About Us
Palais is a landscape and horticultural practice working across London and the UK. We design, install and care for distinctive gardens and planting in private residences, hospitality settings, commercial spaces, private residential estates and the public realm.
Our work is bold, site specific and rooted in a deep understanding of plants. We create landscapes that are visually striking but also healthy, resilient and responsive to the seasons. Many of the spaces we design remain under our long term care, allowing us to develop and improve them over time.
Palais is not a conventional gardening company. We combine strong design ideas with skilled, practical horticulture and expect a high standard of care, presentation and attention to detail. Our gardeners play a central role in protecting the design intention, understanding how each landscape should develop and identifying opportunities to make it better.
Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced Horticultural Operations Manager to take ownership of the day-to-day operational delivery of Palais’ horticultural work across multiple sites.
This is a senior management role combining horticultural knowledge with workforce planning, team leadership, client management, logistics, quality control and commercial awareness. You will ensure that gardeners and freelancers are properly briefed, resourced and supported, that sites are maintained to Palais’ horticultural and visual standards, and that work is delivered efficiently and professionally.
You will line-manage the Horticultural Lead and wider gardening team, own the maintenance and refurbishment schedule, oversee performance and training, and provide the Company Director with clear and reliable operational information.
The Horticultural Operations Manager protects the wider business from operational disruption by providing a reliable, professional foundation across all sites, ensuring teams are well-directed, standards are consistently upheld, and clients receive an exceptional level of service.
Role Responsibilities
Operational Planning and Delivery
During busy project periods, the role becomes more intensive, requiring careful coordination across sites, teams and stakeholders. Timely, decisive actions and clear communication are key to success.
● Own and maintain the weekly and forward horticultural work programme across all maintenance, and small renovation projects.
● Translate contracts, maintenance plans, design information and client requirements into clear and achievable work programmes.
● Allocate gardeners, freelancers, vehicles, tools, materials and time according to site priorities and available capacity.
● Ensure teams receive accurate job information, task priorities, access arrangements and site-specific instructions before work begins.
● Coordinate operational requirements across multiple sites, identifying clashes, gaps and risks in advance.
● Adjust plans calmly and decisively when weather, absence, access issues or changing project requirements affect delivery.
● Manage site budgets effectively, monitoring expenditure and making sound operational decisions that reflect business priorities.
● Prepare management reports and operational updates for the company director as required.
● Anticipate problems before they arise and resolve practical issues efficiently.
Team Leadership and Management
The Horticultural Operations Manager takes full ownership of team performance across all sites, providing clear direction, consistent supervision, and a positive working environment.
● Lead, manage and motivate horticultural teams across multiple sites, setting clear expectations and holding teams to high standards.
● Provide clear work instructions and supervise day-to-day task delivery, ensuring work is completed to specification.
● Manage individual and team performance, providing constructive feedback and conducting regular reviews.
● Identify training and development needs within the team and support continuous professional growth.
● Lead recruitment, selection and onboarding for gardeners and horticultural freelancers.
● Foster a calm, positive and professional team culture.
Horticultural Quality and Site Standards
The role requires a strong working knowledge of horticultural science and practice, applied consistently across diverse sites and growing conditions.
● Maintain a strong working knowledge of plant health, seasonal maintenance, pruning, soil care, irrigation, establishment, pests and diseases.
● Carry out regular site audits to review plant health, horticultural standards, and visual presentation.
● Ensure each scheme is maintained in accordance with its design intention, maintenance requirements and seasonal development.
● Provide technical guidance to the maintenance team and make sound horticultural decisions where issues fall outside the experience of the site team.
● Implement pest and disease control programmes in accordance with regulatory requirements.
● Work with the design team to identify appropriate improvements, replacements and seasonal interventions.
● Manage Palais’ small scale plant propagation practice from sowing through to planting.
● Assess, repair and maintain hard structures and landscape features on site.
Systems, Records and Reporting:
Systems development and diligent record keeping are all central to the role.
● Maintain accurate maintenance schedules, job sheets, team allocations, site records and operational documentation.
● Ensure site reports, photographs, plant health concerns and recommended actions are submitted consistently by the team.
● Develop and improve practical systems, checklists and SOPs.
● Support the introduction and consistent use of digital project-management, scheduling and time recording systems.
● Conduct and review risk assessments, flagging concerns promptly to senior management.
Health, Safety and Compliance:
The Horticultural Operations Manager is responsible for maintaining a positive and proactive safety culture across all sites.
● Implement and uphold health and safety protocols, ensuring full team compliance with all relevant legislation.
● Conduct and review risk assessments, flagging concerns promptly to senior management.
● Ensure pesticides and chemicals are handled, stored and applied safely and in accordance with regulatory requirements.
● Manage waste reduction, recycling initiatives and responsible disposal of materials.
● Ensure all tools, equipment and machinery are correctly selected, safely operated and properly maintained.
Client and Stakeholder Management
Build and maintain excellent relationships with clients, stakeholders and suppliers.
● Deliver outstanding customer service and ensure client expectations are consistently met.
● Manage incoming and outgoing communications relating to site operations professionally and promptly.
● Flag client concerns or practical issues to senior management as appropriate.
This job description outlines the principal duties of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and the post holder may be required to undertake other reasonable duties commensurate with the level of the role to meet the needs of the business.
About You
Essential
● Substantial professional horticultural experience, including a minimum of two years in a team management role within a horticultural or grounds maintenance environment.
● Demonstrable experience managing operations across multiple sites simultaneously
● A recognised Level 3 horticultural qualification or equivalent combination of professional training and experience.
● Strong organisational skills and the ability to maintain accurate systems, records and forward plans.
● Emergency First Aid at Work, Level 3 Award (or working towards)
● Proficiency in English and Maths at a level appropriate for communication, planning and budgeting.
● Sound knowledge of health and safety requirements within practical horticultural work and committed to maintaining a positive safety culture.
● Excellent attention to detail and takes genuine pride in the standard of their work, and understands that well-run operations make everything else possible.
● Strong organisational skills.
● Great written and verbal communication skills. able to direct teams, liaise with clients and report to management with equal confidence.
● Ability to work independently while knowing when to seek guidance, with the ability to take ownership of sites and systems without repeated instruction.
● Excellent financial acumen to create quotes, track budget spendings and staff costs.
● Good IT skills, including Google Workspace and the ability to pick up new systems fast.
● Full UK driving licence.
● Willingness to travel across multiple sites across London and the UK.
Desirable
● Experience managing maintenance operations within design-led landscapes.
● Experience with large scale container planting and challenging urban growing conditions.
● Experience managing installation projects, seasonal refurbishments and small renovations.
● Experience introducing or improving operational systems and standard operating procedures.
● Experience working within a small, growing creative business.
● Familiarity with project management, scheduling and time tracking software.
Pay: £40,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Do you hold a recognised Level 3 horticultural qualification or equivalent combination of professional training and experience?
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
