Head Gardener

Head Gardener

The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, London

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 Head Gardener to join us on a full-time, permanent basis.

The Benefits

• Salary of £32,666 – £36,921 per annum, depending on experience
• 26 days’ annual leave plus public holidays, increasing to 29 days after 3 years’ service
• Pension scheme (3% employee contribution; up to 10% employer contribution)
• Hybrid/agile working options
• 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

This is an incredible opportunity for a skilled, passionate and qualified horticulturist with
an excellent leadership style and a strong grasp of H&S to join our renowned organisation.

In this critical role, you’ll have the chance to work in breathtaking surroundings as you
manage horticulture across two of our most recognisable parks, The Regent’s Park and Primrose
Hill. From the vibrant floral displays of Queen Mary’s Gardens to the sweeping views of
Primrose Hill, you will contribute to a legacy of conservation, sustainability and community
engagement.

With the second largest footprint after Richmond Park, The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill are
considered some of the highest quality gardens in the Royal Parks’ portfolio and include a wide
range of habitats and wildlife species.

So, if you’re ready to take the lead in some of London’s most prestigious green spaces and make
a lasting impact, we’d love to hear from you!

The Role

As our Head Gardener, you will lead the delivery of high-quality horticultural maintenance and
conservation projects across The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill.

You will oversee the Horticultural Resource Team and volunteers, ensuring the effective
maintenance and enhancement of key horticultural features, including a newly established
two-acre public garden.

Supporting the Assistant Park Manager in implementing landscape management plans, you will plan
and deliver horticultural maintenance, ensuring the highest presentation standards, and
overseeing seasonal and permanent planting schemes.

Engaging closely with apprentices and volunteers, you will provide guidance and training to
enhance their development, while also working collaboratively with contractors and other teams
to support landscape projects and maintenance activities.

Additionally, you will:

• Manage plant records
• Support biodiversity and sustainability initiatives
• Manage horticultural volunteers
• Oversee the procurement and maintenance of horticultural tools, PPE, and sustainable
  resources
• Assist in planning and delivering community and corporate volunteer days

About You

To be considered as our Head Gardener, you will need:

• Practical horticultural experience, ideally in a public park or publicly accessible garden
• Good knowledge of Health & Safety in the workplace
• Good knowledge of horticultural plant and machinery operations
• Excellent plant knowledge
• Excellent leadership, motivational and communication skills
• A formal horticultural qualification e.g. National Certificate in Horticulture, National
  Diploma, NVQ Level 3 (amenity horticulture) or RHS, or equivalent experience with a minimum of
  three years’ leading teams
• A full, valid driving licence

Other organisations may call this role Head Groundskeeper, Estate Grounds Manager, Grounds
Maintenance Manager, Lead Gardener, Senior Horticulturist, or Landscape Manager.

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.

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.
Please visit our website to find out more on our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

So, if you are interested in this unique opportunity as a Head Gardener, please apply via the
button shown. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.