Plant Recorder

Description

Job Title: Plant Recorder

Department: Plant Science & Conservation

Supervisor: Curator of Living Collections

Supervises: Plant Records Volunteers; assigned collections interns/volunteers

FLSA Salary Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Revision Date: October 2026

Availability: Primary schedule of standard business hours with occasional evening and weekend availability required to support departmental and organizational needs. Some travel and field work required.

Position Summary:

Manage and maintain the Huntsville Botanical Garden’s authoritative living collections records and collections information within IrisBG (collection management database), in collaboration with the Geospatial Conservation Analyst and Curator of Living Collections. Responsible for the accurate documentation, inventory, accessioning, and labeling of the Garden’s living collections while ensuring that plant records meet established data-quality standards. Serve as a technical resource for plant records and collections information, coordinating with horticulture, conservation, research, greenhouse, advancement, marketing, education, and other Garden staff to ensure that information about collections are accurate, current, accessible, and useful for collections management, research, interpretation, planning, and organizational decision-making. Conduct regular inventories and audits, maintain collections documentation and metrics, and contribute to the continued development of plant-records systems, workflows, standards, procedures, and reporting.

Essential Functions:

• Manage and maintain authoritative living-collections records, including accessioning and documenting new acquisitions, plantings, removals, transfers, distributions, losses, and other collection changes; coordinate accessioning with Plant Production, Horticulture, the Curator, and other appropriate staff.
• Conduct systematic inventories and audits of living collections to verify plant identification, nomenclature, accession information, location, status, quantity, and other required data; investigate and resolve discrepancies, duplicate or missing records, taxonomic inconsistencies, and other data-quality issues.
• Establish and maintain plant-records standards, workflows, and procedures for accessioning, inventory, documentation, labeling, and QA/QC to ensure the accuracy, consistency, completeness, and long-term integrity of collections information; develop associated SOPs and reference materials.
• Coordinate plant labeling and dedication records, including the creation, formatting, installation, replacement, and maintenance of accession tags and display labels; collaborate with Advancement to document dedications and support appropriate specimen selection and dedication-label placement.
• Collaborate with the Geospatial Conservation Analyst and other staff to integrate collections information with spatial data and related systems, maintaining alignment between authoritative plant records, mapped locations, and GIS layers and supporting improvements to collections-data workflows.
• Develop and provide collections information, reports, inventories, metrics, and technical assistance to support collections planning and assessment, Plant Collections Network accreditation, conservation and safeguarding, research, grants, fundraising, education, exhibitions, and organizational decision-making; support documentation of nursery inventory, propagation material, and conservation collections in collaboration with appropriate staff.
• Build organizational capability in plant records and collections management by training and guiding staff, interns, and volunteers in accessioning, inventory, labeling, data collection, documentation standards, and related practices; provide collections expertise to staff, researchers, students, members, and visitors and participate in tours, classes, presentations, and professional activities as appropriate.
• Contribute plant-records and collections-management expertise to departmental and organizational priorities and perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Botany, Plant Science, Biology, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or a related field, and at least two years of relevant professional experience in horticulture, plant collections, botanical garden or arboretum operations, plant records, or a related field or an equivalent combination thereof. Demonstrated knowledge of plant identification, taxonomy, nomenclature, accessioning, and basic principles of living-collections management. Experience using databases or other structured data-management systems and maintaining accurate, complete, and well-organized records. Working proficiency with GIS or spatial data-management tools, including the ability to collect, edit, query, and interpret mapped plant or asset data and work effectively across integrated database and GIS workflows. Strong organizational, analytical, and data-management skills, with demonstrated attention to detail and the ability to apply standardized documentation and data-quality procedures. Ability to work independently, investigate and resolve data discrepancies, and collaborate effectively across interdisciplinary teams.

Success Factors

• Demonstrates attention to detail and a strong commitment to the accuracy, integrity, accessibility, and long-term preservation of living collections information.
• Demonstrates strong organizational and analytical skills and the ability to manage multiple inventories, database projects, accessioning activities, and departmental priorities while meeting established deadlines.
• Works independently after training while recognizing when consultation, escalation, or collaboration is appropriate.
• Embraces the Garden’s mission of connecting people to plants by demonstrating and sharing technical knowledge of plant science, horticulture, plant taxonomy, and living collections management, while exemplifying the Garden’s Core Values to staff, visitors or volunteers.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in Horticulture, Plant Science, Botany, Biology, Ecology, Conservation, Natural Resources, or a related field. Professional experience with botanical collections records, accessioning, inventory, nomenclature, or collections management in a botanical garden, arboretum, zoo, university, museum, research institution, or comparable living-collections environment. Experience using IrisBG, BG-BASE, or another botanical collections-management system. Experience using ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Field Maps, Survey123, or comparable GIS applications to manage plant-collections data and support integrated collections/GIS workflows. Experience developing or improving collections-data standards, QA/QC processes, database workflows, metrics, inventories, or standard operating procedures. Experience supporting Plant Collections Network accreditation, collection assessments, botanical research, conservation programs, grants, or other living-collections initiatives.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this job.

• Physical Demands: Occasional physical activity including lifting and carrying up to 30 lbs. and frequently traversing varied terrain while traveling by vehicle and on foot. Work Environment: Garden grounds, office environment, and field work. Work is performed indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Equipment: GPS/GNSS and mobile data-collection equipment, GIS and general office equipment, two-way radio, Garden vehicle or cart, and field equipment as appropriate. Some travel required.

Job descriptions are guidelines that attempt to characterize essential functions and responsibilities of a job and are subject to change as needs and programs change. At Huntsville Botanical Garden job descriptions are considered neither inclusive nor exclusive. It is expected that up to 20% of your duties may change annually.

Employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

The Huntsville Botanical Garden supports a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success. The Garden is committed to hire and develop employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status. To increase diversity in professions related to the public garden realm, we encourage applications from underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.