Nursery Worker
Hyde Park Plant Nursery, Hyde Park, London, W2 (with travel to all the parks)

The Organisation

Created in March 2017, The Royal Parks is a charity that supports and manages 5,000 acres of historic and precious parkland across London. Millions of Londoners and tourists visit our beautiful sites, which offer unparalleled opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and healthy living in the heart of the capital, as well as an important refuge for nature.

We look after eight of London’s largest open spaces; Hyde Park, The Green, Richmond, Greenwich, St James’s, Bushy and The Regent’s Parks, and Kensington Gardens. We also manage other important open spaces in the capital including Brompton Cemetery, Victoria Tower Gardens, Canning Green and Poet’s Corner.

We are currently seeking two full-time (40 hours) and one part-time (24 hours) Nursery Workers to join us at our Hyde Park Nursery on a permanent basis.

Opened in 2017, our purpose-built ‘super nursery’ sits at the heart of Hyde Park and handles the growth of the bedding plants that are needed for our world-class flower displays. Our glasshouse is the first in the UK to incorporate open and close technology to support the climate needs of the plants and enables us to grow around 1,200 different varieties for our summer and winter displays.

The Benefits

- £22,984 per annum
- 26 days' annual leave (pro rata) plus public holidays, increasing to 29 days after 3 years’ service
- Pension scheme (3% employee contribution; up to 10% employer contribution)
- Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan
- Employee assistance programme and access to mental health first aiders
- Learning and development opportunities
- Cycle to work scheme

This is a fantastic opportunity for a keen gardener to join our prestigious organisation as we ensure the Royal Parks continue to attract visitors with our exquisite plant displays.

You will have the chance to develop your horticultural skills as we ensure London’s most visited green spaces are vibrant and filled with exciting, exotic life.

So, if you’re looking to grow your career in the horticultural sector and put your green fingers to the test, our team of friendly experts is the perfect place to start!

The Role

As a Nursery Worker, you will work with a team of nursery workers and volunteers to deliver a seasonal array of plants from our nursery in Hyde Park helping to manage a growing area of 6,067 square meters that produces around 450,000 plants per year.

Keeping plants at the optimal growing conditions, work includes weeding, potting on, pruning, pest identification, watering and generally ensuring the best quality plants are produced for use in the parks. You will be involved in propagation, including sowing seeds and taking vegetative cuttings. At the time of despatch, you will prepare plants for delivery, which includes working to pre-prepared pick lists for daily deliveries.

Working with volunteers is a key part of the role and you will be expected to mentor volunteers, as well as ensuring the work environment is safe, and generally providing support and a positive working environment for them.

About You

To be considered as a Nursery Worker, you will need:

- To be able to work effectively with minimal supervision
- To be organised, hardworking and a good timekeeper
- Good communication and team playing skills

Ideally, you will a qualification in Commercial Horticulture and knowledge of propagation and commercial growing. Experience of working in a fast-paced horticulture production environment would be beneficial.

It would be advantageous to have a full, valid driving licence.

Other organisations might call this role Horticultural Worker, Plant Nursery Assistant, Plant Nursery Worker, Horticultural Assistant, Assistant Gardener, or Horticultural Technician.

The Royal Parks is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

So, if you are interested in this unique opportunity as a Nursery Worker, please apply via the button shown. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.

This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.