Horticultural Supervisor - Winterbourne House and Garden

The post-holder is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of specific areas of responsibility within the garden including the design and implementation of work schedules, planting plans and project briefs relating to the ongoing development of the garden and its living collections. The post-holder will supervise Horticultural Practitioners, Students, Trainees and Volunteers and interact with the public on a daily basis.

Main Duties

Nursery/glasshouse work

- Take a full active part in the daily watering rota

- Supervise propagation, potting and general potting shed tasks

- Identify pests and diseases and work with other Horticultural Supervisors to identify appropriate treatments

Horticultural maintenance

Supervise all aspects of horticultural maintenance within given area of responsibility including:

- Cultivation

- Watering

- Pruning and deadheading

- Planting

- Lawn edging

- Weeding

- Hedge cutting

- Composting

- Mulching

- Feeding

- Leaf blowing/collection

- Supervise Horticultural Practitioners, Trainees, Students and Volunteers in area of responsibility including training and coaching where necessary

- Responsible for ensuring all temporary and seasonal pot displays in area of responsibility are maintained to a high standard

- Supervise different garden initiatives and development projects within areas of responsibility

- Responsible for the preparation and implementation of work schemes when directed by the Head Gardener in area of responsibility

- Supervise the use of appropriate chemical, cultural and biological controls to approved COSHH and FEPA legislation

Landscape construction

- Supervise landscape construction and maintenance of hard landscape features such as paths, walls, benches and fencing

- Liaise with contractors engaged with landscape construction projects

- Report maintenance issues to Head Gardener or Estates Department as appropriate

Use of machinery

Use of horticultural machinery including:

- Tractors

- Pedestrian and ride on lawn mowers

- Hedge cutter

- Strimmer's

- Rotavators

- Leaf blowers

- Turf lifters

- Small hand-held power tools

- Maintain all associated machinery records

- Perform all pre-start checks and safety operations

- Perform basic maintenance and repairs to machinery and report failures and H&S issues to the Head Gardener

- Supervise and deliver machinery training/inductions for other Horticultural Supervisors, Practitioners, Students, Trainees and Volunteers

Administration

- Prepare annual reports regarding plant collections

- Responsible for interviewing and inducting Volunteers

- Liaise with external bodies and groups to continually develop the collection in area of responsibility

- Responsible for up-keeping the database for area of responsibility and ensuring plant passports, accessioning/de-accessioning are up to date

- Responsible for sourcing suppliers and completing requisitions when requested by the Head Gardener

Lawn care

- Use of appropriate machinery and treatment for the ongoing maintenance of all lawn areas to include; mowing, aeration, scarification, irrigation, biological controls, feeding, moss and weed treatments.

- Identify lawn care issues including pests and diseases and report findings to the Head Gardener

- Supervise repair of lawns where damage has occurred including re-levelling and re-seeding

Tree work

- Supervise low level tree work to include using bow saws and loppers

Plant research and education

- Supervise when required plant research work including growing and preparing plant material for other UoB departments

- Providing support for horticultural courses including provision of plant material and equipment

Health & Safety

- Responsible for ensuring UoB policy and procedure is followed in area of responsibility

- Prepare relevant Risk Assessments for area of responsibility

- Responsible for ensuring Horticultural Practitioners, Students and Volunteers are aware of H&S policy and procedure

- Responsible for escalating H&S issues to the Head Gardener

- Supervision of Horticultural Practitioners when applying chemical/biological applications to ensure safe and compliant practice

- Undertake all necessary Health and Safety training including Fire Warden training, manual handling training and evacuation chair training

- Undertake daily Health and Safety checks of the site as part of a rota

Other duties

- Undertake Weekend, Bank Holiday, University Close Day and Christmas duties as allocated by rota

- Assist with events including car parking duties

- Undertake an annual Personal Development Review and take a full and active part in any training and development activities provided

- Give guided garden tours

- Take part in the weekend and summer hours/lock-up rotas

- Maintain regular and consistent attendance/punctuality

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Horticultural qualification - HND, RHS Level 3 or equivalent

• Extensive practical horticultural knowledge

• Knowledge of current Health and Safety legislation within a garden setting

• Post qualification experience in a botanic or historical public garden

• Good experience of the use and maintenance of horticultural machinery

• IT skills and experience of databases, spreadsheets and word processing.

• Excellent communication skills

• FEPA PA1 & PA6 certified for chemical application

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Membership of relevant professional bodies

• ILM supervisory level 2 or similar

• Full clean Drivers Licence

Communication skills

• To communicate effectively with all Winterbourne staff at all levels

• Communicate to Volunteers appropriate tasks which can be carried out, ensure volunteers are confident with tasks allocated to them and that tasks are carried out safely and complying with the department's policies

• To answer queries and promote the use of the garden as a facility for UoB staff

• To facilitate students in projects around the garden, answer queries and promote the garden as a facility for UoB students

• Respond to visitor queries and explain the reasons for methods of garden maintenance and policies

Job information:

Winterbourne House and Garden

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £19,581 to £20,939, with potential progression once in post to £25,509

Band 400

Full Time - Permanent

Closing date: 15th September 2019

Informal enquires to Daniel Cartwright d.cartwright@bham.ac.uk

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