Bonsai Specialist

The North Carolina Arboretum is currently seeking a Horticultural Specialist for our Bonsai collection. This is a full time position with a Tuesday through Saturday work schedule. Benefits associated with the State of North Carolina and University of North Carolina System will be offered including employer-paid health and retirement options and paid time off.

The description of work includes:

Garden Maintenance
The Bonsai Specialist performs all necessary operations to maintain and enhance an intensively planted, highly visible outdoor Arboretum facility. Garden maintenance work includes specialized pruning of valuable specimen landscape plants. Other work consists of fertilization, mulching, planting, weeding, watering, pesticide application, deadheading perennials, plant waste removal, trash removal, monitoring for health and vitality of the overall landscape, and being a first responder to all issues relative to the appearance, functionality, and guest experience within the specified area of responsibility.

Garden Enhancement
Because gardens are dynamic, living entities, this position also calls for the ability to adapt to on-the-ground circumstances and make necessary adjustments to the bonsai garden's presentation. Annual plants require selection, procurement and planting on a yearly basis. Perennial plants call for regular thinning out and division. Woody plants must be managed to remain viable in a confined site, which sometimes requires substantial reshaping or even removal and/or replacement. This position must be sensitive to the overarching importance of aesthetics in this particular garden and always strive for refinement. Decisions regarding these matters are conducted in coordination with the Bonsai Curator.

Bonsai Watering
The Bonsai Specialist is responsible for proper watering of plant material in the bonsai collection, which includes many valuable and even irreplaceable specimens. This responsibility carries potentially severe consequences for failure, which may occur quickly (within a 24-hour period) under certain circumstances. This position is responsible for watering all bonsai holdings when the Bonsai Curator is absent. Watering responsibilities are shared with the Bonsai Curator, at the Curator's discretion, any time both the Curator and Specialist are present.

Bonsai Maintenance
The Bonsai Specialist works at the Curator's direction to help with maintenance of the bonsai collection. This activity entails pruning, wiring, wire removal, repotting and general cleanup of plant material. This position also participates in the seasonal movement of bonsai specimens between the four locations on the property where they reside (bonsai garden, bonsai hoop house, production greenhouse, exhibit greenhouse).

Clerical Support
The Bonsai Specialist works at the Curator's direction to facilitate all record-keeping, including but not limited to maintaining up-to-date plant accession information and materials inventory, as well as assisting with the procurement of materials and supplies.

Communication
The exchange of pertinent information between the Bonsai Specialist and the Bonsai Curator is critical to conducting normal operations within the bonsai department. This is also a highly visible position that requires personal interaction on a daily basis. The Bonsai Specialist is expected to facilitate a positive visitor experience by being welcoming and answering questions as needed. Professional and personable relations with staff and volunteers are routinely required.

Leadership
The Bonsai Specialist is sometimes required to oversee and direct the activities of Bonsai Volunteers.

About the Team

The Bonsai Specialist is part of the Horticulture branch of The North Carolina Arboretum.
The Horticulture Department promotes public engagement and interaction with the wealth of plant life, both indigenous to and cultivated in the Southern Appalachian region, through world-renowned garden demonstrations in cultivated and natural landscapes. Horticulture activities include curation, installation and maintenance of all gardens, landscape, turf, grounds and trails, the production within the greenhouse and nursery areas, and all other horticulture aspects relating to the use of the property. The specific program areas responsible for executing these activities are: Production, Plant Records, Bonsai Curation, Native Azalea Curation, Natural Resources/Landscape, and Grounds and Gardens.
This position falls within the Horticulture program area and is responsible for carrying out all aspects of Bonsai Garden Maintenance and Installation & participating in Bonsai Collection Maintenance, Development and Recording

Minimum Education, Experience, and Skills

Education and Experience Required
High school diploma or equivalency and demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Preference is given to applicants with public garden experience. A two-year degree in horticulture or a similar major is also preferable as is experience in intensive gardening.

Required Competencies

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required in this Position
Knowledge- Technical: Working knowledge of plant maintenance procedures used in landscape installation and grounds care. Ability to identify multiple plant species and assess their condition, health and viability. Ability to respond to standard problems and assist or make recommendations for solutions to nonstandard problems. Ability to perform a variety of routine and non-recurring tasks in a safe and effective manner. Ability to determine appropriate tools, equipment, and vehicles. Ability to administer safe application of various chemicals and nutrient supplements, and the use of equipment to perform the tasks. Working knowledge of the different species utilized in bonsai and landscaping in the geographical area is required. Ability to perform tasks using applied horticultural practices and principles, utilizing a variety of tools and equipment.
Coordination-Work: Ability to observe and diagnose structural and horticultural problems. Ability to maintain a unique and unusual collection of plants. Ability to organize a work schedule, determine priorities and maintain required records.
Communication: Ability to answer a variety of questions from the public and peers regarding plant collections. Ability to effectively use verbal and nonverbal skills to express non-routine technical matters and related facts in a clear, concise, organized and persuasive manner.
Physical Environment and Abilities:
The incumbent must be able to occasionally move a 50-pound workload. Typical activities include moving plants, trees, and shrubs, lifting bags of soil, additives, and mulch, mixing fertilizers, climbing, pulling water hoses, digging, and planting, with at least 60 percent of total work time involving some kind of physical activity. The position will be exposed to direct sunlight, heat, humidity, cold temperatures, and machinery noise, and this role spends a significant amount of time standing on hard and/or uneven surfaces. Lifting, climbing ladders, squatting, twisting, using sprayers, walking on a variety of surfaces, digging, planting and exposure to the elements is commonplace. This role requires acute visual attention skills, a high level of mental concentration and well-developed manual dexterity.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills
1-2 years of experience with species that can become bonsai, such as Ficus, Juniper, Chinese Elm, or Pine.

• Classification: Horicultural Specialist
• Position Competency Level: Journey
• Position Number: TBD
• Employment Type: SHRA
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time
• Recruitment Salary Range: 46,350
• Location: 100 Fredrick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806 USA
• Posting Open Date: 6/8/2026
• Posting Close Date: 6/13/2026

EEO
The UNC System Office (includes PBS NC, NCSEAA, and NC Arboretum) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.

The UNC System Office (includes PBS NC, NCSEAA, and NC Arboretum) is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To claim veteran's preference, all eligible persons must indicate their eligibility as requested on the application. A DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, may be required later in the selection process.

The UNC System Office (includes PBS NC, NCSEAA, and NC Arboretum) participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Human Resources Contact Information
Applicants needing assistance with the application process are asked to contact: recruiter@northcarolina.edu.