Lead Gardener

LLOYD'S REGISTER INTERNATIONAL; Worthing, Portslade by Sea; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site parking

Job summary

Southern Hospice Group is seeking a Lead Gardener in Worthing to lead garden staff and volunteers while delivering high horticultural standards across diverse sites including propagation, kitchen gardens, and meadow areas.

You will plan workloads, ensure health and safety compliance, and collaborate with the Grounds Manager to deliver well‑organised, welcoming outdoor spaces that support wellbeing for patients, families and staff.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year gardening experience with powered garden machinery.
• Broad understanding of garden maintenance.
• Experience as a team leader or supervisory role.

Responsibilities

• Supervising garden staff and volunteers and providing guidance to maintain high standards.
• Plan workloads and coordinate work schedules with the Grounds Manager.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety and environmental standards.
• Maintain lawns, borders, vegetable plots, and water features; oversee irrigation systems.
• Manage volunteers and corporate groups, and support gardening staff.
• Lead on grounds compliance checks and document findings.

Skills

Leadership

Powered machinery

Garden maintenance

Job description

Lead Gardener SHG0304

Location: Worthing, Hove and Arundel

Vacancy Type: Full Time/Permanent

Pay Range: Grade 4 - £28,026 Pro rata for part time roles

Contracted Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Application Deadline: Sunday, October 4, 2026

Job Profile document

Job Summary

As a Lead Gardener at Southern Hospice Group, you will play a vital role in shaping and maintaining welcoming, peaceful outdoor environments that offer comfort, reflection, and calm for patients, families, and staff. Our hospice grounds provide a highly varied and rewarding setting, from propagation in the polytunnel to kitchen gardens, wildflower meadows, woodland walks, wildlife ponds, private contemporary patient gardens, and expansive green spaces.

In this role, you will take both a hands‑on and supervisory position, leading garden staff and volunteers while maintaining the highest horticultural standards across all areas. Your work will directly contribute to wellbeing, offering a strong sense of purpose, pride, and job satisfaction.

You will be responsible for planning and coordinating workloads, ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards, and working collaboratively with the Grounds Manager to deliver high‑quality outcomes. Alongside practical gardening duties, you will guide and support volunteers and corporate groups, creating a positive and well‑organised experience for everyone involved.

If you are an experienced gardener with strong leadership skills, a passion for horticulture, and a desire to make a meaningful difference, this is a rewarding opportunity to combine responsibility, creativity, and purpose.

You’ll be

• Supervising garden staff and volunteers, providing clear directions, guidance, and support to maintain high standards across all sites


• Able to carry out a full range of horticultural and grounds maintenance tasks independently, without the need for supervision or ongoing guidance


• Ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations


• Carrying out maintenance of lawns, flower and vegetable gardens, including watering, fertilizing, and caring for trees, shrubs, turf, and associated hard landscaping features such as irrigation systems and water features


• Managing teams of volunteers and corporate groups on a weekly basis, ensuring guidance and support are effectively provided, while also supporting gardening staff to deliver the same high standards of supervision and assistance


• Working with external suppliers


• Taking responsibility for the upkeep of garden sheds, workshops, tools, and machinery, overseeing garden staff to ensure high standards of cleanliness, organisation, and safety are consistently maintained


• Leading on grounds compliance checks, including daily and monthly playground inspections and routine water feature treatments, ensuring accurate documentation while overseeing and supporting garden staff to carry out these responsibilities effectively


• Identifying and treating pests, diseases, and plant health issues


• Reporting and updating the Grounds Manager with any progression or issues


• Responsible for seasonal growing, vegetables and plants


• Developing and coordinating work schedules for the gardening team, working closely with the Grounds Manager to incorporate wider operational input, set priorities, and ensuring tasks are allocated efficiently and effectively

Essential Experience

• Minimum of 1 years experience in gardening with expereince of powered garden machinery. A broad understanding of garden maintence is desireable


• Expereince of crops within a polytunnel, including planting, watering, feed and harvesting


• Team Leader or Supervising staff

Benefits

• Company pension scheme or NHS pension scheme for eligible employees


• Up to 35 days’ annual leave inclusive of bank holidays


• On-site education support and study leave opportunities


• Option to access Bupa and cover your everyday cost of healthcare for less


• Free parking, subsidised meals and various social activities


• Corporate rate gym membership, discounts with local complementary therapies and Blue Light Card


• Employee Assistance Programme


• Death in Service

Artificial intelligence (AI)

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for an Enhanced submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.