Share offers a range of training, education, employment and personal development opportunities to disabled people in order that they may progress towards their personal and career goals and aspirations. Share Gardening is our horticultural social enterprise.
This is very much a hands-on role where you will be responsible for building and developing the Share Gardening business. Share Gardening is involved in plant and produce sales, landscaping, and grounds maintenance. We sell gardening services to the general public and we’re keen to build up our business, and offer real job opportunities, with support, to our graduate students. We’re also offering traineeships to young people with mild to moderate learning disabilities to get them on their road to a successful future, and they will be experiencing real work through Share Gardening.
We are seeking a qualified senior gardener who has substantial experience in horticulture operations and estimating. You should have experience of working in a business environment, and enjoy managing and developing people. You will be responsible for the day to day operations of the business, supervising and training the work teams, and ensuring that our customers are delighted by our work. You will work closely with Share managers to drive the business forward.
Closing date: Wednesday 17th September at 5pm
Job Description
Main responsibilities
The Senior Gardener and Business Lead will:
- Work with Share’s management team and Horticulture Manager to identify new garden and grounds maintenance opportunities.
- Liaise with existing and potential clients, which includes attending meetings and site visits in order to develop and maintain good working relationships.
- Prepare and price competitive tenders.
- Secure and negotiate new business.
- Research competitive pricing for the supply of plants and other ground maintenance resources.
- Manage, report, and produce evidence of Share Gardening’s activities.
- Lead on the commercial and work focused elements of Share’s horticultural training project (e.g. propagation, plant sales).
- Work alongside and supervise Share students and graduates both on external jobs and within the Share project garden.
- Contribute to the training of Share students, as well as young people on traineeships.
- Ensure that all work is completed to a high standard.
- Use your initiative to prioritise a busy workload.
Person Specification
Experience, skills and knowledge
All of the following are essential to the role, and should be addressed individually in the supporting statement:
- Experience of working within a horticultural environment, qualified at level 2 or 3.
- Knowledge of and passion for plants, garden design and landscaping.
- Experience and enjoyment of managing people, resources, and projects.
- Experience of working within a business environment, ideally in either garden maintenance or landscaping.
- Experience of costing gardening or landscaping jobs.
- The ability to get on with people at different levels and with different abilities.
- Excellent team working skills.
- An entrepreneurial approach, with a passion for plants and delivering horticultural projects.
- Proactive approach to selling and ability to negotiate and secure new business.
- The ability to promote a business-like approach to Share horticulture students.
- A passion for seeing jobs through, making sure they’re done well and that the customer is delighted.
- Able to work under pressure, have the ability to plan ahead, achieve given deadlines, and have an eye for detail.
- Confidence in using various software packages. Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel are essential.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Good literacy and numeracy skills.
- A full, clean driving licence is also essential.
- Being an accredited trainer would be desirable, but not essential.
How to apply:
Please download and complete our application form and equal opportunities form.
Once compete, please email both to hradmin@sharecommunity.org.uk. Please put your name and job title in the email subject line. If you wish to post your application form, please post it to: Private & Confidential, HR Department, Share Community, 64 Altenburg Gardens, London, SW11 1JL.
We will endeavour to acknowledge receipt of your application form by email; however only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. You will be required to provide proof of qualifications and ID at the interview. Share welcomes applications from everyone. We focus on ability and believe people work best when they feel valued, safe and happy. We do all that we can to make sure that Share is friendly and welcoming to everyone. Applications received after 5pm on the closing date will not be considered.
This job is subject to two satisfactory references, evidence of qualifications, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and providing evidence of right to work in the UK. If you have a disability and would like to discuss other ways of submitting your application, please call 0207 801 9825.
We are very much looking forward to receiving your application.
