Position Description
The Garden Stewards Coordinator reports to the Volunteer Resources Manager and is responsible for the continued success of the Garden Stewards. The Garden Stewards program is a joint effort by the Arboretum Foundation, the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, and the City of Seattle. It is the one ongoing program that engages volunteers in outdoor work to help beautify and maintain the Washington Park Arboretum, currently the Pacific Connections Garden and Azalea Way. This position requires periodic Saturday availability. This is a non-exempt, approximately half-time, hourly position with a slow season in the winter months (December through February) and a peak season in the summer months (June through September).
Volunteer Support Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for recruitment and outreach, orientation and training, scheduling, and ongoing management of volunteers for the Garden Stewards program.
• Develop and maintain rapport with individual Garden Stewards.
• Work alongside the Garden Stewards during most work parties, and help provide a safe working environment.
• Communicate with the Garden Stewards via email and Evite, with notification of volunteer sessions, schedules, events and other pertinent information.
• Take a lead role in the Garden Stewards Committee meetings, including but not limited to scheduling meetings, setting priorities for the agenda, and reporting back on recent highlights and challenges.
• Administrative duties include, but are not limited to maintaining updated job descriptions and training materials, tracking and entering volunteer hours in Raiser’s Edge, and reading and responding to emails in a timely manner.
• Advise and assist the Japanese Garden in replicating the Garden Stewards program.
• Work in conjunction with the Volunteer Resources Manager to ensure all volunteer collateral and communications have consistent messaging and align to achieve the broader goals of the organization.
• Liaise with University of Washington Botanic Gardens staff and City of Seattle staff to identify appropriate projects, confirm a lead staff member for each work party, and maintain an equal distribution of coverage between the different areas Garden Stewards work.
• Be the face of the Garden Stewards. Attend tabling events and other outreach opportunities, as needed.
• Help identify and coordinate speakers for our quarterly Arboretum Stewardship Lecture Series. Secure the facility for the lecture, book the speaker, plan for promotions of the lecture, arrange for room set up, prepare and serve refreshments, oversee room clean up.

Other Key Responsibilities

• Attend weekly staff meetings.
• Serve on the planning committee for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event.
• Take photos and support our Communications Manager’s efforts to promote the Garden Stewards via social media, quarterly newsletter, and e-blasts.
• Track Steward hours pertinent to enrichment rewards such as vests. Develop and implement additional enrichment commemoration.
• Supervise and control use and care of Arboretum Foundation tool supply.
• Other duties as assigned.

Compensation

• Salary is commensurate with experience.
• Vacation and sick leave, 11 paid holidays (pro-rated), employee-contributed retirement plan, automatic payroll deposit.
• Position is half-time (20 hours/week); ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and periodic weekends.

Desired Experience Skills

• Bachelor’s degree and one year of professional work experience.
• Ability to thrive and work effectively as part of a small team in a fast-paced and rapidly growing program, with limited instruction.
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport and work effectively and professionally with volunteers, staff, Board and committee members, and the general public.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking communications skills.
• The ability to prioritize and organize multiple projects, “think on your feet,” meet deadlines, problem-solve and multi-task.
• Excellent computer skills, specifically MS Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher or other design software) and donor management software, preferably Raiser’s Edge. Adept at using relevant websites for volunteer recruitment (i.e. Idealist, VolunteerMatch, etc.).
• Significant gardening experience required, background in horticulture desired.

Other Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 20 lbs.
• Maintains a current WA driver’s license.