Head Gardener

7 months ago

Oxford, United Kingdom Balliol College Full time

**Salary**: 28,759-£33,966 plus discretionary points up to £37,099 (Grade 5) per annum
**Contract Type**:Full-time, permanent
**Location**: Balliol College, Oxford
**Department**:Gardens
**Responsible to**:Domestic Bursar; Gardens Committee
**Responsible for**: Two gardening staff, apprentice, and contractors
**Hours**: 37.5 hours per week. Whilst the normal working hours are 8.00 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday, work outside of these hours may occasionally be required for which time-off in lieu will be granted.
**Start Date**: As soon as possible

**Balliol College**

Balliol was founded in 1263 and is now one of the larger Oxford colleges, with about 400 undergraduates and a similar number of graduates in residence at any one time. The College takes academic work very seriously, but visitors are generally struck by the informal and friendly feel of the place. The College occupies a historic site in the middle of Oxford.

Balliol is a constituent college of the University of Oxford and employs some 80 fellows, 50 lecturers and around 170 non-academic staff with Dame Helen Ghosh as its current Master. The gardens are maintained by a core team of Head Gardener and two further gardeners, with occasional support from contractors. Balliol College also maintains a Sports Ground; this is managed separately to the gardening team.

**The Gardens and Grounds**

As well as the well-known location on Broad St, there are a further four satellite sites of the College which are the responsibility of the Head Gardener and his/her team: the gardens of Holywell Manor Graduate Centre, the beds and landscaping of the College’s residential buildings of Jowett Walk and the Master’s Field, the gardens of King’s Mound, a Victorian house owned by Balliol, and occasional care to Balliol’s Nursery, located in North Oxford. Glasshouses are also located in North Oxford for plant propagation.

**Role Description**:
Reporting to the Domestic Bursar, the Head Gardener will be responsible for maintaining and creating beautiful & biodiverse gardens across all of Balliol’s sites. This is a wonderful opportunity to be actively involved in renewing gardens in historic & modern sites across Oxford. The gardens are a vibrant part of Balliol, ensuring beauty and tranquillity in our green spaces for all who study, teach, work and visit our College. We are looking for someone who is committed to biodiversity, championing our aspiration to enable greater biodiversity and renewal of nature in centre of Oxford.

**Key Responsibilities**

Garden Development and Maintenance
- Recommend and design new areas or redevelopment of existing areas, in consultation with the Domestic Bursar and Garden Committee.
- Ensure the garden and grounds are kept and presented to the very highest standards.
- Choose and source plants for all areas of the gardens, ensuring interest throughout the year.
- Develop programmes of work to maintain, conserve and renew borders, trees, herbaceous and climbing plants.
- Manage the tree population including carrying out regular tree inspections both on and off site and ensuring that a Tree Survey is in place.
- Work collaboratively with students, fellows, faculty, staff to ensure smooth running of activities, events, and daily life at Balliol.
- Organise and respond to ad-hoc garden maintenance requests.

Management
- Manage a small team of committed gardeners, ensuring a positive environment for all members of staff. Carry out regular review and appraisal, along with ongoing training and development.
- Manage an annual gardens budget, proactively monitoring income and expenditure.
- To project manage enhancements to the gardens which have been approved by the Garden Committee.
- Support the training of an apprentice horticulturalist when trainee is in post.

Health and Safety
- To ensure all staff in the garden/grounds are trained and competent in the use of machinery and equipment.
- Ensure that adherence to all Health and Safety legislation, keeping records such as Risk Assessments, COSHH Assessments, Safe working procedures, Spray Records and machine maintenance records, First Aid, Manual Handling and safe use of pesticides.
- To be a member of the College Health & Safety Committee.

Other Duties
- To undertake any other duties, consistent with the purpose of the post, as may from time to time be assigned by the Domestic Bursar.
- Ensure that all machinery is in good working order and arrange repairs and regular servicing by a horticultural engineer. Research and advise upon the purchase and hire of additional machinery.

**Person Specification**

Essential
- Imagination and creative flair in the development of gardens in the development and maintenance of the gardens.
- A positive and pro-active approach with a strong sense of initiative.
- Professional qualifications of NVQ Level 2 Horticulture or equivalent qualification.
- Detailed knowledge of plants, planting, cultivation, pruning of shrubs and flowering plants

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