Head Gardener, Rofford Manor

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, positive and driven Head Gardener to lead a small friendly team on a renowned private family estate, eight miles South east of Oxford.

The estate covers around 300 acres, including five acres of formal and informal gardens. The gardens have previously appeared in many garden magazines and other publications including Country Life, The Daily Telegraph and The Garden magazine. These beautifully established gardens were designed and laid out by the current owners over 40 years ago with the assistance of garden designer Michael Balston. They include formal lawns and hedges, herbaceous borders, two lakes, various areas of woodland and a wildflower meadow. The grounds also include swimming pools, tennis courts, 3 glasshouses, a polytunnel, and superb kitchen gardens; which provide seasonable fruit, vegetables and cut flowers for the main house.

The Role

The Head Gardener will report to the Estate Manager and will lead a team of up to four gardeners. The successful candidate will ensure that the gardens are consistently maintained to exceptional levels. They should have demonstrable skills in all areas of gardening and be comfortable with the responsibilities that are associated with the role of Head Gardener. They should also be able to work independently whilst ensuring all necessary plans and projects are completed on time and within budget.

Key responsibilities include:

· Supporting the Estate Manager with overseeing all main aspects associated with the management and organisation of     the estate’s extensive gardens and grounds

· High quality maintenance of all borders and other planting

· Formulating and executing well-organised plans for successful pest control, irrigation, fertiliser application

· Pruning and the propagation of fruit, vegetables and cut flowers to provide a continuous supply to the main house and     other dependant properties

· Maintenance and continued evolution of the lawns, hedges, climbing plants, ponds and all the other typical aspects of      a large private garden

The ideal candidate

The Head Gardener will have proven experience of working in a large garden at a similar level and/or relevant horticultural qualifications. You will have impeccable time-management skills, with an eye for detail. You will be a strong communicator and a solid team worker, with excellent delegation skills; allowing for the efficient management and motivation of existing and new staff and contractors, whilst maintaining a friendly, positive working environment. This is a hands-on role that requires a high-level of mobility, physical activity, manual handling and operating machinery. A positive attitude, with a natural intuition and a passion for gardening is essential for this role, along with a sound plant knowledge, and understanding of seasonality.