Gardener in St Albans

Your country home from home nestled in 12 acres of Hertfordshire countryside; Sopwell House is a luxury family-owned Georgian country house hotel. We are now looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable Head Gardener to take stewardship of our outdoor spaces, continuing to cultivate beauty and excellence across our gardens, which play a central role in creating an unforgettable experience for our guests.

As Head Gardener, you will be responsible for the overall management, design, and upkeep of all external landscaped areas at Sopwell House. You will lead a small team and work closely with the management team to maintain the aesthetic appeal and horticultural integrity of our grounds, ensuring they reflect the luxury and tranquillity of our hotel.

Your role in our family:

• Be highly motivated, well organised and have excellent practical skills with the ability to propagate plants from seeds and cuttings.
• Work closely with the owners on the long-term development of the garden and excellent plant knowledge.
• Plan, carry out and monitor plant and tree care programs including design, landscaping, propagation, planting, irrigation, weeding, grass cutting, trimming and general garden, pathways, car park and facilities maintenance.
• Manage all garden project activities to ensure they are carried out on schedule and within allocated budgets, employing the assistance of external labour/organisations where necessary.
• Be responsible for the management of a team of two Gardeners and occasionally liaise with contractors.
• Help with the constant development and improvement of the hotel's 12 acres of grounds.
• Mowing & strimming, hedge trimming and planting, watering, weeding and maintaining beds and borders.

What would make you the perfect fit?

• The ideal candidate will have creative ideas, strong leadership capabilities, and maintain the hotel gardens and grounds to the highest possible condition.
• Sound knowledge of Health and Safety legislation.
• Previous experience in a similar role required.
• 5 years Gardens experience.
• NVQ Level 2, Pa1, Pa6 desirable but not essential.
• Chain saw license preferable.

The best bit:

• Discounted Food and Beverage and accommodation.
• Staff Events including annual award night.
• 28 days holiday, plus an extra day off on your birthday.
• 30% discount on spa treatments and spa days.
• 10% discount on spa products.
• 'Introduce a Friend' bonus when you recommend someone to join our team.
• Staff meals provided on duty.
• Hotel discounts through our Pride of Britain affiliation.

If this sounds like your dream job, we would love to hear from you!

How to Apply

If you are a dedicated hospitality professional ready to take on this exciting challenge, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your CV and cover letter, explaining why you are the perfect fit for this role. If you do not hear from us within 14 days, please assume your application has not been successful.

Sopwell House is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. All applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK.