Horticultural Team Leader (Lead Gardener)

University of Bristol - Gardens and Grounds

Placed On: 26th February 2026

Closes: 12th March 2026

Job Ref: SUPP113220

The role

A great opening has arisen at the University of Bristol for a full-time Lead Gardener based in the Green Flag award winning & historic Royal Fort Gardens situated at the heart of the university’s campus near the centre of the city. The role is to head a small team of gardeners carrying out the day-to-day maintenance, enhancement, and development of the gardens and various smaller properties and landscapes in the vicinity.

What will you be doing?

You will be leading a small team of dedicated Horticulturists undertaking high-quality amenity horticultural to ensure the university green spaces and grounds are maintained as welcoming, attractive, and safe environment for students, staff & visitors.

In addition, you will contribute to the development of the gardens through new landscapes, planting projects and biodiversity enhancements and occasionally assist with volunteer groups undertaking horticultural & conservational activities.

Largely a horticultural role, rather than a grounds role, tasks will range from shrub & tree pruning, herbaceous border, orchard and meadow maintenance, hedge cutting, weed control & pond maintenance, as well as litter picking and seasonally essential task, such as leaf clearance and snow & ice treatments.

You should apply if

We are looking for a passionate, self-driven & motivated gardener, who has previously worked in a similar amenity horticultural environment and has supervisory experience. You should have good attention to detail and be a good team player, who can use their initiative when required.

You should have a recognised horticultural qualification, a supervisory qualification or willingness to attain it, reasonably good plant knowledge, a good understanding of Health & Safety, full driving license, and ideally hold certificates of competence such as PA.1 & PA.6, although a willingness to attain these would be acceptable as we are keen to develop the skills of our teams and provide you with an environment that you can flourish.

You should also have good communication and interpersonal skills and be happy to assist and work with our other horticultural and grounds teams.

Additional information

Work pattern: Full time - 35 hours

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Thursday 12th March.

For informal queries please contact: James Fiddock (Gardens and Grounds Manager) on 07990 540279 or James.Fiddock@bristol.ac.uk.

Please apply via the ‘Apply’ button above.

Our strategy and mission

We recently launched our strategy to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people - because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.