Head Gardener - Amenity Landscaping (Hertfordshire & North London)

Are you a skilled gardener with a passion for leading and inspiring others? Do you thrive in a dynamic outdoor environment, bringing creativity and expertise to every project? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to showcase your talents as our Lead Gardener.

The Forward Trust are a large charity providing a number of support services to people with challenging backgrounds. We wholly own and run Amenity Landscaping, a small gardening business within our Employment Services Division.

Amenity Landscaping delivers gardening, landscaping and horticultural services on behalf of private clients and small housing developments in North London and Hertfordshire and we employ people with lived experience including ex-offenders, people in recovery and also the unemployed or NEET. This role provides access to a company vehicle.

As a Lead Gardener, you will be working outdoors and in open spaces and your activities will include:

• Leading a small team including a Horticulture Apprentice
• Bed work & pruning
• Hedge cutting & shrub pruning
• Seasonal activities such as lifting & splitting herbaceous perennials, mulching, etc.
• Lawn care
• General gardening activities at your discretion, allowing you the flexibility and to use and further develop your skill as a gardener.
• Operating equipment such as Strimmers, Mowers, Blowers, Hedge Cutters etc to carry out garden maintenance and soft landscaping.
• Complying and reporting any health and safety and other incidents relating to the work of the Amenity Landscaping to the General Manager

We are looking for people who are interested in working outdoors, with an interest in the environment and working as part of a team.  The post holder will enjoy undertaking manual work in different types of weather and starting work early (often by 7.30am) and finishing by 3.30pm.

You will be working with an experienced team of colleagues and we work on different sites in London, so every day is a bit a different.  The working  hours are 7.30am Monday to Friday with some overtime hours available if required. The role is for 37 hours per week.

We encourage applications from either ex-offenders, those at risk of offending or have been in trouble with the police or in recovery and unemployed.

Below is a list of the qualities that we are looking for in applicants for this post.  Please address these points in your application.

Essential

• A full UK driving licence
• Ability to Lead a small team when carrying out gardening services to the clients of the business.
• Be a seasoned gardener with a broad knowledge of plants found in British gardens.
• Have good communication and customer service skills.
• Ensuring you/your team follow the job schedules
• Keeping a record of chemical applications and on-site customer requests
• Offering recommendations for improvement.
• Giving guidance and support to the gardener(s) in the team.
• Practical knowledge of how to manage and maintain a garden i.e. when and how to prune various plants.

Desirable

• Respectful of customers and team members with a mature attitude to receiving feedback
• PA1/PA6 chemical spraying certification.
• Able to work as a member of a team undertaking gardening duties to contract specified standards, ensuring that the quality of service is maintained to meet customer  requirements.
• Able to undertake any administrative duties required, e.g. Completing any H & S forms and risk assessments, etc.
• Awareness of the health and safety regulations that affect the work area and able to work in accordance with all health and safety policy requirements, e.g., Manual handling, Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE), etc.

We value the dedication and commitment of our employees by rewarding them with market-leading pay and benefits.  We provide comprehensive training and opportunities to progress in the Employment Services Division.

We also offer:

• Access to company vehicle
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (Optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Access to Blue Light Card for discounts on shopping
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

*Please note, we reserve the right to close this role early