Vacancies

Paid traineeship  

Role Summary 

Payment: 80 hours at £12.60 per hour split over duration of traineeship paid in 7 equal monthly instalments.  Up to £1,008 in total, subject to completing the full traineeship. 

No previous experience or formal knowledge in environmental science is needed to be a Biodiversity Ambassador.  

Full-time (35 hours), permanent, based at Dawyck Botanic Garden

Salary: £45,712 to £50,980 (pay award pending) plus generous holiday entitlement, Civil Service pension and other benefits

At the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), we’re passionate about plants and their power to inspire, educate, and connect people. We’re looking for a Curator to lead the team at Dawyck Botanic Garden—one of the world’s finest arboreta, nestled in 65 acres of breathtaking woodland and burnside walks.

This is a unique opportunity to combine your horticultural expertise with leadership, creativity, and a deep commitment to biodiversity and community engagement.

As Curator, you will play a central role in championing the care and cultivation of Dawyck’s living collection, using climate-conscious and biodiversity-friendly practices. You’ll lead and inspire a small, dedicated team, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. Working closely with our science, learning, and visitor teams, you’ll help create a welcoming and inclusive experience for all who visit. You’ll also represent Dawyck both locally and internationally, building strong relationships with communities and stakeholders. Importantly, you’ll contribute to shaping and delivering RBGE’s strategic goals, ensuring Dawyck continues to thrive as a place of beauty, learning, and connection.

We’re looking for someone with experience working with scientific plant collections in a botanic garden, strong leadership and communication skills, and a solid understanding of modern horticultural practices and plant conservation. You’ll bring proven project management abilities, a passion for engaging diverse audiences, and hold relevant horticultural qualifications along with a valid UK driver’s licence. Experience in budgeting, procurement, teaching, or fundraising would be an added bonus.

To arrange an informal discussion about the role, please contact Gillian Williamson at gwilliamson@rbge.org.uk 

To apply, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with the following:

• Your CV
• A covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you would bring to the post

Please also electronically complete and submit an equal opportunities questionnaire using the following link: EOQ form. This form should not be included with your email application.

Closing date:                        Midday (BST) on Monday, 4 August 2025
Interview date:                     14 August 2025 at Dawyck Botanic Garden
Recruitment information:   Job description and person specification

If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please.

Fixed term September 2025 to 31st March 2026 (approx. 7 months) full time post, based in Edinburgh
Salary £25,424 per annum (pay award pending) plus generous holiday entitlement, Civil Service pension and other benefits

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a world-leading botanical institute and international visitor attraction located in the centre of Edinburgh. Our work builds on our long history as a scientific botanic garden and centre of education with internationally important botanical collections and a commitment to the study and conservation of plants. Situated in the heart of Edinburgh, the garden is a sanctuary for a wide range of plant species, attracting visitors from all corners of the globe.

We are looking to recruit a full-time fixed term Horticulturist to join the Glasshouse team. You will be joining a team that together takes care of a hugely diverse collection of tender and tropical plants used for display, education, research, and conservation. This role comes at a time of exciting development at RBGE; the successful candidate should be flexible and adaptable and enjoy the possibilities that come with change. 

You will be responsible for helping with the maintenance and cultivation of at least one of RBGE’s collections. This could be a planted/landscaped collection held in one of our iconic public display houses, or a research potted collection grown in one of our non-public glasshouses, or in our semi hardy collection. Duties for your area will include watering, fertilising, weeding, propagating, pruning, monitoring for pests and diseases, and maintaining plant records, plus potentially some hard and soft landscaping. 

The role will involve working alongside staff, students, interns and volunteers as we prepare the plants and planting areas of the newly refurbished Historic Palm Houses for the planting in 2026.

The ideal candidate will have experience working with plants in a controlled environment (e.g. glasshouses), be a good communicator, and be able to work unsupervised as well as with others. You should have a passion for learning, show initiative, and be a positive ambassador for the Garden.

To apply, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with the following:

•    Your CV
•    A covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you would bring to the post

Please also electronically complete and submit an equal opportunities questionnaire using the following link: EOQ form. This form should not be included with your email application.

Closing date:                          12:00pm midday (BST) on Friday 25 July 2025
Interview date:                       w/c 4 August 2025
Recruitment information: Job description and person specification    
Project Information:            https://www.rbge.org.uk/news/edinburgh-biomes

If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please.