Head Gardener

**Salary negotiable upon experience.**

**This position is for 5 days a week, 9.00am-5.00pm. Plus additional ON CALL OVERTIME. ( discussed at interview) 37.5 hours per week**
- Debden Grange is an age-exclusive Retirement Village in Newport, Essex. It compromises of 17 cottages & 64 apartments, grounds, and a clubhouse that includes a restaurant, bar, library, snooker room and shop._

**Role Overview**: Responsibility for establishing well managed and maintained grounds and gardens, working alongside the Facilities Manager to recommend l requisite tasks to maintaining attractive, well cared for grounds and gardens. Your range of tasks include design and planning, planting and growing plants from seed, purchasing plants, managing pests and keeping the areas generally well maintained.

**Key responsibilities**
- Customer Service_
- To foster and maintain good relationships with the residents and to encourage the same level of relationships with any outside contractors.
- Facilitate grounds and gardens community planning with resident group.
- To deliver the highest standards of customer service within the Village.
- To always provide the highest standards of grounds and gardens.
- To maintain confidentiality of residents, families and staff.
- To participate in Resident and sales events.
- Gardens, Grounds & Landscaping _
- To ensure that all open areas of the grounds, including grassed areas, beds, woodlands, boundary fences, roadways, paths, and paved areas are properly maintained to a high standard.
- Develop and manage the agreed annual grounds and gardening plan in carried out to an agreed standard
- Regularly inspect any garden structures
- Liaise with local contractors as an when required ie: Tree surgeons, horticultural experts and landscapers.
- To undertake monthly inspections of the grounds and gardens with the Facilities Manager to drive improvements.
- To report immediately any defects or faults which may compromise the safety of residents and staff, and without referral be responsible for treating roads and pathways with salt/grit when necessary, during winter months, when on-call.
- To act in the best interests of the company to assist in property sales and the whole re-sale process where residents or their relatives are seeking to assign the lease of their property.
- To report any faulty or damaged equipment or machinery to the Facilities Manager.
- To manage and maintain gardening supplies and equipment.
- To establish and oversee the Kitchen Garden (including herb garden)
- Establish and manage a potting shed to propagate seedlings and plants for the village - Guide the team on the regular cutting of fresh flowers for the public areas within the clubhouse.
- To follow RV on the Village Sustainability Working Group
- Take ownership and drive the composting, recycling and water wise programmers within the village
- Co-ordinate and manage regular talks and interactive workshop with the residents
- Finance _
- In conjunction with the Facilities Manager, to prepare and monitor the annual grounds maintenance budgets for the Village.
- Provide knowledge, input and advise into annual grounds budgets.
- Health & Safety _
- To ensure the provision of a safe environment for Residents, staff and visitors.
- To comply with all legislative requirements and local and Companywide policies and procedures relating to Health and Safety at Work.
- Ensure safe storage of any chemicals.
- To use the correct products and equipment as instructed by the manufacturers
- To work collaboratively with any consultants appointed by Retirement Villages to provide advice and guidance on Health and Safety matters.
- To ensure the adequate recording and reporting of Health and Safety at Work in line with Company policies and Procedures and with any statutory requirements.

This job description indicates only the main duties and responsibilities of the post. It is not intended as an exhaustive list. We reserve the right to amend this job description from time to time, according to business needs. Any changes will be confirmed to you.
- Experience in this type of job role - minimum of 2 years
- Requisite knowledge of the tools, equipment, and materials common to the trade
- Practical knowledge of plants plus experience and using general garden machinery.
- To demonstrate knowledge of applicable codes, standards, and regulations for this role
- Genuine desire to serve the needs of customers with a strong personal responsibility for achieving customer satisfaction
- Excellent analytical, interpersonal, organisational and communication skills.
- Project management skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- A mature outlook, initiative and the ability to organise own workload and good all round hands-on practical skills.
- **Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

Schedule:

- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
- Overtime

Work Location: One location