Senior Horticulturalist

Who we are

The Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) is the nation's most diverse collection of Australian native plants. We directly contribute to safe-guarding Australia's plant species from extinctions and are responsible for leading, building and sharing knowledge of our Australian flora. The ANBG works closely with biodiversity science programs - the Australian Biological Resources Study, the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, the National Seed Bank, and Biodiversity Informatics - in partnerships for research, for management of physical and digital biological collections, and for management of fundamental national biodiversity data and information accessed nationally and internationally. The ANBG works closely with other Commonwealth parks to support plant conservation initiatives. The ANBG is uniquely placed to provide holistic solutions for national plant conservation, with combined expertise in, and specialist science facilities for, botanical taxonomy, evolution and systematics, seed biology and horticulture.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) in Canberra is a leading national institution for the conservation, study, and display of Australian native flora.

The Job

Senior Horticulturists supports the ANBG’s conservation, research, education and visitor engagement objectives. Working in either the Living Collections or Conservation Horticulture & Nursery management teams, the successful candidate will work under limited supervision and perform horticultural duties related to landscape maintenance and plant conservation, and/or nursery horticultural maintenance and propagation of native plants for the ANBG and conservation projects.

In this role you will be responsible for:

• Undertaking complex horticultural duties in the management of Australian native plants, including pruning, fertilising, as well as recognition of weeds, pests and diseases and appropriate control methods.
• Assisting to manage horticultural infrastructure and environmental control systems, including irrigation and nursery/glasshouse environmental system, ensuring that capability and programming reflect horticultural objectives.
• Assisting and contributing to the development of planning tools, such as landscape management plans or annual nursery production plans.
• Providing technical guidance and mentoring to Nursery/horticulture staff, trainees, work experience students, and volunteers.
• Undertake and ensure the safe use of chemicals and machinery in accordance with ANBG practices and procedures.
• Undertaking and ensuring the safe use and regular maintenance of plant and equipment in accordance with ANBG practices and procedures.
• Apply Australian National Botanic Gardens WHS policies. Conduct hazard and risk assessments as needed.
• Contributing information and maintaining accurate records through a range of recording and tracking systems, including databases, section and area planning tools and propagation and production data, ensuring the integrity of scientific plant collections and stock records.
• Collaborating with internal teams, researchers, and external stakeholders to support conservation and broader land management outcomes, and provide information relating to the ANBG to members of the public
• Participating in the weekend watering roster (optional)

Specific duties for the Living Collections & Assets team

• Plan, manage and maintain a defined area of the Gardens landscape and living collection, including standard horticultural tasks, such as: pruning, planting, fertilising, mulching, weeding, applying chemicals, and blowing paths and contribute as necessary to maintenance activities broadly across the Gardens site, ensuring plant health, high-quality presentation of horticultural displays, safety and accurate plant labelling.
• Taking on additional responsibilities related to the Living Collections in accordance with ANBG horticultural practices and procedures, for example tracking and conserving threatened species, tree works, irrigation, lawn maintenance and any other living collection management functions.

Specific duties for the Conservation Horticulture & Nursery management team

• Undertaking nursery horticultural maintenance and propagation tasks on a broad range of Australian flora varying from alpine to tropical regions.
• Applying specialist horticultural skills to investigate the propagation and growing requirements of Australian native plant species.

Flexible employment arrangements are available with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water