently including power and hand tools, saws, and other equipment.
- Ability to work well independently as well as part of a team.
- Ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, and religion.
- Experience working in communities of color, commitment to racial, economic, environmental and social justice.
- Openness to personal growth and new experiences
- Personal or professional familiarity with Southwest Philadelphia is preferred.
Schedule and Compensation
Running from May 2025 through January 2026, this is a non-exempt, seasonal position with an hourly rate of $18 and weekly schedule of up to 35 hours. Our site is open daily, and the Seasonal Gardener will be required to work occasional weekends, holidays, early mornings, and late nights.
* Note: Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is the employer for this position hosted at Bartram’s Garden. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will handle employee processing and payment.
To Apply
To apply, please send your resume along with a brief note describing your interest in the position to jobs@bartramsgarden.org. Only those whose applications are being considered will be contacted. No phone calls or visits, please.
The John Bartram Association is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.
About Bartram’s Garden
Bartram’s Garden is a 50-acre public park and National Historic Landmark in Southwest Philadelphia, situated on Lenape territory on the banks of the Tidal Schuylkill River. Welcoming more than 125,000 visitors annually, it is a venue for art, an access to the tidal river and wetlands, an outdoor classroom, and a living laboratory. Bartram’s Garden attempts to hold the colonial legacy of the land with a commitment to learn and share the whole truth about the plants of Southwest Philadelphia and the people who grow them. The site encompasses the Bartram family’s 18th-century house and farm buildings, the country’s oldest surviving botanic garden, a reclaimed meadow, tidal wetlands, the Sankofa Community Farm, recreational trails, and the riverfront with an accessible public boat dock and community boathouse.
The Garden is operated and maintained by the non-profit John Bartram Association in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department. The mission of the John Bartram Association is to create equitable relationships among people and nature through immersive, community-driven experiences that activate the Bartram legacy, Garden, and House, on land and on the Schuylkill River, in Southwest Philadelphia.
Program Operations Manager
Posted 3/13/25
Program Operations Manager Position
The Program Operations Manager is a key member of the Bartram’s Garden team of change-makers working to position this 50-acre Southwest Philadelphia asset as a dynamic civic common and river garden. Reporting to the Director of Public Programs, the Program Operations Manager serves the mission of Bartram’s Garden by managing the calendar of shared space usage and supervising, supporting, and working alongside frontline staff that support daily site visitation.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Manage the Program Operations Team as they support and/or lead events, complete routine custodial duties, facilitate daily public access to the site, and operate the Welcome Center. Direct reports include:
- Garden Ambassador Coordinator (fulltime, year-round)
- Welcome Center Coordinator (fulltime, year-round)
- Program Logistics Coordinator (fulltime, year-round)
- Sitewide Custodial Coordinator (fulltime, year-round)
Support the Garden Ambassadors Coordinator in employing exceptional communication and conflict de-escalation skills in service of a safe and welcoming environment for staff and visitors within the 50 + acre site
Support the Welcome Center Coordinator in the delivery of high-quality reliable visitor services, effective communication of up to the minute information to staff and the public from the Welcome Center space, and cultivation of mutually beneficial vendor relationships via the commercial space including management of retail inventory and point of sales services.
Support the Program Logistics Coordinator in working closely with partners and serving as an event planner collaborator and/or day-of staff lead for many private or public events throughout the calendar year, ensuring that shared programming spaces and supplies are efficiently organized, well-stocked, and presentable, leading support of onsite staff as a daily Point Person, and completing daily custodial tasks as assigned.
Support the Sitewide Custodial Coordinator in ensuring sitewide cleanliness by identifying, prioritizing, and completing custodial tasks, maintaining an inventory of janitorial supplies, supporting onsite staff as a daily Point Person, and providing program and event assistance as assigned.
Facilitate transparency, efficiency, and communication within the Visitor Services Team and throughout the organization as a whole by gathering, organizing, and communicating logistical information relevant to both daily operations and special events.
Maintain a dynamic shared site usage calendar
Ensure appropriate staffing during all open hours (including evenings, weekends and holidays.)
Orchestrate high quality staff support for a diverse array of activities that range from small to large-scale, executing effective communication and collaboration across teams, partners, and guests to address all event support needs and to ensure the protection of living collection, facilities, and historic landmark throughout event execution.
Orchestrate and communicate staffing schedules to Visitor Services Team in a consistent, transparent, and equitable manner to foster an environment of collaboration, mutual support, and opportunity for work-life balance.
Work collaboratively with the Program Logistics Coordinator and Director of Public Programs to track, document and crosscheck all Bartram’s Garden-led onsite event planning and maintain high standards in facilitating access to the public park
Create and maintain detailed inventories of shared program supplies and support Coordinators in maintaining program-specific supply inventories
Attend regular Logistics Team (Event Capacity Workgroup) meetings, compiling detailed event request digests to share regularly with staff and board via email
Lead Visitor Services team in the formal and informal collection and interpretation of staff and visitor feedback
Coordinate the rotation of staff assigned to lead onsite daily operations via the Point Person role.
Schedule outside contractors for parking support as needed
Support the evolving needs of staff in public-facing roles.
Model best practices in facilitating productive, efficient check-in meetings with team members, sharing relevant information and advancing relevant concerns promptly
Work with Director of Public Programs and Coordinators to achieve proficiency in the duties required of each member of Visitor Services Team member; provide high-level coverage when team members are out sick, on vacation, etc., including sometimes serving as onsite Point Person
Provide training and ongoing support to ensure that all Visitor Services staff are comfortable with their job requirements and that they are performing their duties in alignment with organization protocols.
Serve as a member of the Safety Working group, attending regular meetings and supporting the ongoing development of effective sitewide safety protocols.
Serve as a staff liaison for organizational partners as assigned, including the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition.
Flex schedule as required to provide direct staff coverage to support access to additional onsite amenities such as FloatLab.
Support the implementation and execution of events and public programs including all annual site-wide events including Southwest Spring Fest, Juneteenth, Twilight, Indigenous People’s Day, Harvest Fest, and Handmade Holidays
With the support of the Human Resources manager and Executive Director, occasionally review security camera footage with law enforcement in response to incidents involving the public.
Coordinate with the Director of Horticulture and Facilities and the Director of Public Programs to support emergency and extreme weather responses.
Qualifications:
Strong managerial skills and an established track record of managing a team of public-facing staff.
Three to five years of experience in a visitor-centric organization including managing multiple projects, scheduling, and budgeting
Customer service skills with diverse populations, including youth
Strong computer skills (Excel, Word, Outlook and web-based work platforms)
Proficiency with Shopify or other point-of-sale systems and best practices in retail inventory management
Personal or professional familiarity with Southwest Philadelphia preferred
Able to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, and religion.
Experience working in communities of color, commitment to racial, economic, environmental and social justice.
Strong organization, multi-tasking and time management skills
Flexibility to work holidays, weekends, early mornings and late nights in both indoor & outdoor and in all weather conditions.
Ability to lift 40 lbs. and to perform physical tasks under a variety of conditions
Position Requirement
PA Criminal Background Check, Federal Bureau of Investigation Clearance, PA Child Abuse Clearance are required prior to start date.
Schedule and Benefits
This is a full-time, exempt, year-round position with a salary range of $52,000 to $55,000 per year. This is a working manager position, and the right candidate can expect to routinely fill in for members of their team who are out sick or on vacation. Our site is open daily, and the Program Operations Manager will often be required to work Tuesdays through Saturdays along with weekends, holidays, early mornings, and late nights. Benefits include healthcare and dental coverage, short and long-term disability coverage, paid holidays, vacation, and sick time.
Timeline
We will begin reaching out to qualified candidates in mid to late March, targeting a mid-April to early May start date.
Interested candidates should send resume and cover letter to jobs@bartramsgarden.org
About Bartram’s Garden
Bartram’s Garden is a 50-acre public park and National Historic Landmark in Southwest Philadelphia, situated on Lenape territory on the banks of the Tidal Schuylkill River. Welcoming more than 125,000 visitors annually, it is a venue for art, an access to the tidal river and wetlands, an outdoor classroom, and a living laboratory. Bartram’s Garden attempts to hold the colonial legacy of the land with a commitment to learn and share the whole truth about the plants of Southwest Philadelphia and the people who grow them. The site encompasses the Bartram family’s 18th-century house and farm buildings, the country’s oldest surviving botanic garden, a reclaimed meadow, tidal wetlands, the Sankofa Community Farm, recreational trails, and the riverfront with an accessible public boat dock and community boathouse.
The Garden is operated and maintained by the non-profit John Bartram Association in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department. The mission of the John Bartram Association is to create equitable relationships among people and nature through immersive, community-driven experiences that activate the Bartram legacy, Garden, and House, on land and on the Schuylkill River, in Southwest Philadelphia.
Artist Vending Opportunities
Interested in selling your handmade items at Bartram’s Garden? We have opportunities for vending at various events and festivals throughout the year, as well as the possibility of vending wholesale through our Welcome Center. As a neighborhood park, our mission is to prioritize connections in Southwest Philadelphia.
Please fill out the Vending Interest Form. We’ll be in touch if it feels like a good fit. Feel free to contact Tahnisha Thomas at tthomas@bartramsgarden.org with any questions. Thanks!
Contracting Opportunities
There are no current contracting opportunities.
