Buckingham Palace hiring Gardens Manager for historic landscapes - starting salary & how to apply

 Buckingham Palace is looking for a Gardens Manager to tend one of the most beautiful private royal gardens in the country.
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Buckingham Palace is on the lookout for a Gardens Manager to oversee one of the most beautiful private royal gardens in the country. The candidate will be in charge of the gardens, which have been described as "a walled paradise in the centre of London," with a starting salary between £38,000 and £40,000.

The permanent position, which has been listed on The Royal Household website, is for 39 hours a week, Monday through Sunday. It said the role will entail “caring for the gardens that thousands will admire”, as well as “developing others whilst growing your own skills” at “the heart of a world famous institution.”

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As a Gardens Manager, the successful candidate will also be responsible for the maintenance and presentation of the Buckingham Palace Gardens and its surrounding areas to an “exceptional standard.”

The advertisement said: “Leading a dedicated and talented team, you’ll use your skills and expertise to deliver all important lawn maintenance and the caring for shrub, herbaceous and rose borders. You’ll relish the challenge of ensuring our gardens are presented to the highest standards and take pride in watching thousands of people enjoying them each year at Garden parties.

“But you won’t just be looking to conserve the status quo. You’ll also be instrumental in shaping the future of the Gardens. With a commitment to horticulture, you’ll be focused on delivering on our projects to conserve and enhance our gardens’ rich biodiversity.

“As a People and Project Manager with responsibility for the overall operation of the gardens, you’ll ensure the team are adequately resourced and developing their skills and expertise, whilst keeping an eye on budget and compliant with horticultural and H&S regulations. If you’re as passionate about plants as you are about people then this role will inspire you to deliver.”

Buckingham Palace’s Gardens Manager - job requirements

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The successful candidate will be an expert in horticulture management, supported with a relevant qualification (such as HND, ND / NVQ 3 or RHS Level 3 or even a Botanic Diploma in Horticulture). They will also have significant experience managing a team,  keen to use their knowledge to develop others and introduce apprenticeship and training opportunities.

If you have previous experience maintaining a high quality landscape garden by utilising your team, ideally within a historic environment - meaning you will have excellent knowledge of lawn maintenance, and cultivating a broad range of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants - this could be the job for you.

The Rose Garden at Buckingham Palace.The Rose Garden at Buckingham Palace.
The Rose Garden at Buckingham Palace.

But that’s not all,  candidates also need to be able to demonstrate a range of horticultural craft skills and be well-equipped to use the wide range of existing garden machinery, including rotary machines and large mowers. Ideally holding a clean UK driving licence, the candidate will also be confident driving a lorry as part of the duties.

The gardener who lands the job will be entitled to benefits including a 15% employer contribution pension scheme, training and development, as well the use of a range of catering and recreational facilities.

Visit the Royal Household website to apply before the closing date on November 3 at 11.55pm.

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