Skilled Gardener - Estates
Richmond Park, Surrey
The Organisation
The Royal Parks (TRP) is a charity created in March 2017. We manage over 5,000 acres of diverse parkland, rare habitats and historic buildings and monuments in eight Royal Parks across London. These are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park, St James's Park, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park.
We also manage other important public spaces including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens. Our eight Royal Parks and other iconic green spaces are among the most visited attractions in the UK with 77 million visits every year.
We are now looking for a Skilled Gardener to join us in Richmond Park on a full-time, permanent basis, working 40 hours per week.
The Benefits
- Salary of £27,990 per annum, depending on experience
- 26 days' annual leave plus public holidays, increasing to 29 days after 3 years' service (pro rata)
- Pension scheme (3% employee contribution; up to 10% employer contribution)
- Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan
- Employee assistance programme and access to mental health first aiders
- Learning and development opportunities
- Cycle to work scheme
- Offices in a beautiful location
If you're a qualified horticulturist with practical experience and a working knowledge of gardening machinery, this is an unparalleled opportunity to become part of our prestigious organisation.
Embark on a fulfilling journey where your efforts will play a crucial role in preserving and enhancing the natural splendour of one of the UK's most renowned green spaces.
Beyond this, you'll champion biodiversity and promote sustainable gardening practices in Richmond Park, a haven for diverse wildlife, historic landscapes, a National Nature Reserve, and one of London's largest sites of special scientific interest!
So, if you're passionate about maintaining and elevating Richmond Park's gardens and landscapes, we'd love to welcome you to our team.
The Role
As a Skilled Gardener, you will be responsible for the care, cultivation, and maintenance of Richmond Park's 2500 acres of gardens and landscapes.
Delivering practical conservation work and general maintenance tasks, you will protect and enhance the park's conservation status, undertaking repairs and renewals of estate infrastructure, ensuring all park facilities are safe and well-maintained.
You will be tasked with mowing, hedge-cutting, plant care, and tree establishment activities for allocated garden areas, as well as providing guidance and mentorship to apprentices and volunteers, contributing to their training and development by sharing your expertise.
Additionally, you will:
- Operate and maintain countryside machinery and equipment safely
- Assist with winter maintenance tasks, including road gritting and snow removal
- Implement and promote sustainable gardening practices to enhance biodiversity
- Engage with park visitors, providing information and ensuring their safety and enjoyment
- Collaborate with the Estates Team to participate in planning and programming of work
About You
To be considered as a Skilled Gardener, you will need:
- Demonstrable practical horticultural experience
- The ability to safely operate a range of routine garden machinery, including ride-on mowers, tractors, hedge-cutters, strimmers and leaf blowers
- Knowledge of workplace health and safety
- Good plant knowledge, particularly around shrubs, herbaceous and bulbous plants
- Working knowledge of horticultural plant and machinery operations
- A formal horticultural qualification, such as an NVQ Level 2 in amenity horticulture or RHS (or equivalent experience)
- A full, valid driving licence
We want to put everyone in the best possible position to succeed and use Recite-me accessibility software. At the top of the application page, there is an "Accessibility Tools" button which you can use to complete the application form in a way that works for you. If you think that you may need more support to complete our application process, please do get in touch.
Other organisations may call this role Gardener, Horticulturalist, Parkland Gardener, Groundskeeper, Conservation Gardener, Gardening and Conservation Officer, or Park Maintenance Gardener.
The Royal Parks is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.
So, if you are interested in this unique opportunity as a Skilled Gardener, please apply via the button shown. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.