Germination & Propagation Lead — Climate-Controlled Nursery

Shuttleworth Botanic Garden; Santon; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Shuttleworth Botanic Garden in the Isle of Man seeks an innovative Specialist Nursery Manager – Germination and Propagation to lead a state-of-the-art propagation facility. You will oversee germination and early propagation for temperate taxa, scaling production for conservation, ex-situ living collections and research.

You will manage climate-controlled nursery infrastructure, ensure seed viability, enforce biosecurity protocols, and maintain precise data records to support trusted research

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MSc) or PhD in plant science, horticulture, botany, plant physiology, seed science or a closely related field.
• Proven post-qualification experience managing specialist nursery operations or seed research facilities, ideally in a botanic garden, research institute or advanced germplasm facility.
• Deep expertise in seed biology, seed bank management, viability testing and dormancy-breaking techniques across diverse taxa.
• Extensive experience with propagation methods, both sexual and asexual.
• Applied experience operating computerized nursery environmental management platforms and automated climate chambers.

Responsibilities

• Oversee high-volume germination and species-specific propagation for diverse taxa, including rare and threatened species.
• Design, implement and refine propagation regimes to scale production for conservation and research projects.
• Monitor seedling establishment and health, transitioning stock to main nursery areas.
• Direct seed bank operations and conduct seed quality testing and viability trials.
• Enforce phytosecurity and biosecurity protocols, including national and international frameworks, quarantine procedures.

Skills

Leadership

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Plant science knowledge

Data management

Education

MSc or PhD in plant science or related field

Tools

Botanical databases

Accession logging software

Environmental management platforms

Job description

The Shuttleworth Botanic Garden in the Isle of Man seeks an innovative Specialist Nursery Manager – Germination and Propagation to lead a state-of-the-art propagation facility. You will oversee germination and early propagation for temperate taxa, scaling production for conservation, ex-situ living collections and research.

You will manage climate-controlled nursery infrastructure, ensure seed viability, enforce biosecurity protocols, and maintain precise data records to support trusted research