Position: Head Gardener
Location: Mayfair
Salary: £36,000 - £39,000 + bonus
Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 16:00 (occasional weekends, approximately 2/3 per year)
Are you a passionate horticultural leader with a flair for innovation and sustainability? Do you thrive in a hands-on role where you can manage a dedicated team, maintain iconic gardens, and engage with the community?
Chappell Enterprises UK is recruiting on behalf of our client, a prestigious organisation dedicated to creating sustainable urban spaces. They are seeking a visionary Head Gardener to manage an iconic garden in Central London, a landmark project at the forefront of climate action, biodiversity, and community engagement.
About Our Client:
Our client is a well-established entity with a rich history of over 300 years in developing and managing neighbourhoods. Their focus is on creating sustainable places where business, communities, and nature thrive. With a heartland in London's West End, they are part of an international organisation committed to delivering lasting commercial, social, and environmental benefits.
About the Location:
Set within one of the capital's most historic and distinguished neighbourhoods, this landmark urban garden is preparing to celebrate its 300-year anniversary in 2027. Long regarded as a green anchor in the West End, the space is currently being transformed into a pioneering example of how city landscapes can work harder for nature, people, and the wider community.
The garden is evolving into a vibrant mosaic of native and exotic planting. Throughout the seasons, visitors will experience shifting layers of colour and texture, from spring bluebells and blossom-laden trees to the warm, rich tones of late-flowering shrubs and fruiting canopies in autumn. Every element has been chosen to heighten sensory engagement, creating a living environment that feels immersive, restorative, and welcoming.
A series of thoughtfully designed spaces, including open wildflower lawns, natural play areas, and meandering paths through lush planting, ensure the garden offers something for everyone. Social ovals provide communal gathering points, while hidden routes invite both adults and children to explore, Client, and enjoy moments of calm or play.
Engineered as a single, large sustainable drainage system (SuDS), the garden is built to cope naturally with even extreme rainfall events. Extensive testing has demonstrated its ability to disperse water effectively, protecting the surrounding area from standing water and flash flooding.
Blending three centuries of heritage with forward-thinking environmental design, this remarkable green oasis stands as a model for how urban spaces can enhance biodiversity, wellbeing, and community life, right in the heart of the city.
About the Role:
As the Head Gardener, you will lead the day-to-day horticultural operations of this iconic Central London garden. You will manage a dedicated team, providing hands-on leadership to ensure horticultural excellence and alignment with the garden's sustainability and biodiversity goals. You will report to the Landscape Manager, who retains overarching responsibility for strategic decisions, the longterm vision, and overall landscape management. The Head Gardener supports the Landscape Manager in implementing plans and works closely with them on community engagement, educational programmes, and volunteer initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the day-to-day horticultural operations of the iconic garden.
- Manage and support a dedicated gardening team and volunteers.
- Maintain key garden elements, including wildflower mosaics, woodland shrubs, lawns, and wetland features.
- Deliver horticultural maintenance aligned with sustainability and biodiversity goals.
- Provide training and guidance to apprentices, gardeners, and volunteers.
- Support the Landscape Manager in implementing landscape management plans.
- Collaborate with the Landscape Manager on community and corporate volunteer days.
Requirements:
Essential:
- Proven experience managing public gardens or parks to high standards.
- Strong background in biodiverse planting schemes and sustainable horticulture.
- Demonstrated leadership of horticultural teams.
- Experience in public engagement and educational activities.
- Excellent plant and biodiversity knowledge.
- Full UK driving licence.
Desirable:
- Experience with aquatic planting and water feature maintenance.
- Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and garden safety protocols.
- Awareness of climate change and biodiversity loss, and appropriate horticultural responses.
Why Join Our Client?
- Be a Pioneer: Play a key role in the UK's first carbon-neutral property company.
- Lead a Living Landmark: Help maintain an iconic garden as it evolves into a world-class, biodiverse urban oasis.
- Inspire and Empower: Manage a talented team and contribute to a vibrant community.
- Make a Lasting Impact: Support a garden that enhances wildlife, wellbeing, and climate adaptation.
- Outstanding Benefits: Private medical insurance & dental plan, generous holiday allowance increasing after 5 years of service, private pension & life insurance, professional development opportunities and much more.
To Apply:
If you are a proactive leader with a passion for delivering outstanding projects, we want to hear from you! Join Chappell Enterprises UK in supporting our client's mission to deliver exceptional outdoor environments. Chappell Enterprises UK are an equal opportunities employer and encourage people to apply from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.
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