Gardens Manager

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced horticulture and arboriculture specialist to play a key role leading the Gardens team, working across Uppingham School’s high-profile gardens. 

Uppingham School’s gardens form a vital part of the estate for pupils, parents, staff and visitors to enjoy. These include a mixture of private gardens and landscapes across the estate as well as several smaller residential gardens, feature gardens and an arboretum.  

Reporting to the Head of Estates Services, the Gardens Manager will lead and support a dedicated Gardens team, utilising their extensive horticultural and management experience to produce and oversee annual work schedules and propose seasonal and long-term planting and maintenance strategies to ensure the gardens achieve their full potential.

The successful candidate will need experience of running a similar department within an estate of a comparable size and will be required to have qualifications and significant experience in horticulture and arboriculture.

The postholder should have excellent interpersonal and communications skills. They will need to consult and liaise with a wide variety of people and will also need to monitor and control the significant budget for the department, so will need to be financially competent.

Knowledge and practical application of the Health and Safety at Work Act and its subordinate legislation is required. In particular, the postholder will need to be competent in the handling of chemicals or fuels and the safe operation of various types of machinery.

An interest in conservation management is equally important.

This is a full-time position, working 39 hours per week across 52 weeks per year, with a salary range of £43,000–£45,000 per annum, dependent on experience.

The closing date for applications is 13 January 2026. 

Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised deadline should we receive a sufficient number of applications. We would therefore encourage early submission.