Summary

Shaw's Corner was once the countryside retreat of famed Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and his wife, Charlotte. Their garden was their refuge, with a little bit of everything. The main lawn is now used for picnics and events, the orchard provides beauty on a spring afternoon, and the small dell adds a touch of theatre with the statue of St Joan looking across the Hertfordshire countryside. Most importantly, the small writing hut at the bottom of the garden provided Bernard with a place to write in peace, surrounded by the birdsong he loved so much.

What it's like to work here

We are a small team of staff and volunteers looking after the home of George Bernard Shaw who are dedicated to presenting the house and gardens to the public.

We hope to reopen the garden in 2021 for the first time since March 2020. Current working days are Monday to Wednesday with some weekend and Bank Holiday working required during the open season.

What you'll be doing

You’ll love working outdoors and understand that our gardens and grounds are as significant as our mansion houses, collections 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 our visitors have an amazing experience.

We don’t just need you to manage our beautiful gardens, although this is an important part of the role; we’d like you to help manage the team too. As the Senior Gardener in our team, we’d like you to lead by example, with exceptional gardening skills, but you’ll also understand how to manage the workload for this team, and deliver exceptional training to new staff and volunteers.

Please also read the full role profile attached to this advert.

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 for working at the National Trust:

• Flexible working whenever possible

• Free parking at most locations

• Discounts in high street stores, cinemas, National Trust properties and cafes.

• Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

• Generous annual leave

• Subsidised health cash plan

• Free 24-hour support service

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

• Training & Development tailored to you

• Up to 5 days of paid volunteering for you.