Head Gardener

We are now looking for a Head Gardener for Kensington Gardens with a passion for plants and horticulture with a strong interest in gardening and managing nature in a prestigious heritage landscape. The Royal Parks (TRP) is a charity created in March 2017. We manage over 5,000 acres of diverse parkland, rare habitats and historic buildings and monuments in eight Royal Parks across London.

These are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park, St James's Park, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park. We also manage other important public spaces including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens. Our eight Royal Parks and other iconic green spaces are among the most visited attractions in the UK with tens of millions of visits every year.

The Role Working through a climate resilience lens, with a greener gardening approach, the delivery of the Horticulture Vision places horticulture on a pedestal in the world of public parks like never before. Through the delivery of this strategy, the famous parks we proudly call The Royal Parks are set to have their horticulture raised to a new level. As Head Gardener, you will lead the ongoing maintenance, enhancement and development of the gardens, lawns, borders and landscaped areas, ensuring they are presented to the highest standard throughout the year.

You will plan and deliver seasonal planting programmes, oversee pruning, propagation, irrigation and plant health activities, and implement best-practice methods for the control of pests, diseases and weeds. The role involves supervising and supporting gardening team members and external contractors, managing horticultural records, budgets and resources. You will promote a strong culture of health and safety across all gardening operations while contributing innovative ideas and recommendations for future garden improvements, restoration projects and long-term landscape development.

Additionally, you will:
Supply and maintain sufficient tools, equipment and materials for gardeners and volunteers Monitor the performance of the landscape maintenance contractor Support initiatives including the Apprenticeship scheme, Biodiversity and Sustainability Carry out all work with the utmost care and respect for people, place and environment About You To be considered as a Head Gardener, you will need:
Significant practical horticultural experience, ideally within a large estate, private garden, historic property or similar environment Strong plant knowledge and an understanding of seasonal garden management Experience leading or supervising a team Relevant horticultural qualifications (RHS, NVQ, City & Guilds or equivalent) are desirable Excellent organisational and planning skills A proactive, flexible and hands-on approach A commitment to delivering outstanding standards and attention to detail Other organisations may call this role Gardens Manager.

We want to put everyone in the best possible position to succeed so if you think that you may need more support to complete our application process, please do get in touch. The Royal Parks is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. Please note interviews will be held on Friday 4th September 2026 at our Kensington Gardens Office. The Benefits Salary of £34,743 - £39,000 per annum, depending on experience 26 days' annual leave plus public holidays, increasing to 29 days after 3 years' service Pension scheme (3% employee contribution;

up to 10% employer contribution) Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan Employee assistance programme and access to mental health first aiders Learning and development opportunities Cycle to work scheme Offices in a beautiful location Safeguarding notice The Royal Parks is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk from harm, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and follow the organisation's policies and procedures.

The Royal Parks provides an awareness training programme on Safeguarding for all staff, and further in-depth training for those working with children, young people or adults who may be at risk of harm.