Nursery Supervisor

Horticulture & Visitor Experience

Job Description

Purpose

To deliver high quality horticultural management of the Living Collection with a strong emphasis on the temperate hardy plant nursery service and the Collections Management System.

To support the delivery of RBGE’s visitor experience and to act as an ambassador ensuring we are positively represented within and outwith the Garden.

The role comprises of three key elements:

Management – manage the staff and resources within the nursery team, working with the team supporting them to deliver a dynamic collections and conservation focussed nursery service.

Curation – lead on the strategic renewal of the temperate hardy plant collection through both propagation from the existing collection and the cultivation of newly acquired material.

Collaboration – lead on and enhance the connection and opportunities for collaboration between the Nursery, and internal partners (Science, Education, Arts, Engagement etc.) and external partners e.g. Scottish Government, public bodies, academic partners, consultancy clients.

Main Duties

Leadership and management

As a member of the horticultural management team, work collaboratively with colleagues to support, develop and deliver the Living Collections Strategy and Landscape Masterplan.

Manage and support staff professional development to ensure the skill set of the team supports the delivery of the horticultural, curatorial and advocacy work of the department. This includes performance management, coaching and recruitment of staff, as well as coaching, mentoring, and management of apprentices, students, and volunteers.

Curation and conservation

Maintain a supply of plant material to support the conservation and development of the Living Collection.

Conserve and develop the nursery landscape (plantings and infrastructure).

Management of Biosecurity.

Act as the registrar for the outdoor collections overseeing the accessioning of new material, ensuring full compliance with internal policies, legislation and international regulations.

Play an active role in the maintenance of plant records and the management of both the Collections Management System and GIS data including the implementation of taxonomic updates in the Collections Management System.

Manage the use of the Nursery resource for plant conservation projects.

Health and safety

Promote a positive H&S culture ensuring all tasks are subject to a written risk assessment and that consistent, safe methods of work are implemented.

Manage work in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Work at Height Regulations.

Oversee the planning, scheduling and communication of works.

Finance

Compliant procurement of items used in the maintenance and development of the Nursery using appropriate frameworks and routes to market.

Operational budget responsibility for nursery operations.

Advocacy

Support research and development within RBGE for sustainable horticulture as nature-based solutions to both the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis.

Research and Education

Manage the use of the Nursery resource for research for colleagues and students.

Lead and collaborate on research activities which will inform current and future best practice in horticulture and the curation of the botanical collection.

Manage the use of the Nursery resource for research.

Deliver taught sessions and to RBGE students.

Suggest, and support student specialist projects and dissertations

In addition to the core duties within the nursery there is a need to maintain cover for daily garden operations and weekend duty manager duties.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

• Team leadership and line management, with the ability to work well within a team

• Budget management and procurement knowledge

• Botanical Living Collection data management

Proven experience of planning, supervising and undertaking a range of horticultural works

• Excellent ICT Skills, including plant records systems, MS Teams and standard MS Office tools

• Excellent written and spoken communication

• Proven experience of teaching staff, students and volunteers key horticultural techniques and plant identification

• Excellent plant knowledge covering both the taxonomy and cultivation of plants

Significant experience of growing in controlled environments and propagation techniques

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of plant production and nursery practices

• A working understanding of the clerical requirements for the management of documentation associated with plant movement in a botanical collection

• An understanding of the role of botanic gardens in plant conservation

• Good knowledge and understanding of health and safety legislation in the workplace particularly; Risk Assessment, COSHH assessment and accident recording systems

• Excellent knowledge of nursery infrastructure management

Desirable

• A recognised qualification in Horticulture, Botany or a related field, or relevant equivalent experience

• Nursery/horticultural experience with temperate hardy plants

• Research design and facilitation

• An understanding of the Arc GIS Online environment