Head Gardener

This Head Gardener role offers the best elements of heritage gardening, with a strong nature focus too. You’ll get to lead a garden and its rich history with creativity and innovation, while advocating for the importance of accessible, beautiful, nature rich, urban green space.

The advertised salary of £40,000 is inclusive of the Outer London Weighting Allowance of £3,315 per annum. 

For an informal chat before applying, please contact: .uk

You’ll lead a team with three gardeners and 50+ volunteers ranging from those developing new skills, to passionate experts. A practical hands-on approach is required, working alongside these teams for approximately 60% of your week.

Ham House and Garden is amongst the most significant places in the Trust’s ownership. It is a rare 17th century survival, a place of exquisite symmetry and structure, a centre of pioneering collecting and design, telling stories of perilous political machinations and strong women. 

It’s also a property embracing innovation, relevance and future thinking, with the garden pioneering best practice in nature friendly, heritage gardening. From climate change mitigation and kitchen garden productivity to community working, Ham’s garden is always developing, all whilst holding ourselves to the highest standards of horticulture and presentation. 

Please see attached document for more information about Ham, the role and the Garden Team.

You’ll be ensuring presentation standards remain high, as well as further developing the seasonal variety throughout the garden to keep visitors coming back. We’re also about to embark on 10 year planning, so we’ll be looking at development projects to ensure our historic garden is fit for purpose in the face of the climate and nature crises and contributing towards our local community too.

We expect you to be really invested in your people, sharing your horticultural expertise and developing their skills too.

Collaboration across departments is also vital, and you’ll work closely with the Property Curator and Visitor Operations and Experience Manager to create and help deliver a cohesive and inspiring experience for our growing audiences.

Some bank holiday and weekend working is required as part of a site-wide Duty Management rota.

• An excellent leader, with experience and passion for sharing your knowledge and skills with volunteers, staff and wider teams
• An understanding of the importance of spirit of place in maintaining and developing a historic garden 
• Committed to climate conscious and sustainable gardening
• RHS Level 3 (or equivalent) as well as practical gardening/horticulture experience
• Enjoys a hands on, collaborative approach with the team
• Evidence of contribution towards interventions / programmes to enhance visitor engagement, drive visitors or deepen community connections 

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.