Vice President, Horticulture

DO NOT use the "Apply" button on this page. To be considered for this opportunity, you must complete the application process through the following website: https://www.kittlemansearch.com/opportunities/kittleman-for-candidates"

POSITION: Vice President of Horticulture

REPORTS TO: President and Director

LOCATION: St. Louis, Missouri

MISSION

To discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.

ABOUT MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN

For more than 165 years, the Missouri Botanical Garden has stood at the intersection of horticulture, science, conservation, education, and public engagement. Founded in 1859 by philanthropist Henry Shaw, the Garden is one of the nation's oldest botanical gardens in continuous operation and is widely regarded as one of the premier botanical institutions in the world. Guided by its mission "to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life," the Garden has evolved from a visionary civic gift into a globally recognized center for plant science, conservation, and horticultural excellence.

Today, the Garden's work spans from its historic headquarters in St. Louis to more than 35 countries around the world. Its scientists describe approximately 200 new plant species annually, steward one of the world's largest herbarium collections, and lead conservation initiatives that protect some of the planet's most threatened plant species and ecosystems. At the same time, the Garden remains a beloved cultural institution that welcomes more than one million visitors each year through immersive gardens, world-class displays, educational programming, community engagement, and signature events.

The Garden's 79-acre campus showcases nearly 60,000 plantings representing more than 17,000 taxa. Iconic features such as the Climatron, Linnean House, Japanese Garden, Doris I. Schnuck Children's Garden, and William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening reflect a tradition of excellence that blends horticultural beauty with scientific discovery and public learning. Beyond the main campus, the Garden extends its mission through Shaw Nature Reserve, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, and the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, creating a network of landscapes and programs that connect people to plants throughout the region.

Under the leadership of the President and Director, the Garden is embarking on an ambitious new chapter. Its emerging strategic framework is centered around a bold vision: a world where people and plants flourish together. Priorities focused on botanical discovery, conservation, visitor engagement, organizational excellence, and storytelling are helping shape the institution's future while building on its historic strengths. Horticulture sits at the center of this vision, serving as the most visible expression of the Garden's mission and one of its greatest opportunities for impact.

The Missouri Botanical Garden welcomes more than one million visitors annually and reaches hundreds of thousands more through education, outreach, conservation, research, and community engagement programs. The organization is supported by a talented staff, more than 1,600 volunteers, and has over 53,000 member households. With operations spanning its main Garden campus, Shaw Nature Reserve, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, and the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, the Garden is widely recognized as one of the world's premier botanical institutions.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Vice President of Horticulture will join the Garden at a particularly meaningful moment. A new strategic plan is helping define how the institution will deepen its impact over the coming decade, with priorities focused on collections, conservation, visitor engagement, botanical leadership, and organizational excellence. Horticulture sits at the center of nearly every one of these aspirations.

The Garden now seeks an exceptional Vice President of Horticulture to help lead this next era. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of one of the world's great botanical gardens, to build upon an extraordinary horticultural legacy, and to create experiences that connect people more deeply with plants, place, and purpose.

The Garden has a dedicated and highly skilled horticulture team whose technical expertise, passion for plants, commitment to collections, and pride in their work are widely recognized throughout the institution. The horticulture staff is one of the Garden's greatest strengths, exemplifying a depth of knowledge, creativity, and professionalism that supports the overall organization.

At the same time, there is a substantial opportunity ahead. With a strong desire for deeper integration across divisions, greater cohesion, enhanced communication, and a holistic horticultural vision, the organization is eager to strengthen connections between horticulture, conservation, research, education, sustainability, and visitor experience. The Garden has prioritized the importance of elevating its beauty and sense of place while maintaining its global leadership in science and conservation.

The next Vice President will have the opportunity to:

• Shape a compelling horticultural vision aligned with institutional strategy.
• Elevate the Garden's landscapes, collections, displays, and visitor experiences.
• Build greater connectivity across disciplines and teams.
• Strengthen organizational systems and operational effectiveness.
• Inspire and develop an already talented and dedicated staff.
• Help define what horticultural excellence looks like for one of the world's premier botanical institutions.

This role offers a rare combination of institutional impact, global influence, and visible public engagement.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President of Horticulture (VP of Horticulture) provides leadership for the development, maintenance, and enhancement of the Missouri Botanical Garden's landscapes, gardens, and displays. The VP of Horticulture ensures that horticultural excellence, design innovation, and sustainable practices advance the Garden's mission and enrich the visitor experience. The role oversees the design and management of the gardens, including the development of new displays and the stewardship of cultural landscapes. The VP of Horticulture leads the creation of worldclass horticultural displays that inspire visitors, celebrate plant diversity, and reinforces the Garden's leadership in horticultural display, botanical education, and public engagement.

The successful candidate leads a high performing team and fosters a collaborative, peoplefirst culture that values creativity, inclusion, and professional growth. Through strategic planning, resource management, and staff development, the role ensures operational excellence and alignment with institutional priorities. In partnership with peers across divisions, the VP of Horticulture contributes to longterm visioning and initiatives that position the Missouri Botanical Garden as a leader in horticultural innovation, beauty, and impact.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Division Leadership & Vision

• Develop and implement a long-term horticulture strategy for gardens, conservatories, and displays aligned with the President's vision, the Garden's mission, strategic plan, and institutional goals.
• Foster cross-divisional collaboration and a culture of creativity, innovation, and excellence.
• Collaborate across mission areas to advance shared goals.
• Partner closely with the President, leadership team, and Horticulture Mission Council.

Garden Designs and Displays

• Oversee world-class horticultural displays, nurseries, and conservatories that engage visitors, celebrate plant diversity, and reinforce the Garden's leadership in botanical display and education.
• Steward cultural landscapes, preserving the Garden's heritage while advancing innovative design.
• Lead horticultural exhibitions and seasonal displays that deepen public engagement and showcase plant and ecosystem diversity.
• Connect Biodiversity Research, Conservation, and Education to showcase the Garden's collections as living expressions of botanical knowledge and conservation.
• Maintain the grounds to ensure an exceptional guest experience.

Operational and Financial Stewardship

• Manage the division's budget, staffing, and resources for efficient, transparent operations.
• Champion efficiency, effectiveness, and responsible stewardship across horticultural practices, infrastructure, and resources.
• Partner with Institutional Advancement and Grants & Awards to fund strategic programs and major divisional initiatives.
• Support major capital projects with Facilities Support & Construction and Institutional Advancement.

Institutional Representation

• Represent the Garden's horticultural leadership in public and professional forums.
• Partner with Institutional Advancement and Communications to engage donors, partners, and the community in horticultural initiatives.
• Strengthen partnerships with public gardens, universities, and horticultural networks to expand the Garden's influence in innovation and education.

The VP of Horticulture oversees a team of 57 staff with four direct reports. The department's operating budget is $5.8 million of an overall budget of approximately $63 million.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The Missouri Botanical Garden seeks a leader who combines horticultural credibility with enterprise leadership capacity. The successful candidate will bring significant experience in public horticulture and a deep understanding of gardens, landscapes, collections, and plant stewardship. Equally important, they will possess the organizational leadership skills necessary to guide a large and complex division within a mission-driven institution.

The Garden seeks a candidate who is collaborative, transparent, authentic, approachable, and inspiring who can unite people around a common purpose. It will be critical that this leader is someone who communicates clearly, follows through on commitments, builds trust, and creates alignment.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in public garden management, horticultural design, or botanical leadership, including at least 5 years in a senior executive or director-level role.
• Demonstrated success leading large teams and complex operations.
• Experience with strategic planning, organizational change, and project management.
• A deep understanding and expertise in landscape design, living collections, conservation horticulture, and visitor-centered public gardens.
• The ability to balance long-term vision with day-to-day operational realities.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to serve as an institutional leader among peers and external partners.
• A high level of comfort serving as a public ambassador for the Garden's horticultural excellence through engagement with donors, volunteers, community leaders, and media representatives.
• Representing the Garden in professional networks, including collaborations with public gardens, universities, conservation organizations, and professional associations.

The ability to communicate effectively in English and preferably in one or more foreign languages (verbal and written), especially languages most often spoken in Latin America where many of the Garden's programs are based, is highly preferable.

The strongest candidate will be thoughtful, humble, ethical, curious, collaborative, and deeply committed to investing in and developing others. They will possess both the expertise to earn credibility and the interpersonal intelligence needed to build lasting trust.

While a Ph.D. in horticulture, botany, landscape architecture, or a related discipline is preferred, the Garden is most interested in identifying a leader with the vision, experience, credibility, and leadership capacity to guide one of the world's premier botanical institutions. Exceptional candidates with a compelling combination of education, professional experience, and demonstrated success in public horticulture will receive full consideration. An ISA Certified Arborist certification is a plus.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, & APPLICATION FOR POSITION

Missouri Botanical Garden offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

The salary range for this position is $165,000-$185,000 and will be commensurate with experience. The Garden offers a comprehensive benefits package including, but not limited to paid time off, medical, vision and dental insurance, as well as a 403b plan.

How to Apply - DO NOT use the "Apply" button on this page.

To apply, please confidentially submit a current resume and cover letter to Kittleman & Associates at https://www.kittlemansearch.com/opportunities/vice-president-of-horticulture-missouri-botanical-garden. The cover letter is an opportunity to showcase your passion for the Missouri Botanical Garden and its mission, as well as your organizational expertise in current or prior roles. For best consideration, please submit your materials by December 4, 2026.