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Senior Gardener

Employer
National Trust
Location
TN16 1PS
Salary
24,075 pa
Closing date
14 Jun 2019

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Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Function
Gardening Jobs

Job Details

An exciting opportunity to join the garden team here at Chartwell. The Chartwell team work within the Chartwell Portfolio which also cares for Emmetts Garden, West Kent Countryside and Quebec House and whilst you will be based at Chartwell however, from time to time there will be exciting opportunities to work on shared work days within the Garden and Countryside team across the portfolio.

 

What it's like to work here

Chartwell was the much-loved Churchill family home and the place from which Sir Winston drew inspiration from 1924 until the end of his life. Many of the rooms remain the same as when the Churchill family lived at Chartwell and today it is our job to share the stories of their lives here as well as care for this much-loved home and their cherished possessions. The team at Chartwell ensure that visitors have a great time at this property, and create events to delve further into the life of Sir Winston Churchill.   What you'll be doing

Your role will be to support our Assistant Head Gardener in the day to day management of the garden team. You'll line manage an Assistant Gardener and Apprentice in the care, maintenance and development of the gardens here to the highest horticultural standards.You'll work in all areas of the garden and you'll also lead with the care, maintenance and development of the garden at Quebec House in Westerham,which is within the Chartwell Portfolio and is a beautiful town house garden.

From time to time you'll deputise for the Assistant Head Gardener at Chartwell in their absence, leading the team on various projects.  The relationship between the Assistant Head Gardener and Senior Gardener is extremely important to the success of Chartwell Garden and the wider outdoor portfolio.Through the season you'll lead with a variety of tasks from growing produce to maintaining lawns. You'll support the delivery of projects including two active projects,which seek to fully restore Chartwell Gardens over the forthcoming years.  As well as these projects there is the day to work which includes anything from annual rose pruning through to pricking out seedlings.  The visitor experience is an extremely important aspect of the role, and as Senior Gardener you will be driving an improved experience for our visitors here. 

We also have two additional projects, one to expand our composting facilities at Chartwell and another to create and open a plant quarantine area. You'll support with the delivery of these and will be required to support with the delivery of the tasks on the garden management plan. This will require restoring borders and ordering new plantings in peat free compost, amongst many more exciting items of work.

An important aspect of the role will be to fully support with operational risk and compliance tasks, and supporting the careful spend of the Outdoor budgets.  You will be expected to undertake risk assessments, chemical assessments, work place inspections, maintain machinery and equipment. It is anticipated that the role will be 30% office based and 70% working outdoors, this will be flexible as different weeks and months require different levels of prioritisation which is a key skill requirement.

There will be an expectation that you will work weekends, bank holidays and some evenings on a rota basis.

 

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
  • Supervisory experience overseeing 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

Benefits

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

Benefits include flexible working whenever possible plus free parking at most locations. You’ll be entitled to discounts in high street stores and cinemas, National Trust shops and NT cafes, and have free entry to NT properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18).

Your health and wellbeing is important to us and is supported through generous annual leave and the option to buy additional days (minimum contract length applies), a cycle to work scheme, subsidised health cash plan and confidential access to a free support service 24 hours a day should you need it.

Your future financial health is helped by an employer matched - up to 10% of basic salary - contributory pension scheme and you can further your career with training and development tailored to you.

All of this and the opportunity to give something back to your community with up to 5 days of paid volunteering per year!

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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 articles:

What makes the National Trust a special place to work?

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