Jobs

JOB PURPOSE
To assist and support the property and gardens team in the conservation, care, and presentation of the property’s market garden, designed landscape and estate, ensuring that all areas are maintained to the highest standards and to the enjoyment of all visitors and supporters, whether through delegation to other staff/volunteers, or personal work. The market garden is managed, maintained, and developed to provide produce to sell on site, and for use in the café, contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development, and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters. Newhailes is an 84-acre designed landscape and pleasure grounds consisting of woodland, water gardens, follies, farmland, children’s playpark, and a market garden.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Assisting with horticultural duties to deliver the optimum aesthetic standards expected with the safety and enjoyment of all who use the site paramount. Activities include:
 Grass Cutting, strimming, hedge-cutting and the raking up or collection afterwards.
 Cutting of lawn edges.
 Hand weeding of borders.
 Pruning wall plants, those in borders and elsewhere.
 Planting out (under direction of Head Gardener).
 Application of mulches.
 Seed sowing and propagation.

Assisting with general property maintenance. Activities include:
 Litter picking.
 Maintaining paths.
 Use of bonfire to dispose of unhealthy plant material.

Assisting as required with the general enjoyment of the gardens and wider estate by:
 Responding to general visitor enquiries.
 Answering basic horticultural enquiries from visitors.
 Assisting at events held at the property and within the cluster.

Ensuring compliance with The Trust’s Health, Safety and Environmental policies and procedures to ensure safety of staff, volunteers and visitors and where practicable, sustainable horticulture.
Working with volunteers to ensure they deliver required outcomes to the appropriate standard, and ensure they benefit from their volunteering.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications
Essential
 Full Driving Licence, valid for driving within the UK.
 No formal educational qualifications required, but HNC or RHS Level 1 or equivalent would be desirable.

Desirable
 PA1 & PA6 for working with pesticides.

Experience
Essential
 Previous experience in general amenity horticulture or groundskeeping.
 Experienced user of a wide range of hand tools and basic machinery.
 Confidence and competence to politely engage with visitors, staff and contractors, to represent the National Trust for Scotland when speaking with visitors.
 Some practical knowledge of Health and Safety processes and the ability to work effectively within them.
 Good personal organisational and time management skills- including the ability to prioritise work where necessary.
 Capable and comfortable with unsupervised lone working and equally able to work as part of a team.

Desirable
 A genuine love for gardening and garden maintenance.
 Experience of working in a garden open to the public.
 Competence and confidence in use of ride on mowers.

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

People Management
 No line managerial responsibilities however will on occasion, supervise volunteers under instructions from Head Gardener.
 Will work closely with neighbouring property colleagues, will have occasional contact with advisory colleagues and specialist contractors.
 Will have regular interactions with visitors with a wide range of ages and abilities. This will include families and professionals who walk dogs.

Finance Management
 Not a budget holder.

Tools / equipment
 Frequent use of ride on grass cutting machinery expected, use of strimmer, hedge cutter, pedestrian mower, leaf blower or similar powered tools.
 Frequent use of hand tools such as forks, spades, rakes, loppers and secateurs.

The Purpose, Context, Key Responsibilities, and Person Specification reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

Application Deadline: Sunday 28/09/2025