Director of preK-12 Education

The University of Virginia's Blandy Experimental Farm (BEF) seeks a full-time Director of preK-12 Education. As a member of the BEF leadership team, the Director of preK-12 Education plays a significant role in supporting BEF's mission to advance understanding of the natural world through research, education and public outreach. The Director of preK-12 Education is responsible for the overall planning, development, and administration of BEF's education programs for students and their teachers. This includes promoting and enhancing existing formal science programs, identifying and developing new activities to meet the year-round needs of preK-12 students and their teachers, and leading outdoor-based preK-12 programming both on and off-site. The director of preK-12 Education supervises and provides leadership to education program staff, represents BEF within the formal and environmental education communities, and fosters partnerships with school divisions, state agencies, regional educators, UVA Department of Environmental Science research faculty, and other University departments and schools. 

Blandy Experimental Farm is a 700-acre University of Virginia ecological field station located in the northern Shenandoah Valley, about 10 miles east of Winchester and 60 miles west of Washington, D.C. The State Arboretum of Virginia, situated within Blandy Experimental Farm, is a public garden showcasing more than 5,500 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants across diverse habitats including woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and open fields. BEF’s education programs serve students from public, private, and homeschools across urban, suburban, and rural environments. Each year approximately 6000-6500 students engage in our outdoor-based programs, while 400-600 educators participate in our professional learning experiences. Visit https://blandy.virginia.edu/ to learn more about Blandy Experimental Farm.

Job Description: The Director of preK-12 Education supports the mission of Blandy Experimental Farm in the following areas:

Programs for preK-12 Students, Teachers, and Other Educators

• Determines and develops long- and short-term goals, strategic planning, and program development for the preK-12 education programs
• Designs lessons and curricula for outdoor-based investigations that satisfy grade-specific Virginia Standards of Learning for Science
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with the professional education community including school division science education specialists, education faculty, and professional education and scientific societies
• Designs and instructs unique professional development opportunities for formal and environmental educators
• Prepares annual reports on activities for the Blandy Director, BEF Annual Report, and Foundation of the State Arboretum Board of Directors (FOSA)

Education Team Leadership

• Recruits, hires, and supervises three full-time education staff: a Lead Environmental Educator and two Environmental Educators
• Coordinates activities for all environmental education staff: 3 FT and 2 seasonal (under direct supervision of the Lead Environmental Educator)
• Conducts education staff training and guides staff professional development to advance the mission of the education program
• Works with the Lead Environmental Educator to develop the annual Education Program Catalog and periodic informational brochures to promote programs to the education community

Evaluation and Program Data Management

• Creates, administrators, and analyzes evaluation tools designed to assess program impacts on educators and students
• Serves as the internal evaluator for Blandy’s NSF-funded Research for Undergraduates Program: designs and administers evaluation instruments and prepares annual evaluation reports for the REU program principals

Grant-writing and Budget Management

• Manages the annual BEF Education Program budget, including internal and external funds
• Prepares and submits grant proposals to state and federal agencies and private foundations
• Works with the Foundation of the State Arboretum (FOSA) Director to acquire grants and donations from Foundations and private donors
• Assists Department of Environmental Sciences research faculty to prepare broader impact outreach projects for their research proposals, when requested

In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned by the Director of Blandy Experimental Farm.

Minimum Requirements:

Education: Master's degree or a demonstrated mastery in their specialty area normally signified by significant equivalent experience

Experience: At least five years of experience

Licensure: None

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• A Master’s degree in science or education
• At least 3 years of experience in a leadership position
• At least 3 years of experience teaching preK-12 students and leading professional learning for preK-12 and environmental educators
• Experience designing and writing education activities and programs that align with state and/or national standards
• Experience leading professional learning experiences for formal and environmental educators
• Evidence of successful fund-raising and grant writing and project management
• Proficiency in evaluation practices
• Experience in supervising and mentoring staff
• Experience building successful collaborations

Physical Demands:

Although much of the Director of preK-12 Education’s time will be spent in an office and will involve extensive use of computers, the employee in this position may also teach outdoors in all types of weather, during all seasons of the year. Must be able to stand and move for prolonged periods and walk distances of up to 3 miles/day in various types of terrain (e.g., flat, hilly, sloped, wetlands, forest, meadow). The employee in this position will be expected to travel to regional and national meetings.

More Information:

This position is at Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, VA.

The anticipated salary range is $65,000 - $74,000, commensurate with education and experience.

This is an exempt level University Staff benefited position. For information on the benefits of being a UVA employee, visit https://hr.virginia.edu/benefits

This position will remain open until filled. Review of applications will begin 7 March 2025.

This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas and is not eligible for remote work.

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Application Instructions:

External applicants must apply online here https://jobs.virginia.edu/us/en. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0069699. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

• Letter of interest
• Resumé or Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio with examples of lessons and/or programs you have created, outlines for professional workshops you have led, evaluation tools created and used, and brief description of past and current collaborations (digital or pdf format)
• Contact information for three professional references

Upload all materials into the resumé submission field. Multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

For questions about this position, contact David Carr, blandy@virginia.edu

For questions about the application process, please contact Rich Haverstrom, rkh6j@virginia.edu

Arboretum Specialist

The University of Virginia is seeking an Arboretum Specialist to work at Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, VA. Blandy is a 700-acre University of Virginia ecological field station located in the northern Shenandoah Valley, about 10 miles east of Winchester and 60 miles west of Washington, D.C. Its mission is to increase understanding of the natural environment through research and education. The State Arboretum of Virginia, located within Blandy Experimental Farm, is a public garden displaying more than 5500 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in a diversity of habitats including woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and open fields.

The Arboretum Specialist will assist the Arborist with landscape maintenance of Blandy Experimental Farm as well as help maintain, improve, and track the arboretum collection of the State Arboretum of Virginia.  Duties include care of the plant collection, arboretum maintenance, nursery work, and records maintenance. This is a full-time position with a University of Virginia benefits package including paid leave, paid holidays, a range of health, dental and vision plan options, wellness programs and more. 

The employee in this position will:

• Maintain and improve arboretum landscape which involves mowing, weeding, trimming, mulching, leaf removal, pruning, watering, and planting and removing trees and shrubs.
• Scout for and identify disease, weed, and insect problems and apply appropriate control measures which may include use of pesticides.
• Have working knowledge of, or be willing to learn, operation of mowers, gators, chainsaws, weed eaters, tractors, and hand tools.
• Foster a safe working environment ensuring all safety measures required by OSHA, federal, state, and local regulations are met.
• Propagate from external and internal seed sources for the Arboretum collection and maintain related records.
• Assist in maintaining Arboretum database and plant tags.
• Assist in mapping Arboretum specimens using GPS technology.
• Perform duties as either part of a team or independently.
• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education: High school diploma or equivalent

Experience: Two years of experience

Licensure: Valid driver's license.

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Forestry, or a related field. Work experience in a related field may be considered sufficient.
• Working, practical knowledge of plants and their care.
• Understanding of plant taxonomy.
• Expertise in integrated pest management and arboriculture.
• Experience in the various aspects of arboretum maintenance or a related field.
• Virginia certified pesticide applicator's license. (Employees will be required to obtain a certified pesticide applicator's license within the first year of employment.)
• Knowledge of how to operate basic power equipment.
• The ability to interact with all others in ways that reflect the University’s commitment to respect and inclusion.
• Willingness to comply with and model procedures, policies, professional practices and codes of conduct as is customary at an academic research facility and as defined by the Blandy Director.

Physical Demands

The employee in this position will work outdoors and in the propagation greenhouse. Outdoors, they will be exposed to various weather conditions including extreme heat and cold, rain, and snow. The employee may be exposed to high noise levels from power equipment and machinery.  The employee will be walking and working outdoors on uneven grass, gravel, and rock surfaces.  This person will be exposed to pollen, poisonous plants, ticks, snakes, and stinging insects. The employee in this position must be able lift, climb ladders, bend, kneel, and use both hands to complete tasks involving repetitive motions.

More Information

The anticipated salary range for this position is $40,000 - $44,500

This is a University Staff, non-exempt benefited position. For information on the benefits of being a UVA employee, visit https://hr.virginia.edu/benefits

The position will remain open until filled.

This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas and is not eligible for remote work.

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Application Instructions

External applicants must apply online here  https://jobs.virginia.edu/us. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0071918. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Contact information for three professional references.

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. Multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission.

Questions about the position? Contact Jared Manzo at jpm3wr@virginia.edu

Questions about the application process? Contact Rich Haverstrom at rkh6j@virginia.edu

Seasonal Hourly Grounds Worker (Spring-September)

The University of Virginia is seeking a Seasonal Hourly Grounds Worker (Spring-September) to perform basic grounds maintenance duties such as mowing, weeding and mulching at Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, Virginia. Blandy is a 700-acre. University of Virginia ecological field station located in the northern Shenandoah Valley, about 10 miles east of Winchester and 60 miles west of Washington, D.C. Its mission is to increase understanding of the natural environment through research and education. The State Arboretum of Virginia, located within Blandy Experimental Farm, is a public garden displaying more than 5500 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in a diversity of habitats including woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and open fields.

The Grounds Worker will:

• Cultivate landscape and outdoor environment through a variety of activities, including weed pulling, mulching, leaf removal, mowing, weed eating, blowing, aerating, overseeding, fertilizing, grading, sodding, pruning, watering, planting trees and shrubs, installing ground cover, and placing stakes and guywire.
• Operate small landscaping equipment such as mowers, blowers, and weed eaters.
• Perform assignments related to special events and projects.
• Perform all work in accordance with safety rules and procedures, such as OSHA, federal, state, and local regulations.
• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas and is not eligible for remote work.

This is a wage position which is not eligible for leave or other benefits and is limited to 1500 hours of work in a year. For more information, refer to the Wage Employment link: http://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/HRM-029

To apply, please submit an application online at https://jobs.virginia.edu and attach a current resume and cover letter. Search on requisition number: R0072075

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.  This position will also require a DMV check.

Questions related to the application process may be directed to Jen Krahn, Sr. HR Specialist, at jak8w@virginia.edu

Questions about the position? Contact Jared Manzo at jpm3wr@virginia.edu

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Experience: Some prior relevant work experience.

Licensure: Valid drivers license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This job will require standing, walking, and lifting above and below the waist various weights which may include different landscape equipment and materials. The use of both hands and a repetitive motion will be required while pruning, driving, weeding, and pushing lawn mowers.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physicians Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experience.  We are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.