As the Horticulturist and Garden Supervisor, you are the "Chief Practitioner" and the operational engine driving
the physical excellence of the HBD gardens. While the Garden Manager provides macro schedules and the
Conservation Lead provides scientific oversight, you are the hands-on leader focused on the execution,
productivity, and accountability of our field teams. You are responsible for ensuring that HBD's gardens aren't just
"maintained," but meticulously managed to a world-class, highly productive standard.
You serve as an Operational Guardian, recognising that the pristine aesthetic and functional execution of our
property portfolio is what sustains the reputation and foundation of all our work. By coordinating daily workflows,
enforcing rigorous quality control, and mentoring the gardening team, you ensure our physical spaces are safe,
highly efficient, and immaculate. This is a raw, practical position—you spend the vast majority of your time exactly
where the impact happens: out in the gardens, working directly alongside your team.
Key Operational Focus Areas
1. Daily Operations & Workflow Logistics
You are responsible for turning garden schedules into smooth, highly efficient, daily physical action.
● Resource Allocation: You design daily work allocations and organise the precise deployment of vehicles,
teams, and materials across all main gardens, council parks, and tenanted properties.
● Schedule Execution: You ensure vital horticultural tasks—including pruning, planting, weeding, and
mulching—are completed safely, strictly on schedule, and to an impeccable standard.
● Property Turnovers: You scope and directly supervise comprehensive garden clean-up jobs at vacated
properties to ensure seamless estate transitions.
2. On-the-Ground Supervision & Quality Control
You provide direct, visible leadership where it matters most: in the field.
● Foreman Presence: You work actively "on the ground" alongside the teams as a direct Foreman, providing
immediate guidance, monitoring team pace, and ensuring instructions are followed flawlessly.
● Health & Asset Checks: You oversee routine pest and disease checks and manage standard irrigation
systems to guarantee core plant vitality and estate quality.
3. Health & Safety (H&S) Oversight
You act as the primary shield for our teams and equipment, enforcing an uncompromised safety culture.
● Safety Enforcement: You promote a safe working environment, strictly enforcing the correct use of
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the safe, efficient operation of all tools and machinery.
● Incident Response: You organise regular, practical "toolbox talks" to keep safety top of mind and serve as
the first responder and formal reporter for any on-site incidents.
4. Communication & Performance Accountability
You are the primary link between ground-level operations and departmental management.
● First-Line Contact: You handle gardeners' daily questions, concerns, and attendance tracking.
● Friction Resolution: You proactively address minor on-site performance issues or team friction, stepping
in early and escalating major issues to the Garden Manager only when necessary.
● Operational Reporting: You provide regular, structured updates regarding tasks completed and team
performance dynamics.
5. Infrastructure, Inventory & Resource Continuity
You protect the physical tools and assets that allow our teams to function.
● Asset Maintenance: You manage garden infrastructure, maintain greenhouse cleanliness, and implement
strict tool management and maintenance schedules.
● Stock Control: You monitor inventory levels for all horticultural consumables (fertilizer, compost, fuel),
submit timely re-order requests, and keep basic, accurate logs for watering and feeding schedules to
ensure structural continuity.
6. Propagation & Living Material Support
You bridge the gap between field maintenance and botanical production.
● Standard Propagation: You ensure the delivery of our standard propagation via seeds, cuttings, and
division, while actively assisting the broader team with general conservation propagation.
● Seasonal Planting: You monitor overall plant health, maintain routine records, and assist in executing
seasonal planting schedules.
7. Workforce Development & Conservation Alignment
You build the capacity of our workforce and physically support broader ecological goals.
● Practical Training: You assist the Garden Manager with hands-on, on-the-job training of gardeners,
elevating their execution of best horticultural practices.
● Rehabilitation Execution: You physically assist with rehabilitation and maintenance at Boland Park and
other sites, directly supporting translocation planting, managing designated no-mow zones, and executing
the propagation of conservation species.
The Escalation Chain: Operational & Team Risk
● Level 1 (Field Resolution): You resolve immediate plant health queries, minor tool malfunctions, or routine
crew coordination issues directly on-site.
● Level 2 (Operational Bottlenecks): You escalate to the Garden Manager if severe weather, vehicle
breakdowns, or major material shortages threaten to derail weekly property schedules.
● Level 3 (Performance & Friction): You escalate to the Garden Manager if ongoing team friction,
significant performance deficits, or repeated policy breaches require formal management intervention.
● Level 4 (H&S / Property Breach): Immediate escalation to the Head of Department and Compliance Lead
for any severe workplace injuries, critical machinery failures, or operational actions that risk damaging
client relations or property infrastructure.
Strategic Collaboration
● Garden Manager: Your direct supervisor who provides macro operational direction, overarching
schedules, and budget allocations.
● Conservation Lead: You collaborate to receive technical guidelines for your teams, ensuring sensitive
botanical material is handled precisely and protected red-data species are respected during daily
operations.
● Property Coordinators: You partner on operational standby to resolve critical, time-sensitive garden
issues that impact tenant satisfaction or immediate estate functionality.
What You Must Bring to the Role
● Horticultural Expertise: A Diploma, BTech, or Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture (or an equivalent relevant
qualification) paired with a minimum of 5 years of practical horticultural experience spanning propagation,
nursery work, and direct garden supervision.
● Leadership & Grit: Proven ability to lead, motivate, and coordinate small teams, alongside the physical
capacity to work effectively outdoors alongside your crew in all weather conditions.
● Organisational Precision: Excellent planning, time-management, and independent problem-solving
abilities; you see an operational bottleneck and instinctively step in to smooth it out.
● The "Practical Pioneer" Mindset: You translate schedules into high-quality physical realities. You
possess a strong willingness to learn advanced conservation skills to bridge your operational expertise with
the science of the ecosystem.
● Licensing: Possession of a valid driver’s license is strictly required.
Work Location: In person
