Seed Bank Manager, Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank

Title: Seed Bank Manager, Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank
Exemption Status: Exempt
Department: Conservation
 Reports to: Director of Conservation
Year-round, Full-time
Supervises: Seed Bank Assistant Manager, graduate students, research assistants, and volunteers (as needed)

Year-Round Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits:

•  2026 A Guide to Your Benefits JP.pdf 

Compensation Philosophy:

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, our compensation philosophy is rooted in our core values: Growth, Understanding, Resilience, and Trust through Transparency. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and appreciated.

Our objective is to create compensation and growth opportunities for our employees that are highly competitive, internally equitable and transparent. The foundation of our efforts is a straightforward approach that can be easily communicated by managers with defined pay ranges for all positions. When posting job openings, we share the minimum salary up to the budgeted amount.

The starting salary for new staff members is determined by considering the salary range assigned to the position and by reviewing the candidate’s qualifications for the job as compared with job responsibilities. Prior work experience should be considered in determining the salary offer, provided that it is relevant to the job. Additional factors such as secondary language proficiency or advanced degrees that enhance performance may also be considered. A candidate’s salary may exceed the minimum amount based on factors such as experience, additional skills (e.g., secondary language proficiency), or pertinent degrees that enhance the individual’s contribution to the role but are not required. Opportunities for increased compensation are provided through referral bonuses, shift differentials, Thank You Pay, promotions, and periodic pay increases based on the Garden's overall performance and financial budgets.

Our total compensation and benefits package is people centric. We prioritize employee wellness across three pillars: physical, mental, and financial. Our goal is to offer innovative total rewards that support continuous professional growth, personal development, and provide the flexibility needed to balance personal and professional commitments.

Position Overview: This is a year-round, full-time Seed Bank Manager position at the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank at the Chicago Botanic Garden, with an expected start date of October 2026. The Seed Bank Manager will be responsible for the strategic, administrative, and scientific leadership of the seed bank.

Responsibilities include overseeing the seed bank’s operations and collections management; implementing seed-collection priorities; coordinating and expanding partnerships with local landowners, conservation organizations, and research institutions; and supporting seed-collection activities as needed. The Seed Bank Manager will work closely with staff, researchers, and external partners to advance conservation, germplasm sharing, and the use of seed bank collections for restoration and research.

While the primary responsibility of this role is the management and development of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank, the Chicago Botanic Garden also supports the development of an integrated research program that leverages the seed bank’s collections. The successful candidate will join a collaborative community of scientists and land managers at the Chicago Botanic Garden and across partner institutions and will play a key role in advancing the seed bank as a regional and national resource for seed conservation and restoration.

Responsibilities
 In this role you will be responsible for the following:

1. Develop and advance the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank’s mission (30 percent) 

• Work with Seed Bank curator and staff to develop and advance the Seed Bank’s mission.
• Work with experts to refine the Seed Bank priority collection list and Seed Bank documentation. Develop long-term collection goals and strategy. 
• Identify and work with an external advisory group to advise the Seed Bank’s future directions. 
• Oversee internal and public-facing seed collections database (BRAHMS).
• Work with the Seed Bank assistant manager and volunteers to ensure the Seed Bank's day-to-day operations run smoothly.

1. Build collaboration and partnerships to grow Seed Bank collections (25 percent) 

• Work collaboratively with the senior manager of Seed Projects and Partnerships to develop collaborative partnerships with conservation organizations locally and in the tallgrass prairie region. Use the Seed Bank to assist partners in achieving conservation and restoration goals.
• Identify seed sources and develop partnerships with conservation organizations and other landowners. 
• Work with partners to obtain appropriate permissions and permits.
• Communicate with partners about seed-collection priorities.
• Interface with the national Seeds of Success program (SOS), ensuring partners and collectors receive SOS training. Coordinate collections entering the SOS program and enter data. 
• Develop and refine Chicago Botanic Garden seed-collection training. Train partners and collectors. 
• Make seed collections as needed, and/or work with partners to collect seeds. 

1. Facilitate curation and maintenance of collection (20 percent)

• Assist the Seed Bank assistant manager and production staff with viability testing. 
• Ensure curation protocols are being implemented and oversee accurate data entry into the database (BRAHMS). 
• Work with the Collections Database administrator to manage data entry and curation and to conduct training as needed. 
• Collaboratively design and implement research projects to address key scientific questions.

1. Coordinate the ethical and appropriate use of the collection (20 percent) 

• Establish permission for seed use (for education, research, restoration) under partnership agreements.
• Receive and respond to internal and external requests for seed use.
• Work with the Seed Bank curator and students to facilitate research, including data collection to address research questions. 
• Assist in applying for funding to support seed bank operations and research.

1. Promote the Seed Bank through outreach and mentorship (5 percent)

• Provide guidance to students and interns working in the Seed Bank.
• Conduct community outreach, including lab tours and other public-facing events as needed.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, or a related field
• Three years of experience working in a seed bank or other plant collection 
• Three years of experience in project and data management, including coordinating activities across multiple partners or teams
• Three years of experience working with diverse groups, including training, mentoring, or supervising students, volunteers, or staff 
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail 
• Strong project management and communication skills

Preferred

• Advanced degree in biology, ecology, or related field
• Database experience and/or data analytical skills
• Experience publishing scientific papers or reports using data on seed viability and/or germination
• Previous successful experience securing funding to support conservation 

Physical Demands:

Sustained periods of standing, sitting, and walking between labs and field sites; lifting up to 20 pounds; frequent fieldwork in varying environmental conditions.

To Apply:
Submit an application and upload a resume/CV. Please include a statement of interest (two to three pages) that addresses the key questions below, along with the names and contact information for three references.

For questions about the role, please contact Jeremie Fant (jfant@chicagobotanic.org).

In your statement of interest, please address the following questions:

1. Experience with biological collections: Describe your experience working with biological collections (e.g., seed banks, herbaria, living collections, or other research collections). What were your primary responsibilities, and which aspects of collection management were you most directly involved in?
2. Project management and program coordination: Describe a project you managed or coordinated. What were the goals of the project, what role did you play, and how did you organize tasks, timelines, and collaborators to ensure the project’s success?
3. Collaboration and partner engagement: Seed banking and conservation often require cross-institutional collaboration. Please describe your experience working with partners or collaborators and your role in coordinating these relationships.
4. Communicating science and collections work: Describe your experience communicating scientific or collections-based work to different audiences (e.g., researchers, institutional partners, students, or the public).
5. Vision for seed banking and conservation programs: What do you think are the key elements of a world-class seed bank or seed conservation program? Based on your experience, what priorities or practices would you focus on to strengthen such a program?
6. Seed banks and research: How do you see seed banks contributing to research and conservation science, and what kinds of research questions interest you most in this context?

Applications will close June 15, 2026.

Why Apply? 
Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.