Temporary Part-time (TPT) Garden Specialist

Title: Temporary Part-time (TPT) Garden Specialist

Department: Student Care and Advocacy

Campus: Hardin Valley Campus

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Type of Appointment: Temporary Part-Time

Pay Rate: $19.34 per hour

*If you are a PSCC Student and eligible for the Student Employment Program, you will be paid on experience and the rates are $14.00 (no experience), $15.00 (6 months experience) and $16.00 (9 months experience)*.

Work Hours: 30 hours per week

Position Summary: The Garden Specialist oversees all aspects of the Hardin Valley Garden (HVG). The primary mission of the HVG is to provide the Pellissippi Pantry with fresh produce. While the position is year around, the emphasis is on ensuring that crop production aligns with high need times of the academic year (i.e., fall and spring semesters). The Specialist is in charge of planning, planting, maintaining, harvesting, and distributing crops. They serve as the primary contact for all inquiries regarding the garden and are responsible for monitoring the HVG email account. The role recruits, trains, schedules, supervises, and evaluates both volunteers and student employees. The Specialist must create skill-building, experiential learning opportunities for both volunteers and student workers that align with the institution's commitment of being a career immersion college. This individual will collaborate with other campus and community members on garden-related initiatives and outreach. The Specialist documents key outcomes for institutional reporting purposes (e.g., crop yield, volunteer hours, etc.). The Specialist will also be cross-trained in the day-to-day operations of the Pellissippi Pantry and provide coverage of pantry operations as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

60% 1. Garden Care and Operations
* Lead seasonal crop planning to optimize fall and spring harvests
* Manage crop planting, irrigation, soil health, cultivation, and weeding
* Harvest, wash, weigh, and package crops
* Maintain garden records and tool inventory
* Oversee maintenance of physical garden infrastructure
* Deliver produce to the Pellissippi Pantry and other approved locations
* Ensure all equipment is safely stored and operational

20% 2. Administrative Duties
* Lead recruitment, training, scheduling, supervision, and evaluation of student employees and volunteers in the garden
* Maintain records of all garden seeding, planting, production, and crop yield metrics for informational and reporting purposes
* Uphold safety and sustainability standards
* Create and/or regularly update Garden Operations Manual
* Serve as the central point of contact for the garden and monitor the garden email account
* Provide coverage for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Pellissippi Pantry as needed

20% 3. Educational Programming
* Provide experiential learning opportunities to students
* Deliver classroom and community presentations upon request
* Develop and implement garden-related outreach initiatives
* Collaborate with faculty and staff to integrate the garden into classroom and co-curricular projects and events
* Participate in departmental outreach events (e.g., Resource Fair, Wellness Fair, Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, etc.)
* (Optional) Serve as the advisor to the Garden Club

Note: The College reserves the right to change or reassign job duties, or combine positions at any time.

Required Qualifications:

Minimum
* 1 year of gardening and/or farming experience in Tennessee

Preferred
* 2 years of working or volunteering in a community garden dealing with produce
* 6 months of volunteer management experience
* 6 months of employee supervision experience
* 6 months of providing educational programming

* High School Diploma or Equivalent
* Valid Tennessee Drivers' license
* Proficient in computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite
* Strong interpersonal skills: communication skills, time management, prioritizing and delegating
Preferred
* Completed or pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture or related program

Special Instructions to Applicants: To be considered for a position at Pellissippi State, you must create an on-line application. Your skills, abilities, qualifications, and years of experience will be evaluated using only what is recorded on your application. Please note: attaching a resume does not substitute for completion of the application form. Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% of full-time experience. Please note: to scan, upload, or attach documents, a computer and scanner are available at the Hardin Valley Campus Educational Resources Center, if needed.

Pellissippi State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, disability, age (40+), status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of Regents policies concerning all employment and education programs and activities. View the nondiscrimination policy. For questions or concerns, please contact George Underwood at gtunderwood@pstcc.edu or 865-539-7354.

If you have any problems or questions please contact Pellissippi State Community College's Human Resource Office at 865-694-6607 or by email at recruiting@pstcc.edu.

If you are interested in this position, click on the link to the top right to apply.

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