Location: Highgrove Gardens, Doughton, Gloucestershire, GL8 8TQ
Department: Gardening
Reports to: Senior Gardener
Salary: TBC, dependent on experience
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Job Summary
To work as an integral and effective part of the Garden Team at Highgrove, ensuring that high horticultural and presentation standards are maintained at all times.
Main Areas of Responsibility
- Carry out practical horticultural tasks such as; mowing, hedge cutting, weeding, mulching, planting, leaf clearing etc.
- Maintain high horticultural and presentation standards ensuring that the expectations of His Majesty and the visitors are met.
- Ensure organic and sustainability standards are met.
- To undertake and assist with the seasonal maintenance in; mixed borders, pot work, ornamental hedges, leaf clearing, grass cutting, vegetable garden, topiary etc.
- Assist the Senior Gardeners with the planning of maintenance routines, day-to-day tasks and report on progress.
- Supervise volunteers, work experience staff and trainees and at times other gardeners.
- Ensure that all tools and machinery are correctly used, maintained and stored.
- Comply with all Health and Safety rules and regulations, including taking responsibility for own health and safety and reasonable care for others’ health and safety, to include the safe and compliant use of all garden machinery.
- Partake in CPD opportunities to enhance your role.
Essential Criteria
- Previous practical experience in a high quality garden open to the public (3+ years)
- NVQ Level 2 or higher or equivalent level of vocational experience/training in amenity horticulture
- Full, manual driving licence
- Excellent plant identification and maintenance knowledge
- Competent in the use and care for a wide range of machinery and equipment
- Experience working in a range of horticultural settings such as ornamental borders, meadow, arboretum and vegetable garden
- Understand current health and safety legislation
- Good oral and written communication skills
- Good organisational skills and the proven ability to prioritise own work;
- Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times and exercise discretion
Desirable Criteria
- Range of machinery certificates
- Experience of working to organic principles
Hours of Work
40 hours per week plus extra weekend watering and operational duties that are required on a rota / seasonal basis.
Additional Information
This job involves strenuous physical activity including soil cultivation, plant establishment, maintenance and the use of a range of powered machinery.
Applications
Please submit a completed Application Form along with a cover letter and CV, to the following email address: hr.recruitment@kings-foundation.org.
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Highgrove Gardens
Highgrove Gardens is a highly renowned garden, described as one of the most inspiring and innovative gardens in the UK. Since 1980, the gardens have been managed organically and include a variety of garden features and areas, including a walled kitchen garden, a thyme walk, topiary and hedging, a terrace garden, a cottage garden, wildflower meadows, island beds, an arboretum, a woodland garden, and various water features.
The King's Foundation
The King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III and was first formed in 1990. Inspired by the vision and values of His Majesty, the Foundation focuses on creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony.
The charity offers education courses for over 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people every year, and spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.
The King’s Foundation is headquartered at its flagship regeneration project, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and acts as custodian of other historic Royal sites including the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland, and Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire, which are open to visitors. The Foundation also carries out its work at educational and cultural hubs in London, based at The King’s Foundation School for Traditional Arts in Shoreditch, Trinity Buoy Wharf on the River Thames and the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea.
The work of The King’s Foundation is underpinned by our Founder His Majesty The King’s philosophy of harmony: that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future. We have a diverse and inclusive workplace, creating a welcoming, safe space for everyone. This means that every member of our team can bring their whole self to work. We encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to and join The King’s Foundation and bring their valuable skills and experiences.
The Foundation is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees, including the provision of workplace adjustments. We do not tolerate discrimination based on protected characteristics (age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership) or other differences such as socio-economic background or social origin.
