HEAD GARDENER

Code: 45535 State Competitive Range: R16 (FY 2027)

Salary: $53,281.62 - $77,370.62/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of the business manager or other supervisory officer I n a correctional or other institution in a state department, has charge of the institution truck farm and the care, custody, and instruction of inmates, patients, or others assigned thereto; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Organizes assigned grounds keeping and truck farm work and develops effective work programs, schedules, and procedures.
• Assigns and instructs employees, civilian employees, and inmates, patients, or others assigned to the truck garden and supervises performance of their work.
• Supervises work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
• Plans the grounds and garden crops to be planted and places/times of planting to produce the desired effect, optimum yield, to prevent soil damage, and to ensure harvesting at the appropriate time for consumption, canning, and storage, and supervises the carrying out of such plans.
• Directs plowing, discing, harrowing, smoothing, scuffing, planting, hoeing, cultivating, weeding, side dressing, dusting, spraying, liming, fertilizing, harvesting, and other garden operations.
• Supervises measures taken to ensure safety, custody, and progress of inmates, patients, or others assigned to the gardening operation.
• Sees that suspicious persons and behavior are reported and that appropriate actions are taken as may be required.
• Supervises the harvesting of crops and their transportation to the kitchen, storage places, and/or shipping points.
• Directs the care, maintenance, adjustment, and storage of garden tools/equipment.
• Supervises the cleaning/maintenance of drains and ditches and the areas around buildings.
• Requisitions, stores, safeguards, issues, and supervises the proper use of equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Prepares detailed reports of truck garden activities and progress reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• May be required to undergo fire training classes.
• Maintains records and files.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

One (1) year of supervisory experience in work involving the operation and management of a large scale truck garden or in large scale gardening.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of problems involved in planning and carrying out a truck farming/gardening program for an institution using inmate, patient, or other labor.
• Knowledge of problems involved in giving assignments/instructions to employees and in monitoring work of a group of inmates, patients, or others so that they may receive the maximum benefit mentally and physically and that the assigned work may be completed in the most efficient manner.
• Knowledge of the planning of large scale truck farming/gardening work and how it may be completed in the most efficient manner.
• Knowledge of the planning and harvesting of large scale gardening work so that optimum yield is derived.
• Ability to analyze large scale gardening problems, organize assigned work, and develop effective work plans/methods.
• Ability to assume responsibility for the care, custody, and safety of inmates, patients, or others engaged in the work of the unit and to supervise performance of their work so that they may receive maximum mental and physical benefits therefrom.
• Ability to make plans which involve the determining of garden crops to be planted, and where/when they will be planted to produce proper yield, to prevent soil damage, for harvesting at the proper time, and to direct execution of such plans.
• Ability to direct plowing, discing, harrowing, smoothing, scuffing, planting, hoeing, cultivating, seeding, side dressing, dusting, spraying, liming, fertilizing, and other truck gardening operations.
• Ability to supervise measures required to ensure custody/safety of assigned inmates, patients, or others, to recognize suspicious/dangerous situations and occurrences, and to take measures required to secure safe and orderly conditions.
• Ability to requisition, store, safeguard, distribute, and properly use equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound, and accurate reports concerning gardening activities and progress reports.
• Ability to maintain records and files.
• Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
• CODES: 15/R16 - RKR/hw 4/27/98

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.