Vacancies

Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Remuneration: Unremunerated 

Location: Edinburgh

Closing date: 20 September 2019 at midnight 

Scottish Ministers will shortly appoint a new Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.  The appointment is for up to four years and will begin in December 2019.

The role

The Chair of Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (RBGE) is responsible for extending the reach, impact and profile of RBGE’s work.  RBGE’s wealth of expertise on biodiversity and climate change makes it a key organisation in shaping Scotland’s understanding and action in response to these global challenges.  RBGE’s gardens themselves are exceptional places which offer great opportunities to Scotland’s people and communities.

The Chair will be key in shaping RBGE’s future through dynamic leadership of the organisation, building on successes to date and growing a vibrant, leading organisation for the future.  RBGE will celebrate its 350^th anniversary in 2020 and this will be an immediate focus for the Chair as an opportunity to showcase the organisation’s work and set out its future ambitions.

The Chair will act as an ambassador for RBGE, building positive relationships of influence to support RBGE’s ambitions, including plans for the Edinburgh Biomes, a major capital project to build new glasshouses.

Skills and experience

The Chair will demonstrate a track record of leadership in driving the delivery of strategic priorities; the ability to develop positive relationships and collaborations and influence others to achieve successful outcomes; and understanding of how to lead a well governed and performance focused board.

Appointment information

The Chair is expected to spend a minimum of two days and up to four days per month on the role, but this pattern can be worked flexibly.  This appointment is not remunerated however travel and subsistence costs and expenses will be reimbursed.

Application will be by letter and CV supported by a basic application form that captures your personal details/declarations and equalities monitoring information.  Further details on the role and how to apply can be found HERE .  The closing date for applicants is 20 September 2019.

Scottish Ministers particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented on Scotland’s public bodies, such as women, disabled people, those from minority ethnic communities, and people aged under 50.  The public appointments process promotes, demonstrates and upholds equality of opportunity for all applicants.

Online Tutor (Horticulture)

1 Year Fixed Term Appointment, based in Edinburgh (3 days)

Salary range - £29,759 to £32,305 (pro-rata)

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of the world’s top four botanic gardens based on the quality, breadth and depth of our science, plant collections, public engagement and education. PropaGate Learning is RBGE’s online learning platform that provides learning opportunities to people in the UK and across the globe. RBGE is one of 6 approved RHS distance learning providers, enabling UK and international students to study for an RHS qualification. The RHS Level 2 Principles of Horticulture Certificate is RBGE’s flagship online course and we now have an exciting opportunity for a tutor to join us for a year to develop online resources and support our students on this course. The role will also involve online tutoring on the RHS Level 3 courses.

The successful applicant will also be providing student support which will include answering questions on online forums and monitoring student progress.

We are looking for applicants with a strong horticultural background. This post allows you to use and convey your horticultural knowledge while giving you the opportunity to develop your digital and online teaching skills. You should be flexible in your approach, with strong planning and time management skills and the ability to use different teaching methods to engage students. Applicants should hold a degree or diploma in horticulture or have equivalent work experience. A recognised teaching qualification would be advantageous. Experience of supporting students and developing learning resources is desirable. Strong IT skills are essential.

A full job description and person specification is available for this role can be downloaded from this page.

Interested candidates should send a CV (2 pages max.) and covering letter outlining the skills and experience you could bring to the post to recruitment@rbge.org.uk, along with a completed equal opportunities questionnaire by 12noon on  28th August 2019. Interviews will take place on Friday 6^th September 2019.

If you haven’t heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume your application hasn’t been successful on this occasion.

No recruitment agencies please.

 

Horticulturist - Benmore Botanic Garden

Permanent, full-time,

Based at Benmore Botanic Garden

Starting Salary £19,818 - £21,112

We are looking to recruit a Horticulturist to join our team at Benmore Botanic Garden.

You shall be working within a team of eleven Horticulturists who have responsibility for the maintenance and development of the diverse, internationally significant plant collections grown at Benmore. This will include activities such as planting, mowing, weed control, hard landscaping, winter debris clearance, drainage and removal of Rhododendron ponticum. Part of your role shall also be propagation and husbandry of plants within the Benmore nursery with associated activities of maintaining plant database records, application of fertilisers, pesticides and biological controls, maintaining plant labelling and carrying out stocktakes.

Ideally applicants should hold a recognised horticultural qualification and have relevant practical experience. You shall have a positive, pro-active personality and be comfortable working within a team environment but also be self-motivated as there will be periods of lone working. You should have good horticultural and plant knowledge, be familiar with common pests and diseases, and have experience of the operation and maintenance of a range of horticultural machinery. It would also be beneficial for candidates to have both spraying and chainsaw certification. You should be a good communicator capable of receiving instruction, providing feed-back and be at ease with garden visitors.

A full job description and person specification outlining all the essential and desirable criteria can be downloaded from our website at www.rbge.org.uk/about-us/vacancies

Interested applicants should send a CV and covering letter which outlines your suitability for this post. You should also complete and return an equal opportunities questionnaire. Applications should be sent to recruitment@rbge.org.uk by noon on Friday 6^th September 2019. Interviews are anticipated to take place week commencing 16th September 2019.

If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is committed to providing a fair and equitable working environment and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to these posts. We have a range of initiatives to promote diversity and inclusivity, including flexible working for staff with, for example, parenting and carer responsibilities, and proactive celebration of diversity among our staff, students and volunteers. RBGE holds an Athena SWAN Research Institute Bronze Award in acknowledgement of our commitment to the advancement of gender equality.

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• Equal Opportunites