Head Gardener

AWD online; Thulston; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Flexi time scheme

Generous local government pension

Incremental annual pay increase

Cycle to work scheme

Discounts at county leisure centres

Job summary

AWD online seeks a Head Gardener to lead historic gardens and estate grounds, ensuring high horticultural standards, safety, and visitor engagement across a Grade II listed site.

You will line manage a gardening team, coordinate contractors and volunteers, and contribute to heritage, biodiversity, and wellbeing initiatives while delivering planned maintenance and enhancements.

Qualifications

• Significant practitioner experience in horticultural practices.
• Experience planning and supervising work to improve service efficiency and visitor or service user experience.
• Experience operating services or projects in line with health and safety management systems.
• Experience monitoring contractors.
• Experience organising and delivering engagement activities that strengthen visitors’ connections with nature and the outdoors.
• Applied horticultural knowledge and skills relating to the maintenance and development of grounds and gardens.
• Ability to speak fluent English to communicate fully with clients and the public.
• Initiative and judgement to research and resolve problems independently or as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Establish horticultural standards and annual schedules of work.
• Lead gardening team and supervise contractors and volunteers.
• Manage horticultural enhancements across gardens and wider estate.
• Line manage gardening team and provide practical horticultural guidance.
• Oversee contractor activity and support volunteers and partners.
• Support visitor engagement and interpretive activities.
• Report on maintenance and planned improvements for management.
• Monitor budgets to ensure efficient use of resources.

Skills

Horticultural experience

Work planning supervision

Health and safety

Contractor monitoring

Visitor engagement

ICT skills

Team leadership

Travel willingness

Education

Level 3 qualification relevant to responsibilities

Level 4 qualification

Job description

Head Gardener

An excellent opportunity for an experienced horticultural professional to lead the care, maintenance and development of Grade II listed gardens and grounds within a nationally significant historic country park.

If you’ve also worked in the following roles, we’d also like to hear from you: Senior Gardener, Lead Gardener, Horticultural Supervisor, Gardens Manager, Horticultural Manager, Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Estate Gardener, Grounds Supervisor, Landscape Supervisor, Garden Team Leader

SALARY: £29,719 - £31,691 per annum + Benefits

LOCATION: Elvaston, Derby, East Midlands (DE72) - Hybrid working options, subject to service needs, can be discussed at interview

JOB TYPE: Full-Time, Permanent

WORKING HOURS: 37 hours per week

JOB OVERVIEW

This is a rewarding opportunity for a Head Gardener to take a lead role in protecting, maintaining and enhancing historic gardens, grounds and wider estate landscapes for visitors, communities and future generations.

Working as the Head Gardener you will support the delivery of horticultural standards, annual work schedules, garden maintenance, enhancement projects and safe working practices across the site.

As the Head Gardener you will also line manage the gardening team, support contractors and volunteers, contribute to visitor engagement and help ensure the gardens deliver heritage, biodiversity, wellbeing and visitor experience benefits.

DUTIES

Your duties as the Head Gardener include:

• Horticultural Standards: Assist with establishing appropriate horticultural standards and annual schedules of work in line with the heritage status of the gardens and available resources
• Garden Maintenance: Ensure gardens and grounds are improved and maintained through safe delivery of management plans and effective use of colleagues, contractors, volunteers, plant and equipment
• Landscape Enhancements: Manage horticultural enhancements across the gardens and wider estate in accordance with agreed plans
• Team Leadership: Line manage gardening team members, organise work and provide practical horticultural advice, guidance and skills development
• Contractor and Volunteer Support: Oversee contractor activity and support volunteers, community groups and partners involved in maintaining and enhancing the gardens
• Visitor Engagement: Contribute to high-quality visitor information, interpretation, events, activities, education and experiences that help people connect with nature and the outdoors
• Reporting and Planning: Report on completed and planned garden maintenance and enhancement programmes, preparing information and analysis for colleagues and management
• Budget Awareness: Contribute to monitoring service budgets so resources are used efficiently and effectively
• Stakeholder Working: Work collaboratively with internal teams, environmental stakeholders, public authorities, voluntary sector partners and community organisations
• Service Support: Represent the organisation from a countryside service perspective and deputise for the Countryside Assistant Manager when required

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

ESSENTIAL

• Significant practitioner experience in horticultural practices
• Experience planning and supervising work to improve service efficiency and visitor or service user experience
• Experience operating services or projects in line with health and safety management systems
• Experience monitoring contractors
• Experience organising and delivering engagement activities that strengthen visitors’ connections with nature and the outdoors
• Applied horticultural knowledge and skills relating to the maintenance and development of grounds and gardens
• Ability to speak fluent English to communicate fully with clients and the public
• Initiative and judgement to research and resolve problems independently or as part of a team
• Courteous and professional approach when supporting the public, colleagues and partners
• ICT competent
• Strong desire to protect and enhance natural and built heritage
• Team player with the ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners
• Ability and willingness to travel on a county and national scale
• Ability to travel to remote locations, sometimes on foot over rough terrain
• Level 3 qualification relevant to the responsibilities of the role

DESIRABLE

• Experience working with environmental stakeholders, public authorities and the voluntary sector
• Experience working in Grade II listed gardens or equivalent historical gardens
• Level 4 qualification

BENEFITS

• 25 days of annual leave plus another 5 once you reach 5 years of continuous service
• Flexi time scheme
• Generous local government pension scheme
• Guaranteed incremental annual pay increase
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts at selected county leisure centres and much more!

JOB REF: AWDO-P15049