Head Gardener – Cookham, Maidenhead in Kent

Head Gardener at the Hale Estate/Grange Farm, Berkshire

Summary Job Role: Head Gardener

Salary: £38,000-45,000 per annum, depending on experience

Hours and duration: Full-time permanent role at 37.5 hours per week, including occasional weekend and out of hours work

Location: Grange Farm, Grange Road, Cookham, Maidenhead SL6 9TH

Reporting line: the Estate Manager and Director of Hale Estate Berkshire Ltd (business and land owner)

Role description: The Head Gardener will manage and supervise a team consisting of gardeners, volunteers, contractors and consultants, working alongside the Estate Manager. A large part of the Estate is a working farm, transitioning from grassland to growing organic food and medicinal herbs for product manufacture and use at our integrative oncology centre (Synthesis Clinic) and eventually for sale to the public and healthcare professionals. The Head Gardener will work primarily outdoors in all weather conditions and will be required to perform physical tasks as part of their role. The farm also has an important educational role for the patients and the public. The Head Gardener needs to be comfortable holding garden talks and collaborating with our herbalist and medical team on relevant events. They will also be required to support the Estate’s public and community engagement work as discussed with the Director and appropriate communications staff, including supporting creation of appropriate material for social media.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the management and development of the Estate, working closely with the Estate Manager to develop and implement a long-term sustainable plan for the land, including the farm, medicinal forest, teaching gardens and the overall landscape.
• Co‑develop and implement a detailed garden maintenance plan that includes planting, rotation, weeding, pruning, pest control, fertilising, and watering (all to organic standards) to ensure that the gardens and grounds are always in excellent condition.
• Liaise regularly with the Director to ensure that the Estate management overall meets the vision and desired outputs.
• Lead and motivate a working team of gardeners and volunteers (initially seasonal) to ensure that the Estate and the farm are maintained to the highest standard and to support production.
• Grow medicinal plants and edible fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices to the organic (and possibly eventually biodynamic) standard and secure appropriate certification, meeting the established high standard of organic practice.
• Manage the planting, propagation and cultivation of all plants, shrubs, trees and flowers in the farming and medicinal forest portions of the Estate, including managing the nursery and the orangery, ensuring that they are healthy and thriving.
• Ensure plants are appropriately labelled as needed and planting maps are kept up-to-date.
• Maintain an inventory of all tools and equipment used for gardening and landscaping, ensuring that they are in good condition and that replacements are ordered as required, following approval from the Estate Manager/Director if there is significant cost involved.
• Keep and maintain detailed and up-to-date records of all work carried out in the gardens such as planting schedules, maintenance records, and inventory records, as required for Good Manufacturing Practice and Standard Operating Procedures for medicinal plant and food products.
• Co‑manage the maintenance and upkeep of garden structures, such as fences, trellises, composting areas and others, with the Estate Manager.
• Work closely with the landscape architect team to establish a thriving landscape around the Estate buildings, as well as a medicinal forest as a part of the Estate operations.
• Ongoing surveillance of organic growing practices, regulations and legislation.
• Supervising and conducting the processing of farm products, including drying plants to appropriate standards and supporting and participating in making tinctures and other products in line with Good Manufacturing Practice and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Ensure all health and safety and compliance requirements are adhered to including the use of personal protective equipment and safe working practices.
• Ensure all staff and volunteers are appropriately trained and inducted.
• Liaison with external suppliers of fresh plant material and external test houses as needed.
• Development and conduct of garden talks and collaborating with our herbalist and medical team on relevant events, including hands‑on workshops and other educational and community activities.

Person specification:

Essential:

• Level 3 or above RHS horticultural qualification and/or equivalent experience as a head gardener within a similar size estate and/or medicinal herb grower.
• Up‑to‑date knowledge of Health and Safety and COSHH regulations.
• Experience of writing and reviewing risk assessments and assessments.
• Ideally 3–5 years of experience of managing a professional, productive garden and garden team well with strong communication and collaboration skills and an inclusive style.
• Proactive, enthusiastic, organised, motivated, positive, resilient and a flexible team player who can pitch in whenever and wherever effort is needed – we are a very practical team.
• Competent in the use of garden machinery, including tractors.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and willing to learn and implement modern farming and gardening software for the Estate.
• Personable, with a friendly approach; able to interact well with stakeholders, staff, visitors and volunteers.

Desirable:

• An understanding of a conservation approach to land management with regard to biodiversity, habitat creation, wildflower meadows and ponds.
• A working knowledge of organic and/or biodynamic practices.
• An understanding of medicinal plants and herbal medicines, particularly in growing a range of medicinal herbs.
• Experience of manufacturing tinctures to Good Manufacturing Practice standards.
• Good presentation skills and experience of managing garden tours, giving talks and other public facing events that engage the general public with nature, plant foods and medicinal plants.
• Local contacts with contractors and seasonal staff in Berkshire and surrounding areas.

Interview Process: The first interview will take place via Zoom before 9am or in the evenings where possible to allow for the Director’s schedule. For shortlisted candidates, the second interview will take place on‑site.