Glasshouse Supervisor – Horticulture & Visitor Experience

Contract type: Fixed Term (12 months)

Working hours: Full time (35 hours per week)

Location: Edinburgh

Salary range: £40,112 to £43,542

Job Description

Purpose

The primary purpose of this role is to co-lead and manage the team responsible for maintaining and developing the National Living Collection within the Glasshouses, ensuring the highest standards of horticultural excellence and an exceptional visitor experience. The role is also responsible for resource management and stock control, ensuring the efficient and sustainable operation of the department.

In addition, the postholder will support the delivery of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s strategic and operational plans and contribute to targeted conservation objectives and actions. Joining at a pivotal time, the role will contribute to the planning and delivery of the Garden’s most ambitious project in its long history, the Edinburgh Biomes Project.

The three key areas that the role will focus on are:

Team Management: co-lead and support the Glasshouse team to ensure the effective delivery of work programmes, high horticultural standards, and a safe, positive working environment.

Resource Management: manage the resources required for the efficient and sustainable operation of the Glasshouses, ensuring the effective use of materials, equipment, and budgets.

Enhancing the Conservation Value of the Collection: support the conservation of threatened plant species by maintaining high-quality collection records, managing germplasm resources, and developing the conservation value of the Glasshouse collections.

Main Duties

Leadership and team management

Co-lead, support, and develop the Glasshouse team alongside counterpart managers, ensuring a positive and productive working environment.

Plan and allocate work, setting clear priorities and ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard.

Monitor progress and performance, providing guidance, training, and regular feedback.

Ensure compliance with health and safety procedures and always promote safe working practices.

Ensure the correct use, maintenance, and storage of tools, equipment, and machinery.

Support staff wellbeing, engagement, and professional development.

Identify and implement improvements to working practices and horticultural standards.

Work closely with colleagues across the organisation to ensure the collections support research, conservation, and public engagement objectives.

Resource management and stock control

Manage stocks of horticultural materials, consumables, and equipment required for the operation of the Glasshouses.

Maintain accurate stock records and monitor usage levels.

Coordinate the ordering and procurement of supplies, ensuring resources are available when needed.

Monitor expenditure and contribute to effective budget management.

Ensure resources are used efficiently and sustainably, minimising waste where possible.

Maintain equipment inventories and support planned maintenance and replacement programmes.

Enhancing the Conservation Value of the Collection

Oversee the accurate recording and management of data relating to threatened plant species within the Glasshouse collections.

Develop and maintain records of propagation methods for priority conservation species.

Oversee the management of the seed and spore banks, ensuring collections are curated, documented, and maintained to a high standard.

Support the development and implementation of germination and viability testing procedures.

Identify opportunities to acquire, cultivate, and conserve threatened plant species within the collections.

Contribute to conservation programmes and activities that support the long-term preservation of plant diversity.

Person Specification

Essential

Strong leadership and people management skills, having experience leading, motivating, and developing individuals and teams within a horticultural, botanical, conservation, or similar environment.

Proactive, organised, and solution-focused approach with proven ability to plan and prioritise work, manage resources effectively, and maintain high operational standards.

Experience of effectively and sustainably managing stock and equipment.

Sound knowledge of health and safety requirements and commitment to safe working practices.

Strong organisational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams.

Knowledge and experience of plant collections management, including record keeping and data management.

Experience of plant propagation and the conservation of threatened or priority plant species.

Understanding of seed and/or spore banking, germination, viability testing, and ex-situ conservation practices.

Ability to identify and implement improvements to working practices, horticultural standards, and collection management.

Qualification in horticulture, botany, plant conservation, or a related discipline or significant relatable practical work experience.

Commitment to conservation, horticultural excellence, and continuous improvement.

Desirable

Experience managing glasshouse collections in a botanic garden, research institution, or similar setting.

Experience contributing to conservation programmes, research projects, or collection development initiatives.

Experience of using plant records and collections management databases.