Garden & Outdoors Manager

We're looking for a Garden & Outdoors Manager to lead the care, development and presentation of our gardens and outdoor spaces within the Knightshayes & East Devon Property Group. This is a key leadership role, ensuring exceptional horticultural standards of care and presentation, protecting the spirit of place, and creating experiences that inspire visitors and support our conservation work.

What it's like to work here

Reporting to the General Manager you will lead our garden teams and be a member of the leadership team, playing a pivotal role in shaping and influencing our future across the whole property group. You will inspire our wider team of staff and volunteers to play their part in this exciting new chapter for our properties.

We're a newly formed property group which reaches across Mid and East Devon. There's so much potential here for you to make a difference for people and our places. We have ambitious plans to grow Knightshayes as a visitor destination, with our nationally significant twentieth century Garden in the Wood at the heart of that. We also care for a diverse range of other properties too including A la Ronde, Old Blundell's, and swathes of countryside and coast.

For more information about our property please visit

What you'll be doing:

• You'll lead the planning, day to day management and long term development of gardens and parkland areas, ensuring they are cared for to the highest horticultural and conservation standards.
• Managing and developing your team will be central to the role, creating a positive working environment and maximising volunteer involvement.
• You'll oversee budgets, monitor performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and generate income.
• Risk management will be part of your responsibilities, ensuring safe working practices, compliance with legislation and effective responses to issues such as plant diseases.
• You'll help shape the visitor experience for outdoor spaces, creating opportunities for engagement and supporting events, tours and activities.
• Working with partners, communities and colleagues across the Trust, you'll contribute to wider conservation goals and share expertise to support others.

Who we're looking for:

• demonstrable ability to manage change and lead a team of a similar scale to deliver results.
• demonstrable experience of horticulture with excellent technical plant knowledge and understanding of plant health & husbandry.
• knowledge in conservation of historic landscapes, specifically gardens and parklands.
• confidence in managing budgets and income generation.
• an ability to communicate effectively at all levels and confidence working with contractors and suppliers.
• knowledge of health and safety requirements and other compliance issues relating to gardens and parklands.
• experience of land and access management.

Applications from National Trust redeployees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below:

• demonstrable ability to manage change and lead a team of a similar scale to deliver results.
• demonstrable experience of horticulture with excellent technical plant knowledge and understanding of plant health & husbandry.
• knowledge in conservation of historic landscapes, specifically gardens and parklands.
• an ability to communicate effectively at all levels and confidence working with volunteers, contractors and suppliers.

The package

The National Trust has the motto 'For everyone, for ever' at its heart. We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It's important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we're for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places