Facility Operations - Gardens & Arboretum Digital Communications and Outdoor Assistant

Job Title: Gardens & Arboretum Digital Communications and Outdoor Assistant

Department: Facility Operations

Supervisor: Gardens Staff, primary contact is Faith Stutts

Starting Rate of Pay: $10.00

Length of Time: Eligible for rehire on a semester basis.

Department Description

The Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum & Gardens is a collection of gardens and green spaces situated within the High Point University campus. The gardens serve the campus community and are also free and open to the public.

Job Description

The Gardens & Arboretum Content Creator and Outdoor Assistant is a hybrid position that combines hands-on experience with digital storytelling. Students begin by working alongside Gardens staff to learn about plant care, seasonal displays, and daily operations while assisting with routine garden maintenance. As they gain familiarity with the gardens, responsibilities gradually expand to include photography, videography, and creating engaging content for the department’s social media platforms. This position offers valuable experience in horticulture, marketing, photography, and environmental communication.

Job Location/ Hours Required

• Work takes place primarily outdoors in the university gardens across campus, with occasional work at the off-campus greenhouse.
• Flexible scheduling with most content creation completed independently after training. A weekly in-person meeting with Gardens staff will be scheduled each semester based on the student’s class schedule to review assignments, content goals, and upcoming projects
• Weekly meetings with Gardens staff to review assignments, content ideas, and priorities.
• Students may work up to 20 hours per week with a minimum commitment of 4 hours.
• Outdoor shifts may be adjusted due to severe weather (heavy rain, thunderstorms, snow), but not due to normal hot or cold temperatures unless conditions exceed a safe range. Alternative indoor work will be assigned when possible.
• All assignments will be completed any time outside of class hours. Student employees are responsible for recording their hours accurately in Workday.

Outdoor Garden Responsibilities:

• Communicate with Gardens staff regarding shift assignments.
• Assist with garden maintenance including planting, mulching, pruning, and weeding.
• Support greenhouse operations as needed including watering, seed starting, cleaning, and plant care as needed.
• Learn basic plant identification and horticulture practices.
• Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and fellow student employees in a professional and respectful manner.

Digital Communication Responsibilities:

• Regularly capture photos and videos showcasing the gardens, collections, events, and seasonal displays.
• Create engaging photo and video content for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• Use Adobe Express and the department's shared Adobe Creative Cloud Library to create content that follows established branding standards, including approved colors, fonts, logos, and graphic elements.
• Schedule and publish approved content using Meta Business Suite.
• Organize and upload media to the department’s shared photo library.
• Attend HPU Gardens events and workshops, as scheduling permits, to capture content.
• Contribute creative ideas that highlight plants, gardens, educational initiatives, and seasonal events.
• Assist with monitoring social media platforms and responding to messages or comments according to department guidelines and assigned work hours.

Required Qualifications:

• Comfortable working outdoors in various weather conditions.
• Ability to walk on uneven terrain and perform physical tasks including kneeling, bending, lifting up to 25 pounds regularly and up to 40 pounds occasionally.
• Reliable, punctual, and self-motivated.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Interest in photography, social media, or digital storytelling.
• Ability to work independently after receiving direction.
• Willingness to learn plant identification and basic horticulture practices.
• Minimum 3.0 overall GPA.

Desired Skills:

• Experience using Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
• Basic photography or videography experience using a camera or smartphone.
• Familiarity with photo/video editing software such as CapCut, Adobe Photoshop, or similar programs.
• Experience with Adobe Express, Adobe Creative Cloud applications, or similar graphic design software.
• Creative eye for visual storytelling.
• Interest in horticulture, plants, environmental education, or conservation.