If you want a career in Gardening, we can offer you some of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the UK to work in as well as one of the largest plant collections in Europe.

What it's like to work here

The country home of Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Hughenden Manor is an impressive red brick mansion surrounded by rolling parkland. The team manages a visionary visitor experience, which has won awards for its forward-thinking approach to display and storytelling. Hughenden Manor is situated a short distance from High Wycombe and local transport links are excellent.

Perched on a hilltop, the country home delivers historic vistas of the surrounding woodland and valleys that come into their own. Its tree-filled pleasure gardens are a mosaic of colour, with the rich golds and reds of the beech trees contrasting to the lush evergreens.  

What you'll be doing  

At Hughenden we have several exciting projects for the garden which we would like to you to lead; the research and design of the pleasure ground planting schemes to restore it to its former glory and add in an extra layer of winter interest to the garden, scent, colour and delight being the key elements we are hoping to include. We have a fantastic walled garden which has lost its sense of purpose and you will have the task of bringing it to life for our visitors and providing some produce to our café. We are also looking to improve our facilities for our younger audiences which we would ask you to contribute to the planning and implementation.

Our National Strategies will involve the gardens including planning programmes with the V.E teams for health and well being using the gardens,adding to our healthy beautiful natural environment programmes, enhancing the possible areas of the gardens to complement this. We are also planning working more closely with our visitors to increase our diversity of appeal and include audiences who may not have visited us before; you will work closely with the whole property teams on this.

You will line manage a part time assistant gardener and an enthusiastic band of volunteers and be responsible for the operational and project budgets for the garden.

You will be part of a large regional gardens team and will attend regular training and meetings lead by the gardens consultancy. CPD is provided both regionally and nationally which we emphasis as part of the career development available in the National Trust and would be supportive of your training needs to further your career with us. You will be a key member of the portfolio team and the gardens custodian and advocate.

Who we're looking for

To be successful in this role you should be able to demonstrate the following:

• Significant practical experience in horticulture supported by relevant qualifications

• Have supervisory experience from a similar role

• Excellent knowledge of plants

• Competent with the use and maintenance of garden machinery including chainsaws, tractors, hedge trimmers, pedestrian and ride on mowers

• Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation and practice

The package

Benefits

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!