Full-Time Compost Operations Coordinator
Job Description
Mission: Queens Botanical Garden is an urban oasis where people, plants and cultures are celebrated through inspiring gardens, innovative educational programs and demonstrations of environmental stewardship.
Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) is a private non-profit cultural institution located on 39 acres of New York City public land in Flushing, New York. In FY20, the Garden served 164,546 visitors, including 14,378 schoolchildren. A recently completed visitor survey reveals that 45% of visitors speak a language other than English at home. This fact underscores the importance of the mission and the challenges and opportunities QBG faces daily in creating programs, exhibits and landscapes that serve the needs of people who live in and visit one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation. The Garden has committed itself to addressing the complex and ever-changing needs of its diverse community and to being the place where people, plants and cultures meet.
The NYC Compost Project, created by the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) in 1993, works to reduce waste in NYC and rebuild NYC’s soil by providing New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to produce and use compost locally. NYC Compost Project programs and staff are funded and managed through the DSNY Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability (BRS) in partnership with host institutions.
The Compost Operations Coordinator is based at Queens Botanical Garden and reports to the Project Manager of the NYC Compost Project Hosted by Queens Botanical Garden. This position is primarily responsible for accepting food scraps and other organic waste products, making compost from residential food scraps in keeping with DEC regulations, and distributing final product. General responsibilities include maintaining machinery in good working order; coordinating site operations in a safe and organized manner; keeping the site visually neat and organized at all times; and coordinating the flow of feedstock and timing of finished compost for distribution.
Responsibilities:
• Coordinate and maintain operations for compost site (acceptance of product, building and moving piles, turning and saturating piles, temperature taking and monitoring, leaf shredding, etc)
• Haul food scraps on a weekend day from a local farmers market
• Arrange for compost distributions
• Safely and efficiently operate heavy equipment, including skid steer loader, wheel loader, windrow turner, mechanized trommel screen, and large dump truck
• Perform, document, and maintain a schedule of heavy equipment maintenance, such as oil and filter changes, greasing onsite, purchasing of required maintenance parts in anticipation of service intervals, replacing and improving composting technology as needed (timers, HDPE/PVC and tools)
• Include seasonal QBG farm and horticulture waste as feedstock in composting operations as time and space allow
• Ensure a clean and odor-free compost site, with a diligent eye on rodent prevention
• Keep records of seasonal recipes, pile temperatures and moisture through composting cycle
• Execute finished product compost testing in collaboration with Compost Project Manager
• Maintain QBG’s public and staff Food Scrap Drop Offs
• Develop feedstock sources as needed to operate the site at full capacity
• Maintain data and add to tracking documents
• Train other members of the team on equipment and site operations as needed
• Support the NYCCP Hosted by Queens Botanical Garden team as needed and/or directed by the Project Manager or Director of Education. Act as an overall ambassador of Queens Botanical Garden and the New York City Compost Project.
Qualifications:
• Minimum of two years composting field experience, preferably with food waste
• Basic mechanical competence to perform regular maintenance functions on heavy equipment, including oil/filter changes and greasing
• Experience with diverse computer applications (Excel, MS Word, PowerPoint, Access, MS Outlook
• Local and community oriented with excellent communication skills
• Adaptable and flexible to dynamic conditions and work hours
• A strong work ethic and passion for composting and compost science
• Ability and willingness to perform physical outdoor jobs in all weather
• Candidate must possess a valid NYC driver’s license and be willing to drive large vehicles (dumps truck, box truck) in NYC
How to Apply
Anticipated start date for this position is ASAP. This is a full-time position with benefits and is funded through June 30, 2021, with possible renewal depending on budget. To apply, please submit your résumé and cover letter via our applicant portal https://secure.beyondpay.com/ta/QBG1.careers?TrackId=[Pink]&ApplyToJob=318921089. Queens Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). The Garden does not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, gender expression, mental illness, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, predisposing genetic characteristic, immigration status, or any other legally protected status. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact Human Resources via email hr@queensbotanical.org, phone 718-886-3800 x 215.824 total views, 0 today