Head Gardener

Summerset Retirement Villages; Auckland; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Southern Cross Health Essentials

Birthday leave

Uniform provided

Job summary

Summerset Retirement Villages is seeking a dedicated Head Gardener for the Milldale village team. You will report to the Property Manager and work with our Gardener to maintain and enhance outdoor spaces, leading a small team and coordinating with village managers.

This full-time, Monday–Friday role emphasizes hands-on horticulture, strong organisation, and a passion for fostering a welcoming environment for residents and staff alike.

Qualifications

• Experience in gardening or landscaping.
• Passion for creating beautiful outdoor spaces and a warm, respectful approach to people.

Responsibilities

• Maintain high-quality gardens, lawns, courtyards and landscapes per Gardening and Landscaping Plan.
• Keep buildings, grounds and amenities clean, tidy and welcoming, including rubbish removal per local authority.
• Provide a professional, friendly presence for residents, families, visitors and staff.
• Lead and supervise garden staff and contractors, delegate tasks, train and mentor team members.
• Monitor and maintain records of resident garden entitlements, coordinate with Property and Village Managers on planning and budgets, and schedule irrigation upkeep.
• Oversee maintenance of garden tools and infrastructure.

Skills

Gardening experience

Leadership

Education

National certificate in horticulture (amenity) Level 4+

Job description

Full time

At Summerset, from the moment we start developing a village, to when our residents call it home, it’s the passion and dedication of our people that brings our villages to life. We are one team united by being part of something bigger - to bring the best of life to our residents.

Job Description

We're looking for a dedicated Head Gardener to bring life and colour to our Milldale village team. You'll report to the Property Manager and work alongside our Gardener to maintain and enhance our outdoor spaces.

This is a hands-on, varied role that calls for strong organisational skills, a good level of physical fitness, and a genuine love for people and plants. You'll take pride in creating beautiful environments and enjoy being part of a close-knit community.

Maintain high-quality gardens, lawns, courtyards and landscapes in line with the village’s Gardening and Landscaping Plan, applying best-practice horticultural standards and ensuring seasonal and long-term planning for all green spaces.

Keep buildings, grounds and amenities clean, tidy and welcoming, including managing rubbish removal in accordance with local authority requirements.

Provide a professional, friendly and welcoming presence for residents, families, visitors and staff at all times.

Lead and supervise garden staff and contractors by delegating tasks, training and mentoring team members, and ensuring consistently high horticultural standards.

Monitor and maintain accurate records of resident garden entitlements, manage agreed maintenance arrangements, collaborate with the Property and Village Managers on planning and budgets, and ensure efficient scheduling, irrigation upkeep and maintenance of tools and garden infrastructure.

This is a permanent role working Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 4.30pm.

Qualifications

You'll bring experience in gardening or landscaping and a relevant National certificate in horticulture (amenity) Level 4 or above and current Growsafe (standard) certificate. Though what truly sets you apart is your passion for creating beautiful outdoor spaces and your warm, respectful approach to people from all walks of life.

At Summerset, we believe diversity strengthens our team and enriches the care we provide. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and walks of life—including those with transferable skills from other industries. You may not tick all the requirements, and that's okay; we value what you bring to the table and look at the whole individual. We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported to thrive.

Equal opportunity is at the heart of how we recruit, and we encourage you to bring your unique perspective and passion to our team.

Additional Information

Summerset's known for its excellent benefits and strong sense of values around care, teamwork and drive for excellence. With some of the best benefits in the sector, some of these include:

• Southern Cross Health Essentials
• Birthday leave
• Uniform provided