KEY PURPOSE

This job exists to ensure that the garden and policies of Pitmedden Garden and Haddo House are managed and maintained as nationally recognised gardens of high horticultural importance, contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development, and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters in line with the Trust conservation procedures and Heritage Garden Management Plan.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:

1. Ensuring the conservation and practical maintenance of the garden and policies – whether through delegation to other staff/volunteers, or personal participation - in terms of:

a. Practical horticulture (e.g., managing trees and shrubs, roses, herbaceous plants, vegetable and fruit gardens and bulbs; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; composting and soil improvement; hard landscaping; path care, plant propagation; plant sales management, tree care, Arboricultural techniques, care & maintenance of garden machinery, tractors, and estate management equipment).

b. Plantsmanship (e.g., the identification, recording (using Plant databases), labelling of individual plants and other collections).

c. Research and development (e.g., research into historical precedents and practical contemporary solutions to inform proposed activities and projects).

d. Interpretation (e.g., through the development and delivery of events such as introductory talks, guided tours or practical demonstrations, contribution to guidebooks or leaflets).

2. Ensuring an appropriate management regime of the gardens and policies that includes the management of:

a. Staff: including the Regional Grass Cutter and volunteers (recruitment, induction, development, performance management) such that they are fully equipped and motivated to undertake their duties to the required Trust standards.

b. budgets (setting, phasing, monitoring, pro-active and re-active adjustments) such that both gardens’ finances are sustainable within the context of the wider property budgets.

c. health, safety and the environment in line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff/volunteers.

d. recognition of the Trust’s Environmental Policy with respect to sustainable gardening activities, including energy, water, recycling, carbon reduction, peat & pesticide-use.

e. daily, weekly, yearly and longer-term operational work plans and reporting in the context of the properties’ statements of significance and action plans (and contribution to these action plans) to ensure that activities are prioritised and planned to optimize the use of resources.

f. customer service and care from garden staff/volunteers, and in the broader sense of facilities and “visiting experience”, to ensure that the properties’ reputation for excellence is maintained and enhanced.

g. Taking a lead property role in monitoring and reporting on hazardous tree inspections

h. administration to enable gardening activities to be undertaken and recorded efficiently.