Full time, permanent position
£26,956 - £27,609 per annum dependant on experience
Do you want to be part of something amazing, and join one of the UK's leading educational charities? A place where we are driven by a sheer love of plants, the natural world and the belief that we all can make the world a better place, and where you will be working alongside some of the best horticulturists in the country.
Our mission is to demonstrate and inspire positive action for the planet.
Eden Project Cornwall is our original and flagship site, and one of the most popular attractions in the southwest of the country, attracting over 700,000 visitors each year. Over the last 25 years we have developed and created a garden of global importance and interest. This garden is home to a vast collection of incredible plants and growing environments, ranging from wild and natural landscapes, verdant rainforests, Mediterranean hillsides, North American prairies, Wild Chilean woodlands, as well as demonstrations of food production and crops from around the world. We use our horticulture to tell stories of how people and plants are intertwined, as well as being a source of inspiration to encourage positive action for our planet.
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of this incredible project. Help us to nurture and develop a range of 'wild' and cultivated plantings to the highest horticultural standards while being part of a friendly 45-strong garden team as well as the wider Eden family.
We are looking for a positive and friendly individual with the ability and passion to support and guide horticultural students, volunteers and apprentices and the occasional formal teaching activities. You will also have the desire to embrace a team environment, and confidence interacting with a variety of colleagues as well as the public.
Our ideal candidate will be highly motivated and enthusiastic, have good, all-round horticultural experience and an eye for detail. A minimum of a B.Sc. degree or many years' experience and certificates, including teacher training to mitigate not having a BSc degree would also be advantageous.
Benefits to working at the Eden Project include;
- Free entry to Eden and Heligan for family and friends
- 30 days holiday plus an extra day for your birthday (up to 35 days after 5 years service)
- Policy with Simply Health (optical, dental, EAP, physiotherapy) and access to UNUM for wellbeing support
- Financial wellbeing support - access to 121 sessions with an independent financial advisor
- Cycle to work scheme
- Training and development
- Enhanced pension scheme (above auto-enrolment rates)
- Death in service policy (4 x annual salary)
The closing date for applications is Sunday 22nd February 2026
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Family Definition
Roles within the Horticulture job family are dedicated to understanding, developing, designing, protecting, sharing, teaching and managing Eden's living collection of plants, in a landscape environment where visitors and students are encouraged to experience and learn about plants, habitats and eco-systems and their importance in providing a sustainable future.
Role Purpose
Develops, teaches and implements the effective propagation, cultivation, maintenance, education of plants, landscapes and ecosystems within Eden, protecting, enhancing and sustaining Eden's living theatre as a leading green destination. Developing and implementing planting and landscape schemes, designing maintenance programmes and practically transferring these essential skills by example to a team of horticulturalists, landscapers, students and volunteers to the highest possible level.
Your work will be mainly concentrated in the outdoor garden arena with temperate plants, temperate crops and temperate habitats. Working conditions are challenging with steep slopes and occasional harsh climatic outdoor conditions. A connection with agronomy and crops, an important element of Eden, would be advantageous.
Key Accountabilities
- Teaches, guides and co-ordinates the horticulture exhibits and Horticulture Technicians and students in the cultivation, development, maintenance and conservation of areas, projects and events, ensuring plants, landscapes and habitats are well maintained. Deliver Eden's long and short-term horticultural and landscape planning to be implemented on time and with quality expected as well as development of exhibits and projects working closely with the Manager considering the environmental strategy, ethical values and educational aspirations of Eden.
- Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate maintenance programmes, ensuring the Horticulture team deliver the appropriate soil preparation, cultivation, propagation, irrigation, amelioration and pest control activities to the required standards in terms of timescales, quality and budget. Assess and improve procedures using latest research, knowledge and best practice available from the Emergent Academy being set-up.
- Allocates, monitors, records (plants), audit and evaluates the work of the team, students and volunteers ensuring the effective management, performance, development and attendance, whilst ensuring all activities are carried out with adequate training and instruction in compliance with company policy and Health & Safety regulations.
- Determines the requirements for supplies and equipment; researches and specifies their procurement and co-ordinates distribution, ensuring compliance with Eden's sustainability standards and financial procedures.
- Actively engages and interacts with external professionals, visitors and colleagues, providing professional guidance and imparting specialist knowledge to promote and enhance Eden's reputation as a leading attraction in the area of agronomy, landscape design, green tourism and ethnobotany.
- Actively promotes the work of Horticulture within other areas of the organisation, thereby developing and maintaining the culture of collaboration and co-operation across all departments and functions. Imparts specialist knowledge and skills to ensure the successful delivery of Eden's programmes. Provides content for promotional material and publications.
- Specialisation: The jobholder has a specialist skill they can provide to Eden to fit a specific need. For example in sustainability, conservation, logistics, machinery maintenance, plant propagation, eco-restoration, entomology, hydrology, ethnobotany.
Demands of the Role
Education & qualifications
Preferred level of education: Bachelors in the Horticultural field or closely related or HND Horticulture/Landscape or with related teaching experience/ ability to transfer practical / technical knowledge.
Knowledge & skills
Minimum of 5 years' experience within the field of horticulture and/or landscape. An accomplished and knowledgeable practitioner within the subject field with practical and professional expertise developed within horticulture and landscape preferably with an identified specialized skill and proven teaching experience. Some years' experience previously working at a similar level, where the role involved an element of staff supervision. The job holder must possess the team leadership skills required to motivate, develop and manage staff, apprentices, students and volunteers by example and action. Certificates for PA1, PA6 and MEWP operator's license are beneficial, although not essential as training can be provided.
Decision- making
Effective day-to-day supervision of staff, students and volunteers has to be balanced against knowledge transfer, plans and priorities, requiring the job holder to deploy and utilize their team effectively.
Resourcefulness
Collaborates with colleagues and senior staff to devise innovative and creative ways to improve planting schemes, habitats, landscaping and foremost knowledge transfer. The job holder will be required to be flexible and use creative thinking to resolve unusual technical challenges or situations.
People & asset management
Guides by example a small dedicated and knowledgeable horticultural/landscaping team, students and designated volunteers and providing on-the-job training and mentoring as required. A shared responsibility for the health, integrity, maintenance and presentation of Eden's living collection; Identify procurement requirements as well as sourcing and ordering for approval by budget holders.
Communication & visitor experience
Effective oral and written communication skills are essential for this role which requires the job holder to engage and interact with a variety of visitors, colleagues and students in various situations requiring the use of a range of techniques and approaches. Visitor engagement includes some media, writing, public walk/talks, and alike.
Relaying information on varied topics to audiences of both professionals and amateurs e.g. lectures. Plans and writes editorial within own work area for students.
Operational environment
The role regularly requires physical effort and prolonged working on slopes within a variety of normal and harsh climatic environments.
Character
The job requires a decisive, intellectual, practically orientated, flexible, and communicative person with a social creative personality who cares about the world we live in and understands and agrees with the Eden mission. Someone with a positive responsible outlook wishing to make a difference in this world.
Additional Features
The job holder is required to continuously develop their technical expertise and team leading skills while keeping abreast of current Health & Safety regulations. The job holder may be required to travel nationally and internationally to work on specific assignments or projects.
