Assistant Team Manager - Nursery
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Assistant Team Manager - Nursery
The Role:
This is a key role working as part of our professional team, assisting the Team Manager to ensure the highest standards of horticulture, as part of a great team responsible for managing one of Europe's largest and most diverse zoological gardens.
As Assistant Team Manager you will:
• To assist the Team Manager (TM) in the daily operation of the Nursery team, ensuring high standards of horticulture and visitor experience, directing, and organising activities as agreed with TM.
• To assist the TM in the management of the nursery operation, including 5 National Plant Collections, Native species programmes, plant propagation, and management of the planting in various tropical houses and feature gardens
• Responsible for the work programming and daily operations of Horticulturists, Lead Horticulturists, and voluntary work placements (VWPs), as delegated and required by TM.
• Responsible for routine one-to-one meetings/ PDR of Horticulturists and Lead Horticulturists, managing and supporting their training and professional development.
• Have good knowledge of the relevant taxa, and current best practise horticultural management, to include related conservation initiatives.
• As Chester Zoo has recently been accredited as a 'Botanic Garden - Conservation Practitioner' to have current best horticultural practices related to conservation initiatives.
• To deputise for the Team Manager as directed.
• Represent and promote Chester Zoo, ensuring an excellent external reputation.
Our Requirements:
• A NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) qualification in Horticulture.
• Proven professional experience in a horticultural position with a wide range of horticultural skills and have a good plant knowledge.
• Experience of using horticultural machinery and monitoring Health and Safety compliance.
• Experience supervising a team and managing horticultural work programmes.
• PA1 & PA6 spraying certificates.
• Good communication skills to engage with other staff and deal with visitors, public talks, and requests for information from outside sources.
• An ability to motivate and encourage horticultural staff and VWPs.
• A positive, collaborative, and cooperative working style, with the ability to work with colleagues internally and externally across various disciplines.
• Computer literate in Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
• A full driving licence valid in the UK
• Although not essential, the following would be desirable:
• Experience with plant record databases.
• Have experience working with a specialist plant collection including cacti.
The Package:
• You'll be working mainly fixed hours, typically 7:30am to 4:20pm. You will work 40 hours per week, 10 days out of 14 on a rota basis including weekends and bank holidays as rostered.
• Permanent Contract - starting salary of £30,000 per annum
• 33 days annual leave per year (increasing with service)
• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family
• Access to healthcare plan
• Employer contributory pension scheme
Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office - where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?