Volunteer/Tour Coordinator

Position overview:

This position recruits, trains, and supports a team of docents and horticulture volunteers who will be the face of the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden (the Garden), providing visitor hospitality and interpretive tours, garden maintenance, plant propagation for sales, and information for inquisitive visitors about plants and gardening. The Tours/Volunteer Coordinator will facilitate at least 20 guided tours each year, build a weekly crew of at least 20 horticulture volunteers. This position will work closely with the Event Coordinator and City staff, and will report to, and work with, the Executive Director.

Job duties:

●      Recruit new volunteers and docents, provide training, and touch base frequently with existing volunteers and docents to assess further training needs.

○      With Executive Director, create and update training materials for docents, including content for a walking tour of the botanical garden, and informal talking points for each section.

○      With City Gardener, create training materials for horticulture volunteers, and establish best practices for daily volunteer activities.

○      Facilitate the cross training of docents and horticultural volunteers so, while their work for the garden differs, they will all be rich information sources and promoters for Garden visitors.

○      As the opportunity arises, coordinate for larger volunteer work groups such as corporate teams.

○      As the opportunity arises, identify volunteers with special skills who can be assigned to projects that support the Highline Botanical Garden Foundation’s (the Foundation’s) mission.

●      Maintain volunteer data, track hours for volunteers and docents, provide monthly report of group and individual hours, and compile monthly report for the Board and an annual report for presentation at the Annual Meeting.

●      Assist with volunteer and docent recognition events and programs

●      Assist with events, concerts and movie viewings

●      Manage scheduling of volunteers and docents, including at plant sales and special events.

●      Market, and schedule and book, private tours for interested groups with a goal of 20 tours per year.

●      Lead scheduled tours when no other docent is available.

●      Write or co-write quarterly feature stories about volunteers, docents, or programs, for the Cuttings newsletter.

●      With Event Coordinator and Executive Director, plan events, including marketing, vendor, and partner management, and day-of troubleshooting. Events could range in size from five-person gardening classes to public concerts for over 100 guests.

●      With the Event Planner and Executive Director, plan and implement the Foundation’s participation in the annual Northwest Flower and Garden Show, and Wedding Shows, including the recruitment of volunteers to staff a booth in the years the Foundation has one. 

Qualifications:

Teamwork, people-focus, discretion, enthusiasm, and flexibility are a must. Must be able to work remotely and on site. In addition, the ideal candidate will bring some combination of the skills listed below, and an eagerness to learn new ones.

●      Volunteer engagement

●      Event planning

●      Public speaking

●      Knowledge of horticulture, botany, or gardening

●      Record keeping

●      Marketing and PR

●      Education, especially in an informal or all-ages context

●      The Foundation strives to create and maintain a work environment that is inclusive, equitable, and welcoming. We honor lived experience and cultural insight into the communities who visit and love our garden.

Who we are:

This position supports the enjoyment and preservation of the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden, an 11-acre public garden in SeaTac, WA. The Garden is a community asset that welcomes all visitors and provides a refuge for relaxation and the appreciation of nature’s beauty. Some of the ways the community engages with the garden include quinceañeras, wedding and graduation photo ops, picnics, weddings, tours, inspiration for gardening, gardening workshops, exercise classes, and simply exploring.

Additional details about the position:

●      This position is a part-time, non-benefitted, hourly position, and hours may vary with the seasons.

●      Wage: $18.00 /hour, 700 hours per year, not to exceed $12,000 per year.

●      Must be available to work Saturday

Send your resume and cover letter to executivedirector@highlinegarden.org.