BACKGROUND

Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) is a 501(c)(3) organization nationally recognized as a leader in creating sustainable community gardens. DUG was founded in 1985 to support local neighborhoods in establishing food-producing community gardens and has expanded into nutrition education and training programs, school partnerships and work in food access. 

DUG’s mission is to provide the access, skills and resources for people to grow healthy food in community and regenerate urban green spaces. 

Our vision is a sustainable urban future where people are deeply and directly connected to the earth, each other, and the food they eat. 

Our values are to:  Earn TRUST | Demonstrate INTEGRITY | Embrace EQUITY | Build COMMUNITY | Inspire CURIOSITY

DUG is seeking a full-time Garden Infrastructure Manager who is passionate about building and maintaining physical spaces that facilitate gardening, community-building, sustainability, food justice, and climate action.

ROLE OVERVIEW AND GOALS

• Ensure all gardens have an acceptable and equitable level of physical infrastructure to produce their own food.
• Maintain DUG’s ability to build new gardens and maintain existing gardens through its workshop, storage yard, vehicles, and physical tools. 
• Through communication and problem-solving, ensure that DUG gardens are meet the needs of garden leaders, gardeners and the greater community.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES 

• This position reports to the Senior Director of Gardens and Food Forests and supervises a seasonal DUG Corps Service Member 

Building and Maintaining Gardens

• Establish and execute an annual work plan for garden maintenance, new garden builds  and improvement projects.
• Plan and implement a garden workday schedule to complete projects in partnership with the Development team
• Prep for and lead corporate and community volunteer group workdays. Create a fun team-building atmosphere and instruct volunteers to work safely. 
• Respond to garden emergencies, maintenance requests, and general inquiries in a timely manner. Prioritize doing repairs in-house, and use contractors only when necessary.
• Adhere to all guidelines and restrictions laid out in DUG’s land use agreements, grants, and local, state, and federal laws. Complete proposals and application processes to ensure all necessary approvals are in hand before work begins.
• Manage external vendors and materials for garden projects. 
• Find and manage contractors hired for jobs. 
• Work in partnership with the Field Operations team to engage the community in the design and installation of new gardens. Actively contribute to the new garden design process using insights gained from field experience and research.
• Provide budget recommendations for improved efficiency and aligned with strategic priorities

Irrigation

• Oversee and manage water systems across the DUG network. This includes:
  • Repairing breaks in underground irrigation pipes, fixing leaks, and repairing/replacing spigots. 
  • Replacing and maintaining backflows, turn water systems on in the spring and blow them out/ turn them off in the fall.
  • Communicating with garden leaders about water availability and aligning with landowners about expectations and needs when DUG does not control the water access directly.

Organization and Collaboration

• Oversee the DUG workshop and storage yard, including waste materials management, tool maintenance, and supply stocking
• Work with DUG staff to understand the ways physical infrastructure can support other DUG programs, and help them understand the needs, limitations, and opportunities of physical garden spaces. Integrate with and add to DUG initiatives and team goals.

Training / Garden Self-Sufficiency

• Work to increase the autonomy of Garden Leaders and Tree Keepers in making their own repairs and improvements
  • Create and update static resources for the DUG website, including blog posts, videos, spec sheets, and preferred vendor lists.
  • Facilitate workshops and trainings

 Administrative  

• Timely responsiveness to communications from staff and community members
• Bi-weekly time tracking and monthly spending report submission  
• Budget tracking and reporting in conjunction with manager
• Performs additional related duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the organization

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCES + QUALIFICATIONS

• Basic skills in carpentry, outdoor plumbing, and irrigation systems
• Ability to lift 40-50 lbs
• Current driver’s license and clean driving record
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to effectively and respectfully work with and interact with diverse community members
• Experience with Google Workspace, including Sheets/Excel 
• Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias 

PREFERRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCES + QUALIFICATIONS

• Good knowledge of who DUG is, what DUG does, and why our work matters 
• 3+ years of experience in urban agriculture, construction, or education
• Professional Working Proficiency or above in any of the following languages: Spanish, French, Swahili, Burmese, or Nepali

Candidates must live in the metro Denver area and be able to travel to our extensive DUG network for in-person events as needed. We welcome and encourage historically underrepresented voices to apply. 

COMPENSATION + BENEFITS

Compensation for this position level is an hourly wage of $28.93 – $37.12 based on experience and skill set. This is a full-time, non-exempt, fully benefited position. Benefits include a flexible work schedule, RTD EcoPass, mileage reimbursement, paid holidays, a ‘trusted time off’ policy, as well as a generous employer-sponsored health/dental insurance plan and retirement plan matching. This position is a union-represented position with DUG Workers United. 

DEPARTMENT: Field Operations

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your resume and a brief cover letter with ‘Garden Infrastructure Manager’ in the subject line to Jobs@dug.org. 

EQUITY STATEMENT

DUG centers equity as one of its organizational values and we value diversity — in backgrounds and in experiences. We believe food is a universal right, and we need people from all backgrounds to help build the future of our food system.  

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and our staff are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, who share a passion for improving people’s lives. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity, but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion and many other parts of one’s identity. All of our employee’s points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Thank you for your interest in our organization and community.