Careers
Laurel Hill East, founded in 1836, is located in Philadelphia and is a 78-acre National Historic Landmark. Laurel Hill West, 187-acres located in Bala Cynwyd, was founded in 1869 and is the location of the Laurel Hill Funeral Home. Both cemeteries are 501(c)(13) organizations and active burial sites, an accredited arboretum, exceptional educational and community resources, and unique recreational spaces.
The Friends of Laurel Hill is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the visual and historic character of both cemeteries through progressive interpretation, education and fundraising.
Open
Positions
Director of Finance
Laurel Hill has a full-time opening for a Director of Finance. Reporting to the President & CEO, the organization’s strategic finance leader is responsible for strengthening Laurel Hill’s financial infrastructure and positioning the organization for its next era of growth. For a complete job description, please click here.
Laurel Hill has retained Criterion Search Group to identify a Director of Finance. For more information regarding this leadership opportunity or to apply, please contact Criterion Search Group at administrator@criterionsg.com or 610-581-0590.
Laurel Hill is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military service, veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law.
Grounds Maintenance
Historic Laurel Hill Cemeteries has a full‐time opening for an experienced Grounds Maintenance employee. Laurel Hill West, located in Bala Cynwyd, was founded in 1869 and is an active historic cemetery with a funeral home as well as a community resource and recreational space. Laurel Hill East, located in Philadelphia, is a 78‐acre National Historic Landmark.
Reporting to the Superintendent, the primary responsibilities of the position are:
- General cemetery & landscape maintenance to include burial set‐ups
- Assisting backhoe operator with digging graves
- Monument cleaning
- Setting new monuments
- Restoring/repairing old monuments
- Snow removal
- General landscape maintenance
- Support of public/private events
- Weekend overtime opportunities available
Requirements include:
- Ability to work outdoors in extreme weather
- Ability to lift 50 pounds
- Strong work ethic
- Valid drivers’ license
- A minimum of one‐year landscaping
- Grounds maintenance and/or masonry experience
- A willingness to learn all aspects of cemetery maintenance and masonry
- Backhoe or other machinery operation experience preferred but not required
We offer an excellent compensation package, including full benefits. Submit your resume to:
Laurel Hill West, Human Resources, 215 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 or anatalone@laurelhillphl.com
Laurel Hill is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military service, veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law.
Internships
Green Burial Areas Burial Horticulture Internship
Laurel Hill is committed to landscape stewardship that embraces its historic context while using modern sustainable best practices. Laurel Hill has exciting opportunities for two summer internship positions, the Horticulture Intern, and the Green Burial Areas Intern.
The horticulture internships provide an interactive educational opportunity for those aspiring towards a career in public gardens, arboreta, horticulture, arboriculture, landscape design and/or horticultural maintenance to work and learn in a dynamic, unique, and professional workplace and acquire experience in both horticulture best practices and Living Collections management. From the start of the season, interns will work with Laurel Hill’s arboretum staff to create individual learning objectives for the season that will result in an effective and meaningful overall experience.
Laurel Hill has three unique Green Burial Areas that are stewarded using sustainable methodology and feature native forbs, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees:
- Nature’s Sanctuary at Laurel Hill West is stewarded as a native successional landscape and has received the prestigious SITES Gold-level certification
- Bala Green at Laurel Hill West features native perennial and annual plantings punctuated by small tree features and surrounded by a native tree and shrub border
- Valley View Green at Laurel Hill East features native grasses and forbs with a mixed native plant border.
The green burial areas intern will work closely with the Senior Horticulturist within the green burial areas on various aspects of horticulture and landscape stewardship to include:
- Managing each landscape to support its growth, further its success and maximize the effective role it plays in a healthy ecosystem. Tasks include hand-weeding, herbivory protection, bioinoculant application, watering, leaf mulching, grooming, plant material editing, thinning and/or replanting, pruning of shrubs and trees, application of horticultural vinegar and assistance in observing overall garden and plant care needs.
- Support of the Green Burial process. Tasks include plant material cutbacks before burials; soil grading and leaf mulching after burials; and new native plantings, mulching, and watering previous active burial areas.
- Maintenance of pathways and fenced peripheral areas. Tasks include hand-weeding and horticultural vinegar application, raking the stone pathways to keep them even and free of debris, mowing and raking the grass pathways, keeping plant material pruned to keep pathways easily accessible, keeping edges along the peripheral fences clear of invasive weeds and vines, and training, pruning and regular care of the native vines featured on the fence.
- Maintaining a daily log of site conditions, tasks accomplished and garden observations.
- Serving as an ambassador for Laurel Hill in general by interacting with visitors and educating them about Laurel Hill’s green burial process and the ongoing stewardship of its areas.
This internship is focused on hands-on learning. Interns will work directly with arboretum staff to learn from their experience and expertise and will attend weekly staff meetings to learn about the ins and outs of arboretum management. In addition to learning about the many unique native plants and stewardship models of each green burial area, The Green Burial Areas Intern will also set individual learning objectives for their internship and complete an independent educational project guided by the Senior Horticulturist.
Requirements include:
- A valid driver’s license
- Strong work ethic
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team outdoors in various weather conditions
- Dependable transportation
- The ability to lift 50 pounds
- A willingness to learn all aspects of horticulture, living collection management, and landscape stewardship
- A bachelor’s degree in Arboriculture, Horticulture, Plant Science, Environmental Studies, or a related field, and/or equivalent work experience is preferred but not required
The Horticulture Internships are seasonal, part-time positions paid at $15 an hour and requiring a commitment of 32 hours per week – exact start and end dates are flexible between May and October. Laurel Hill is an equal opportunity employer.
To apply, send résumé and cover letter to Arboretum Director Aaron Greenberg at agreenberg@laurelhillphl.com.
Horticulture Intern
The horticulture internships provide an interactive educational opportunity for those aspiring towards a career in public gardens, arboreta, horticulture, arboriculture, landscape design and/or horticultural maintenance to work and learn in a dynamic, unique, and professional workplace and acquire experience in both horticulture best practices and Living Collections management. From the start of the season, interns will work with Laurel Hill’s arboretum staff to create individual learning objectives for the season that will result in an effective and meaningful overall experience.
The Horticulture Intern will work closely with the Arboretum Director and staff horticulturists on various aspects of horticulture and landscape stewardship. The majority of the time will be spent working with each horticulturist to learn the unique maintenance requirements, variety of plants and tasks that support each area’s design intent and overall quality of its display. Tasks include:
- Assisting with layout, planting, watering, application of soil amendments, mulching, herbivory protection, grooming, editing of plantings, transplanting, weeding, project clean-up and overall observation of garden care needs.
The Horticulture Intern will also have the opportunity to work with the Arboretum Director on tasks related to the tree and shrub collections at Laurel Hill. This may include:
- The identification, planting, installation, removal and care of woody plants, in addition to tasks related to the curation, inventory and assessment of the Arboretum’s Living Collection.
This internship is focused on hands-on learning. Interns will work directly with arboretum staff to learn from their experience and expertise, and will attend weekly staff meetings to learn about the ins and outs of arboretum management. After an introduction to annuals, perennials and shrubs, best stewardship practices, and basics of garden design, the intern will have the opportunity to take responsibility for a specific garden area at the Arboretum. The Horticulture Intern will also work with the Arboretum Director to develop an independent project to complete during their time at Laurel Hill. This may include a basic research project, a garden design project or anything related to general horticulture.
Requirements include:
- A valid driver’s license
- Strong work ethic
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team outdoors in various weather conditions
- Dependable transportation
- The ability to lift 50 pounds
- A willingness to learn all aspects of horticulture, living collection management, and landscape stewardship
- A bachelor’s degree in Arboriculture, Horticulture, Plant Science, Environmental Studies, or a related field, and/or equivalent work experience is preferred but not required.
The Horticulture Internships are seasonal, part-time positions paid at $15 an hour and requiring a commitment of 32 hours per week – exact start and end dates are flexible between May and October. Laurel Hill is an equal opportunity employer.
To apply, send résumé and cover letter to Arboretum Director Aaron Greenberg at agreenberg@laurelhillphl.com.