Plant Labelling Officer

Overview

We are looking for an experienced Plant Labelling Officer to oversee the accurate identification, documentation, and labelling of live plant collections in a botanic garden setting. This role requires maintaining precise plant labels, collection data, mapping systems, and educational botanical materials directed at visitors. The incumbent will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team including botanists, horticulturists, and curators to ensure plant information is accurate, consistent, and continuously updated.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, place, review, update, and maintain labels for plants in both indoor and outdoor collections.
• Ensure all labels display correct scientific and common names, plant family, geographic origins, accession data, and other pertinent details.
• Confirm naming and classification accuracy using established botanical taxonomies and references.
• Perform regular inspections to detect missing, damaged, outdated, duplicated, or incorrect labels and manage their correction or replacement.
• Collaborate with botanical and horticulture teams to validate plant identification accuracy.
• Ensure consistency across physical labels, accession records, databases, maps, and collection management systems.
• Update and manage databases reflecting plant accessions, locations, provenance, movements, replacements, and losses.
• Assist with accessioning and deaccessioning of plant specimens.
• Maintain and verify plant locations via mapping systems and field checks.
• Facilitate integration of plant data with GIS, digital mapping, and collection-management platforms.
• Create and update botanical interpretation materials and visitor information content.
• Translate complex botanical and horticultural data into clear, visitor-friendly formats.
• Support digital plant identification initiatives using QR codes, mobile apps, interactive maps, and other platforms.
• Conduct quality assurance and control on physical and digital plant-related information.
• Assist in plant inventories and collection audits while upholding data quality, backup, and version control standards.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Botany, Plant Sciences, Plant Taxonomy, or related fields; postgraduate degrees are advantageous.
• At least five years of professional experience in horticulture or botanical collection management, particularly in plant identification and education.
• Deep understanding of plant taxonomy, nomenclature, classification, and ability to identify species using morphology and taxonomic keys.
• Proven experience in labelling, documenting living collections, accessioning, provenance tracking, and collection administration.
• Competency in managing plant databases, electronic records, GIS, mapping tools, and digital management systems.
• Strong research, data verification, quality control, and meticulous attention to detail.
• Experience in developing and delivering practical horticulture training sessions.
• Skilled in preparing educational materials such as training guides, manuals, presentations, and resources related to horticulture.
• Experience evaluating training needs, competence, and supporting apprenticeships, internships, or work-based learning programmes.
• A history of organizing horticultural workshops, demonstrations, or community engagement activities.
• Ability to communicate complex botanical content effectively for visitor engagement.
• Experience collaborating with botanists, researchers, curators, educational bodies, and technical specialists.
• Familiarity with digital identification tools, QR codes, mobile applications, and interactive mapping technologies is a plus.
• Prior work experience in botanic gardens, public gardens, horticultural institutions, nurseries, or educational organizations is preferred.
• Excellent written communication, technical writing, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Professional experience providing training or educational material delivery in both English and Arabic languages is valued.