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Assistant Head Gardener

Employer
National Trust
Location
TN22 3QX, Uckfield
Salary
27,191 pa
Closing date
10 Oct 2018

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Function
Gardening Jobs

Job Details

We're looking for an Assistant Head Gardener who can inspire confidence in the team, adapt quickly to new ways of working and apply their technical knowledge to a range of different tasks and lead on small projects. If you're up to the challenge, then we want to hear from you!


What it's like to work here

Widely regarded as a horticultural masterpiece, the elegant landscaped gardens at Sheffield Park are alive with colour and wildlife. Four lakes and gorgeous views make this picturesque location to work in. Family-friendly events are a key part of the visitor experience at Sheffield Park, and welcome people with plenty of shared ideas and energy to join us. This is a great opportunity to become part of a supportive and close-knit team in a place you’ll love working.

There is water everywhere - a series of interlinked man-made lakes display mesmerizing reflections of the trees and shrubs around the park. Explore over 100 acres of traditional landscape gardens originally laid out by Capability Brown and Humphry Repton in the 18th Century.

 

What you'll be doing

Green fingered and hands-on with people management experience, you’ll assist in making sure that Sheffield Park is maintained to a high standard and be passionate and enthused by plants. This role will include a range of practical horticultural tasks to develop, enhance and conserve the garden and contribute to the delivery of projects. You’ll be responsible for managing the garden team and volunteers on a daily basis and must be confident in maintaining a high level of horticultural standards, prioritising workloads across the garden and thinking about the bigger picture and vision for the garden.

You’ll love working outdoors and understand that our gardens and grounds are as significant as our mansion houses and our historical places. Our visitors tell us how much they enjoy the peace and tranquillity of our well-kept outdoor spaces, which makes your role vital in making sure they have an amazing experience. You’ll also manage our garden volunteers and support and help them to make the most of their time here.

You'll interact with the public on a daily basis, answering their many questions, lead gardening workshops and tours, and help set up events when needed.

 

Who we're looking for

We're looking for someone who is creative and thinks outside the box, and who can help share our magical story with visitors and supporters of all ages and backgrounds. In order to be successful in this role you’ll have:

  • An eye for detail and experience working with collections of rare and unusual plants
  • Experience managing teams of gardeners and volunteers
  • A love for sharing your knowledge and experience with volunteers, staff and team
  • RHS Level 3 (or equivalent) as well as practical gardening/horticulture experience
  • An excellent understanding of horticultural techniques and plant identification
  • Experience of using garden machinery

 

The package

Looking after you

  • Health cash plan – from as little as £3.09 per month for you and your dependents
  • Pension contribution match up to 10%
  • EAP and proactive Health and Wellbeing
  • Discounted gym membership

Looking after your career

  • Grow your career through professional training courses across the Trust
  • Develop your skills with an internal secondment
  • Pay review linked to values and behaviours, commitment to progression
  • Income protection due to illness

Unique to Us

  • Work in some of the most beautiful, iconic and unique locations in the UK
  • Free entry to NT properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
  • 20% off in our Retail and Food & Beverage outlets
  • Discount up to 35% off a National Trust holiday cottage booking

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Company

There's no other organisation like the National Trust. No other organisation that brings such an amazing variety of places and spaces to life.

We are a charity founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, three people who saw the importance of our nation’s heritage and open spaces, and wanted to protect them for everyone to enjoy. More than a century after we were founded, our values are still at the heart of everything we do. And we do a lot more than you might think. 

We welcome some 22.5 million visitors, from all ages and backgrounds, every year. We care for historic houses, gardens, mills, forests, castles, miles of coastline, islands, holiday cottages, pubs and inns, whole villages and even a goldmine. We also run a huge retail chain, a multi-million pound food and beverage business and much, much more. And we do all of this so that everyone can enjoy and make the most of the green spaces and beautiful places that England, Wales and Northern Ireland has to offer. 

The National Trust is described by its employee gardeners as “dynamic, supportive, inquisitive and fun”, where its beautiful places “lift your spirits naturally” and “somewhere you can expand new skills”. The organisation is currently recruiting for a number of gardening roles. 

Read more in our latest Wonderful Workplaces articles:

Do you have the vision to transform our outdoor spaces for the future?

What makes the National Trust a special place to work?

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