Director of Scientific Collections

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. It has two main botanic garden sites which attract >2.5m visitors a year and which are home to the most diverse living collection of any botanical garden in the world: Kew Gardens in south-west London, a top London visitor attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Wakehurst in West Sussex, our wild botanic garden which is home to the Millennium Seed Bank. We also have a permanent research office in Madagascar, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

RBG Kew’s mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth. Our aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably.

With over 8.3 million biological specimens, we house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. They incorporate living and preserved material, seeds, spores and DNA. Many of our collections are unique, and together they provide an unrivalled record of plant and fungal diversity in space and time. Our collections, our people, and our partnerships in over 100 countries enable us to make an invaluable and highly relevant contribution to some of the biggest issues facing the global population.

RBG Kew is now seeking to appoint its first Director of Scientific Collections. The postholder will have the opportunity to develop and implement a vision for the future curation, development, and open mobilisation of Kew’s scientific collections to maximise our societal and scientific impact and to enable implementation of our Science Strategy.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. It has two main botanic garden sites which attract >2.5m visitors a year and which are home to the most diverse living collection of any botanical garden in the world: Kew Gardens in south-west London, a top London visitor attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Wakehurst in West Sussex, our wild botanic garden which is home to the Millennium Seed Bank. We also have a permanent research office in Madagascar, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

RBG Kew’s mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth. Our aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably.

With over 8.3 million biological specimens, we house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. They incorporate living and preserved material, seeds, spores and DNA. Many of our collections are unique, and together they provide an unrivalled record of plant and fungal diversity in space and time. Our collections, our people, and our partnerships in over 100 countries enable us to make an invaluable and highly relevant contribution to some of the biggest issues facing the global population.

RBG Kew is now seeking to appoint its first Director of Scientific Collections. The postholder will have the opportunity to develop and implement a vision for the future curation, development, and open mobilisation of Kew’s scientific collections to maximise our societal and scientific impact and to enable implementation of our Science Strategy.

Director of Scientific Collections

More details

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate strong leadership skills to lead a division of diverse collections staff. They will have experience in the development and long-term ownership of scientific collections and of writing scientific papers and reports, as well as a proven track record of successful income generation for collections-based research. They will promote the use of Kew’s scientific collections nationally and internationally, work collaboratively with other institutions worldwide, drive international standards of best practice, share learnings, and help inspire a new generation of professionals working with collections. They will share RBG Kew's commitment to fostering an inclusive and nurturing culture in which all colleagues have the opportunity to thrive and progress their careers.

This role is based at Kew with the option of regular home working, subject to operational requirements.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is a leading plant science institute, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and major visitor attraction. Our mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

We are working to end the unprecedented extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. We will achieve these goals by drawing on our leading scientific research, unrivalled collections of plants and fungi, global network of partners, inspirational gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, and our 260 years of history.

Join us on our journey as protectors of the world’s plants and fungi.

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

Appointment Process and How to Apply

We have engaged Perrett Laver to support the recruitment to this post.​

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Lucy Roper at: lucy.roper@perrettlaver.com

Completed applications should be uploaded here quoting reference 8405 by the deadline of 11:59pm BST on Monday 25th May 2026. ​

Interviews will take place in person in Kew on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th June 2026.

We are dedicated to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to interviewing disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.