Careers

Open Positions

Grounds
Maintenance

Grounds Maintenance

Reporting to the Superintendent, the primary responsibilities of the position are general cemetery and 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, and support of public/private events. Weekend hours required. 3 open positions available located at both Laurel Hill East and Laurel Hill West. 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 and/or masonry experience
  • A willingness to learn all aspects of cemetery maintenance and masonry

We offer an excellent compensation package, including full benefits. Submit your resume via email to Alisa Natalone at ANatalone@laurelhillphl.com or mail to:

Laurel Hill Cemetery West
Attn: HR Dept.
215 Belmont Avenue
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

Horticulture
Internships

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 Senior Horticulturist to create individual learning objectives for the season that will result in an effective and meaningful overall experience.

Requirements include:

  • A valid driver’s license
  • A strong work ethic
  • The ability to work independently and as part of a team outdoors in various weather conditions
  • Dependable transportation
  • Ability to lift 50 pounds
  • And 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, full-time positions paid at $15 an hour and requiring a commitment of 40 hours per week from June 5th to September 1st.  Laurel Hill is an equal opportunity employer.

To apply, submit your resume and cover letter, including which internship position is preferred, to Arboretum Manager, Aaron Greenberg at agreenberg@laurelhillphl.com.

General horticulture internship

The General Horticulture Intern will work closely with the Senior Horticulturist on various aspects of horticulture and landscape stewardship at both Laurel Hill East & West to include:

  • Tree and shrub installation, maintenance, and a basic introduction to curation. Tasks include:
    • Weeding, invasive vine removal, grooming, pruning, planting, mulching, watering, herbivory protection, occasional transplanting and/or removal, assistance in observing tree/shrub care needs, and use of Treekeeper curation software for work orders.
  • Garden area care, maintenance, and a basic introduction to effective design and stewardship best practices. Tasks include:
    • Layout, planting, watering, mulching, herbivory protection, grooming, editing of plantings, transplanting, weeding, and assistance in observing garden care needs.
  • The General Horticulture Intern will also assist the Arboretum Manager on an independent project related to the inventory and curation of the shrub layer of the Arboretum’s Living Collection.
  • Additional tasks and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
    • Serving as an ambassador for the Arboretum and Cemetery in general, attending staff meetings, sharing garden care observations with the Senior Horticulturist and Team, proper care and upkeep of tools, effective communication with the Arboretum Manager, Senior Horticulturist and other staff, attending intern field trips to learn about other horticulture organizations, maintaining a daily garden observation and task notebook.

Nature’s sanctuary horticulture internship

Nature’s Sanctuary is a unique green burial area at Laurel Hill West that is stewarded as a successional landscape featuring native herbaceous forbs, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees and utilization of sustainable methods with respect to natural resources. This landscape has received the prestigious SITES Gold level certification as well as the 2022 Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve’s Land Ethics Award for best Large-Scale Project.

The Nature’s Sanctuary Horticulture Intern will work closely with the Senior Horticulturist on various aspects of horticulture and landscape stewardship within Nature’s Sanctuary to include:

  • Nature’s Sanctuary landscape care, maintenance, and a basic introduction to a stewarded succession landscape, its effective design, and related best practices.
    • Tasks include input on plant selection, layout, planting, bioinoculant application, watering, mulching, herbivory protection, hand weeding, grooming, editing, thinning and/or replanting of plant material, pruning of shrubs and trees, application of horticultural vinegar and assistance in observing garden care needs.
  • Support of the plantings after the Green Burial process.
    • Tasks include soil grading and leaf mulching within the active areas, any necessary clean-up to provide cues of care and planting, mulching, and watering within prior active areas.
  • Maintenance of pathways and fenced peripheral areas.
    • Tasks include weeding and horticultural vinegar application, raking and blowing the stone pathways, mowing the grass pathways, keeping plant material pruned to keep pathways clear, keeping edges along the peripheral fences clear of invasive vines, maintain the mulched areas beneath the fences, training and regular care of the native vines featured on the fence.
  • Maintaining a daily log of site conditions, tasks accomplished and garden observations, as well as weekly data entry into online observation repositories such as iNaturalist.
  • Serving as an ambassador for Nature’s Sanctuary and Laurel Hill in general.  Tasks include possible interaction with and educating the visitors about Nature’s Sanctuary stewardship and the Intern’s role there.
  • The Nature’s Sanctuary Horticulture Intern will occasionally assist the Arboretum Manager, Senior Horticulturist and Arboretum team with various other aspects of horticulture, arboriculture, and landscape maintenance within the Arboretum including tree and shrub pruning, planting and removal, mulching, weeding, and maintaining other garden areas at East.
  • The Nature’s Sanctuary Horticulture Intern will complete an independent project guided by the Senior Horticulturist related to the stewardship of the Nature’s Sanctuary green burial area.
  • Additional tasks and responsibilities include but are not limited to sharing garden care observations with the Senior Horticulturist and Team, proper care and upkeep of tools, effective communication with the Arboretum Manager, Senior Horticulturist and Team, attending staff meetings, and attending intern field trips to learn about other horticulture organizations.