Senior Horticulturist – Living Collections & Conservation

Australian National Botanic Gardens; Canberra; On-site; AUD 80,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra seeks a Senior Horticulturist to support conservation, research, education and visitor engagement. You will work in either Living Collections or Conservation Horticulture & Nursery teams, performing horticultural duties and assisting in landscape or nursery operations under limited supervision.

The role emphasizes weed and plant health management, infrastructure oversight, planning tools development, and mentoring staff.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated high level understanding of Australian native plants and how to apply this knowledge practically.
• Experience in care, curation and maintenance of plant collections.
• Knowledge of horticultural infrastructure including irrigation systems.
• Experience identifying pests, disease and nutrition issues and management strategies.
• Understanding of workplace health and safety requirements for horticultural operations.
• Record keeping competency for plant stock control and collection management.

Responsibilities

• Undertake complex horticultural duties including pruning, fertilising, weeding and pest control.
• Assist in managing horticultural infrastructure and environmental control systems.
• Contribute to development of landscape management plans or nursery production plans.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Nursery/horticulture staff and volunteers.
• Ensure safe use of chemicals and machinery per ANBG procedures.
• Maintain accurate records across databases and planning tools.
• Collaborate with internal teams, researchers and external stakeholders to support conservation goals.
• Participate in weekend watering roster (optional).

Skills

Independent work

Team collaboration

Strong planning

Organisational skills

Oral and written comms

Education

Certificate III/IV in Horticulture

Job description

Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra seeks a Senior Horticulturist to support conservation, research, education and visitor engagement. You will work in either Living Collections or Conservation Horticulture & Nursery teams, performing horticultural duties and assisting in landscape or nursery operations under limited supervision.

The role emphasizes weed and plant health management, infrastructure oversight, planning tools development, and mentoring staff.