Head Gardener (Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace)

Location: Based at Hampton Court Palace, with regular visits to Kensington Palace and providing occasional support when required across all HRP palaces including Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.

We are the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share. To find out more, please visit our strategy page found here Our strategy | Historic Royal Palaces

We currently have a rare and exciting opportunity to join our Gardens & Estates Team in a pivotal role as Head Gardener. This role is key in shaping the future of the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace as we build on over 500 years of horticulture and adapt them to be resilient to climate change, sustainable in their operation and delivering high standards of horticulture for our visitors, whilst delivering HRP’s strategy to be a ‘Charity for Everyone’. For further details on the gardens, please refer to the Candidate Pack and visit our website www.hrp.org.uk

As Head Gardener, your role will be to lead and manage the planning, maintenance and development of the historic landscape at Hampton Court Palace with oversight of Kensington Palace and the Kew Palace kitchen gardens, delivering high horticultural standards throughout the year.

The role will involve administration, ordering, planning and delivering daily, annual, and long-term work programmes, using strong horticultural expertise, people management and operational planning skills to deliver high standards of nature positive sustainable horticulture with seasonal impact and exceptional experience for visitors.

You will lead and motivate the team, setting clear objectives, planning work programmes, providing opportunities for growth and development, creating a supportive, positive, and inclusive work environment.

You will also manage a large annual operational budget, control project spend as well as contribute to annual resource planning and stakeholder engagement and ensuring health and safety compliance.

We are looking for a strategic and compelling leader: someone who can champion and manage our gardens with confidence and conviction, bringing people with them and sharing our work with visitors.

Applicants should bring strong horticultural knowledge and proven experience managing large gardens, estates, parks or historic landscapes. You will be confident and visible leading teams, planning operational work programmes and maintaining high standards across complex or high-profile outdoor environments.

We are looking for someone who is organised, calm under pressure and able to prioritise effectively. You will be a confident communicator who can build strong working relationships with colleagues, contractors, visitors and stakeholders championing our work externally. A supportive, solution-focused leadership style and a genuine commitment to developing others will be important.

Accommodation could be provided, subject to taking on Duty Superintendent responsibilities for out of hours emergency cover (on a shared rota basis).

Benefits Include

• Hybrid working
• Enhanced holiday entitlement
• Generous Employers Pension Contributions (up to 11%)
• Annual Pay reviews & Bonuses
• Critical Illness Cover & Life Assurance
• Family friendly policies and benefits
• Staff discounts and membership to all palaces

Closing date: 17th December 2026

If Applicable: We have adopted a hybrid model of part working from home and part working from site, we are open to discussing what best works for individuals and their work life balance whilst also delivering the business requirements.