IRC163853 - Gardener

 Responsible for day-to-day maintenance, and the highest standards of horticulture, you’ll also play a vital role in improving the experience of visitors to the garden and wider estate. 

You may be asked to work occasional weekends, bank holidays and evenings.

This is a fixed term contract due to end when the postholder returns to the role.  At this point we cannot confirm exactly how long this contract will last, but it's unlikely to be more than 12-months. 

What it's like to work here

Castle Ward is a unique 18th Century mansion famed for its mixture of architectural styles and interiors. The mansion house is surrounded by parkland and woodland habitats and sits on the shores of Strangford Lough, and has 24km of trails throughout the estate. 

One of the main visitor attractions of Castle Ward is the Sunken Garden which features a Victorian design of 61 jewelled parterres, which were restored in 2017. The parterres feature colourful, seasonal planting throughout the year with various planting designs for spring and summer. The garden also includes pinetum, rockery and fernery.

What you'll be doing

You'll be helping to keep the garden in tiptop condition every day. This might involve daily checks to make sure all areas are safe for people visiting, routine tasks such as weeding, pruning and mulching, and using machinery such as hedge cutters, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and tractors.  

Other duties might include guided walks, preparing plants for sale, tree safety work and garden design and restoration. You may be involved in recycling and managing waste, along with the rest of the garden team. The role includes occasional weekend work based on a rota and a rotating duty manager responsibilities during the week.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what’s possible in this role. 

Who we're looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you’re: 

• a horticulturist and hands-on gardener, who’s worked with hard landscaping before 
• knowledgeable about plants, with a great eye for detail
• experienced with machinery, including tractors, chainsaws, rotary and cylinder mowers, and with some knowledge of maintenance 
• a driver with a full licence  
• able to manage a demanding outdoor role  
• a skilled communicator who can engage with others
• confident working within a team, with volunteers or on your own 
• organised and able to meet deadlines

The package

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.