Grounds Maintenance Craft Gardener

Highdown Gardens Craft Gardener

Post No: 40867

Salary: Starting from £22,571 to £24,920 per annum

Grade: Grade 4

Hours: 37 hours per week 

Place of work: Highdown Gardens

Closing Date: 16th May 2022, 23:55pm

A unique opportunity to work in our ‘unique chalk garden’ has arisen for a Craft Gardener to join our award winning Highdown Gardens team. You will be looking after our living library of rare plants and trees nestled on the Southdowns north of Worthing in West Sussex. This is a listed public garden created over 100 years ago by the plant collector Sir Frederick Stern. The successful candidates will provide skills and expertise to help maintain and deliver horticultural excellence at Highdown Gardens

It is essential that you hold a college diploma in horticulture or provide evidence of equivalent knowledge.  

The successful candidate will be physically fit, have experience of maintaining herbaceous borders, woody shrubs, climbers and trees, and must have attention to detail in spotting and controlling pests and diseases. 

Following on a large heritage lottery restoration investment, the gardens now offer a wide range of activities including guided tours and educational activities. The successful candidate will be part of that opportunity to share our passion for horticulture and social history with the public.

An interest in sustainability is also becoming increasingly important to the role as we evolve our planting schemes and general practice to be more sustainable and adapt to the changing climate. This includes wildflower areas, water harvesting, pest & disease control, composting and feeding.

You will be expected to be skilled and experienced in the use of various powered machinery and will be expected to work outdoors throughout the year as well as carry out some basic administrative tasks.  You will have a positive approach to working and take pride in the work that we do.  You will be able to demonstrate high standards of behaviour and professionalism in dealing with the public.

Does this sound like you? 

For an informal discussion about this post, contact Gwenn Parker-Tregoat, Custodian of Highdown Gardener at gwenn.parker-tregoat@adur-worthing.gov.uk  

Staff are our most important asset and we therefore have a benefit package which reflects our continuing commitment to our employees.  This includes:

• Generous leave entitlement; a minimum of 25 days + Bank Holiday entitlement

• Local Government Pension

• Training & development

• Occupational Health

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Flexible working options

We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. Staff work in a supportive and safe environment, recognising their responsibility to value and respect each other’s contributions. Standards of conduct must be of the highest level to ensure that no-one is harassed, bullied or victimised. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, staff engagement forums and are keen to hear from applicants from a variety of different backgrounds.