Head Gardener

**Job Title**: Head Gardener

**Job Type**: Full-time, Permanent, Mon-Fri

**Location**: Central Brighton, UK

**Salary**: £28,000 - £30,000 to reflect experience and suitability

We are seeking an experienced Head Gardener to oversee the maintenance and development of a Historic Grade 2 listed garden in Central Brighton.

Kemp Town Enclosures is a private communal garden, owned collectively by the freeholders of the houses that make up the Kemp Town Estate, developed in the 1820s by Thomas Reed Kemp, consisting of Sussex Square, Lewes Crescent, Chichester Terrace and Arundel Terrace.

**Requirements**:

- RHS Level 2 or above qualification, and proven experience in managing a large garden or estate, with a strong understanding of horticulture and plant care.
- Knowledge of seaside/chalk gardening an advantage. There is a variety of areas, with herbaceous/ shrub borders, chalk wildflower meadows, woodland, open lawns and hedges.
- Knowledge of garden design and landscaping, with experience in planning and implementing new projects.
- Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to manage a team effectively.
- Good organizational and planning skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and work to a schedule.
- A keen eye for detail, with a commitment to ensuring that the garden is always presented to the highest standard.

**Responsibilities**:
The role is a mixture of managing and supervising, combined with hands on practical gardening. The Head Gardener is assisted by, and responsible for, 2 part-time gardeners and a group of once-weekly volunteers. You must be able to communicate with residents and respond to enquiries as the friendly and approachable face of the garden.

You will also be responsible for reporting to the KTE board, keeping the Board informed with monthly garden reports, and report for yearly AGM.

**Tasks include**:

- Maintaining borders, weeding, pruning, redesigning and replacing plants as necessary.
- Maintaining the hedges and shrubs, cutting and pruning where necessary.
- Maintaining lawns, including wildflower lawns. This includes continuing to develop sustainable and ecologically beneficial ways of lawn maintenance
- Tree maintenance, calling in tree surgeons when necessary and arranging tree surveys.
- Organise servicing of machinery and checking tools and equipment are maintained in good working order and replaced when necessary.
- Organise deliveries of supplies for the garden including compost, gravel, and managing waste removal etc
- Communicate with contractors, getting quotes, arranging access to the gardens etc
- Awareness of Health and Safety
- Recruitment of new gardeners.
- Reporting any issues of concern that arise in the garden to the office or the Board
- Awareness of the sometimes conflicting demands of developing biodiversity with ecological gardening methods while respecting the history of a 200 year old garden.

This is a unique opportunity for an individual with a passion for horticulture to manage a stunning garden and to work with a dedicated team to ensure that it is kept to the highest standards.

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

**Salary**: £28,000.00-£30,000.00 per year

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 31/03/2023
Reference ID: KTE Head Gardener
Expected start date: 12/06/2023