Vacancies

Looking to work outside?

Are you a keen plants person?

Seeking for a career in horticulture?

Wanting a job that does not feel like a job?

This position may be for you then.

We have an exciting, new position with JD Horticultural Services available as an Assistant Horticulturist.  We care for domestic gardens in a fifteen-mile radius, providing more than garden maintenance, but a full service of horticultural expertise.  

JD Horticultural Services has a small team, enthusiastic team that has grown beyond expectations since the business started in 2018.

Many of the gardens we maintain have been designed by garden designers, multiple gardens that we care for have won the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) awards and another been shortlisted this year.

Other gardens we care for have not been designed, but that does not make them any less precious.  There are two general ways these gardens are maintained, working with the customer to evolve the garden, providing our plant knowledge and other designed gardens to help with their decisions.  The other customers allow us to take full control and use our expertise for their best interest.

This roles task includes general horticultural tasks (planting, tidying beds, weeding, etc), seasonal tasks (mulching, watering, leaf clearing, etc), specialist pruning (roses, fruit trees, shrub pruning, etc), training of plants, safe use of garden tools, use of garden machinery, use of the best horticultural practises, knowledge of edible gardening and knowledge of plants.

The tasks a candidate may possibly be asked to undertake are designing gardens, helping to write blogs for the website/social media, trips to nurseries/suppliers, propagating (growing from seeds/cuttings), low requirement of construction (applying wall wires, carpenter, etc) and more.

Essential for the role:

Horticultural Qualification: Level 2 and up (exception will be made if currently studying)

A passion for plants and horticulture

Ability to drive 

Access to a Vehicle

Fair plant knowledge 

Knowledge of various horticultural practices 

Safe working with tools and machines as an individual, also as a team (including current Covid guidelines)

Good communication skills

Live within 10 miles of Fontwell (near Arundel)

Has good work ethics

Ability to work in different weather conditions (heat, cold, rain, wind, etc)

Desirable:

Horticultural Qualification: Level 3

Other horticultural certificates of competence (garden design, spray licence, chain saw licence, use of brush cutter, etc)

Horticultural working experience

Good knowledge of plants

This role has pay range from minimum wage to £12.50 per hour depending on experience and 28 days annual leave based on a 40-hour week pro-rata.  As a business, bank holidays are still working days.

This will be a Zero-Hour contract.  Why a Zero-Hour contract?  Naturally summer there is more time/light to work outside safely compared to the winter.  Also, when first starting with the company, the candidate will be working alongside another member of staff for a couple of days a week initially, as the season goes on and more enquires are made, the hours/days can be increased.

Occasionally, the candidate may be asked to work a weekend, this is not obligational, but a chance to earn a little extra.  Also, when increasing work load, as long it works for the clients, the candidate may choose to work weekends, for weekdays.

The role will require the candidate to be able to drive their own car (especially with the current Covid-19) restrictions in place.  Expenses will be at the normal rate of £0.45 per mile after the first 5 miles of the journey.

As the employer, we will be responsible for equipping the candidate with suitable tools and equipment.  But some current employees purchase some tools for themselves that fall outside of the business equipment (hori-hori, hand shears, herbaceous sickle, so on).

Job interviews will take place over Zoom or Facetime, in line with the current restrictions in place.

Any questions please contact us (information can be found on our website) and look forward to your application.

Contact Us