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Short-Term Contract – Landscaper
Are you ready to realise your ambitions? Ready to go next-level with your career?
Then, we have just the opportunity you’re looking for.
The Oxfordshire Gardener is a well-established and prestigious business with a strong reputation for designing and landscaping high-specification gardens in some of the most highly desirable areas of Oxfordshire and beyond.
We are a friendly, supportive team and the company is committed to nurturing employees who are passionate about landscaping excellence, stretching their creative muscles and determined to drive forward their own success.
As a Landscaper on our team, you will be contribute to all aspects of building and installing our landscaping projects, working with colleagues and reporting to the Landscaping Site Leader. You will be delivering the finest quality garden landscapes for residential clients across Oxfordshire, paying the greatest attention to detail and working with fine materials, whilst helping to ensure the safety of project sites.
Please note this is short-term, 3-month contract, though there is potential for the positions to become permanent.
The ideal candidate for this position will have the following qualities and skills:
- Candidates will ideally have a minimum of 3 years experience in both hard and soft landscaping
- Have proven experience in a range of landscaping skills including; reading plans/drawings and specification documents, driving machinery, understanding site health and safety requirements, slab laying, timber craftsmanship and fencing, brickwork, installation of water features or irrigation systems, turf laying, careful planting trees and shrubs, and a variety of other skills as necessary
- Can undertake the tasks listed above to exceptional standards
- Hold high standards for yourself and the rest of your team when it comes to fine detail and finish, offering the highest quality craftsmanship
- Be customer-focused and respectful of client property, meeting high standards in caring and for the client, behaving in a collaborative, friendly and professional manner.
- Offer support and sharing your knowledge with junior team members, upholding onsite performance and a professional culture, maintaining a motivated and efficient service
- Prioritise safety and alert to safety issues at all times, providing solutions to any potential issues that may arise
- Have a clean, full driving licence and the ability to tow a trailer
- Experience in the use of project planning software/apps would be desirable, though not essential
Key Responsibilities:
- Positively contributing and supporting company values, vision and mission statement.
- Contributing to annual objectives
- Contribute and assist with service delivery, liaising with colleagues, suppliers and contractors to ensure the project is delivered to plan and in line with the schedule.
- To safely and competently use all plant and other equipment
Benefits:
- Full-time position with an annual salary providing a stable monthly income
- Permanent post
- 22 days holiday per year, increasing with length of service, plus Bank Holidays (Pro-rata)
- All necessary tools and PPE will be provided for every project as required
- Uniform
- Team days and outings
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract, Temp to perm
Contract length: 3 months
Pay: Up to £28,000.00 per year
Additional pay:
- Bonus scheme
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free or subsidised travel
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Schedule:
Monday to Friday
Application question(s):
- Are you able to commute to our main office based in Kirtlington?
Licence/Certification:
- manual B Category licence? (required)
Work Location: In person
Reference ID: LDT-001
Gardener
At The Oxfordshire Gardener, our philosophy is one of providing excellent and attentive garden care, with an approachable and friendly service.
The company is continuing to develop their portfolio and now would be a very exciting time for our expanding team of intrepid gardeners and landscapers, managing some of the most exceptional gardens in the area.
This role requires a talented gardener ready to develop their career working for a prestigious company. You’ll be caring for some of the most exceptionally beautiful residential and estate gardens in Oxfordshire, providing nurturing care and development to our portfolio of beautiful town and country gardens, including gardens of particular historic note.
Reporting to the Head Gardener, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your passion for horticulture and plants, so you’ll need to have an RHS-level qualification or similar. You’ll have the ability to ensure excellent customer service and brilliant horticultural care. You should be someone who enjoys the outdoor life, nurturing the gardens and who gets a great sense of achievement from presenting the gardens to the highest standards. Specific skills required for the role are good professional gardening experience, excellent plant knowledge and an in-depth understanding of year-round garden management.
As a gardener with us, you’ll effectively manage all gardens under your responsibility, developing excellent working relationships with clients so that their requirements are met and the gardens developed to the client’s satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities:
- Providing excellent horticultural and garden maintenance care to a variety of garden styles across our portfolio.
- Assist with soft landscaping projects, such as planting schemes, helping to deliver them on time and with attention to detail.
- Providing daily activity reports, detailing work completed and development advice provided in each garden visited.
- Suggesting to your clients additional work and services available, as well as plans for the garden over forthcoming months.
- Sharing your knowledge with other team members and supporting others in the team, utilising your areas of strength and expertise.
- Contributing to team meetings with updates on your portfolio of gardens.
- Liaising with the HQ team to ensure you have any specific items required for work within your portfolio in good time and ahead of visits.
- Ensuring that any company vehicle used is kept clean, tidy, organised and presentable to the highest standards.
- Ensuring all tools and equipment are kept in good condition and reporting any issues to the Senior Gardener.
Horticultural Apprentice (in association with Abingdon & Witney College):
This role requires a talented apprentice gardener, who’s ready to develop their career working for a prestigious company. You’ll be caring for exceptionally beautiful estates, manor houses and residential gardens in Oxfordshire, providing nurturing horticulture and garden development to our portfolio of town and country gardens. So, if you’re buzzing with energy and the drive to get things done, have an eye for detail, strive for excellence and efficiency in horticulture and garden care, love working in the serenity of nature, but have career goals, then you’re just who we’re looking for.
Apprenticeship summary
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Annual wage: £17,000.00
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Working week: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4.30pm
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Total hours per week: 40
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Expected duration: 15 Months
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Apprenticeship level: Intermediate Level 2 (GCSE)
What will you be doing as a Horticultural Apprentice?
Reporting to the Head Gardener, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your passion for horticulture and plants. You’ll be part of a small team, helping to provide excellent customer service and brilliant horticultural care. You should be someone who enjoys the outdoor life, nurturing the gardens and who gets a great sense of achievement from presenting the gardens to the highest standards.
As an apprentice gardener with us, you’ll play a key role in all the gardens you help care for, developing excellent working relationships with clients, in order that their requirements are met and the gardens developed to the client’s satisfaction.
● Providing excellent horticultural and garden maintenance care to a variety of garden styles across our portfolio.
● Assist with soft landscaping projects, such as planting schemes, helping to deliver them on time and with attention to detail.
● Providing daily activity reports, detailing work completed and development advice provided in each garden visited.
● Suggesting to your clients’ additional work and services available, as well as plans for the garden over forthcoming months.
● Sharing your knowledge with other team members and supporting others in the team, utilising your areas of strength and expertise.
● Contributing to team meetings with updates on your portfolio of gardens.
● Liaising with the HQ team to ensure you have any specific items required for work within your portfolio in good time and ahead of visits.
● Ensuring that any company vehicle used is kept well-feeling, clean, tidy, organised and presentable to the highest standards.
● Ensuring all tools and equipment are kept in good condition and reporting any issues to the Senior Gardener.
What training will the apprentice take and what qualification will the apprentice get at the end?
Qualifications included:
• Level 1 Functional Skills in English and Maths
• Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid
• Level 2 Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides
• Level 2 Award In The Safe Application of Pesticides Using Pedestrian Hand-Held Equipment
• Level 2 Horticulture Operative Apprenticeship
What is the expected career progression after this apprenticeship?
Progression to gardener following completion of an apprenticeship
Requirements
Desired skills and personal qualities
Communication skills, attention to detail, customer care skills, problem-solving skills, team work, initiative, non judgemental, physical fitness
Qualifications
GCSE or equivalent English (Grade A*-C 9/4) Desired
GCSE or equivalent Maths (Grade A*-C 9/4) Desired
GCSE or equivalent Maths (Grade A*-C 9/4) Desired
Things to consider:
Our office is based at Kirtlington Business Centre where we would meet each morning prior to going out to our clients’ gardens around Oxfordshire.
Skills Required:
- Providing information to the senior team and contributing to appraisals of the garden and advice to clients
- Motivation & pride in maintaining a consistently high standard of work
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work autonomously
- Strong teamwork skills
- Fit, strong, and healthy, capable of lifting equipment/plants to health and safety standards
- Excellent time management with strong attention to detail and high standards
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive flexible attitude
Apply:
Apprentice Gardener – Find an apprenticeship (findapprenticeship.service.
Reference number: VAC1000148663
About us:
At The Oxfordshire Gardener, our philosophy is one of providing excellent and attentive garden care, with an approachable and friendly service, and we’re ready to welcome a new member to our team. So, if you’re keen to learn and deliver first-class garden maintenance, have great communication skills and are organised with a positive approach, we’d love to hear from you.
Training provider:
ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE
For further course information can be found at:
Abingdon & Witney College – Horticultural Apprenticeships
Or contact:
If you have a passion for horticulture and the landscape and wish to join a successful company that can and will take your career to the next level, please do not hesitate to forward your CV and covering letter to us!
Please forward your CV and covering letter to:
laura@theoxfordshiregardener.co.uk
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