Key Terms of Employment

Position/Role: Gardener and Caretaker
Business: Lake District Estates
Location: Kendal, LA9 4QD, Cumbria
Terms: Permanent, part-time
Hours: 20 - 24 hours per week
Pay: £23 - £25,000 PA FTE
Availability: Immediate start available
Applications: Applications should be made by submitting your CV and covering letter to jobs@lakedistrictestates.co.uk

Overview

An experienced Gardener and Caretaker is required to join a small team of staff within a private house located in the centre of Kendal. The house is part of the family-owned Lake District Estates company and is used to host both owner/family accommodation and company meetings, training, and events.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced individual who is happy to work both independently and as part of a small team to undertake a range of gardening tasks as well as some minor general maintenance in and around the property.

In this role you will carry out a wide range of horticultural duties, including mowing and lawn care, planting, pruning, weeding, seeding, potting and pest control. We will ask you to come up with ideas and planting schemes to improve and develop the garden.

You will also be responsible for basic caretaking and small maintenance in and around the property, plus organising the maintenance, cleaning and servicing of gardening equipment and pool vehicles.

Summary of the Key Duties and Responsibilities

The role will include:

• Grass cutting and lawn maintenance.
• Trimming and pruning shrubs, roses, and fruit trees.
• Weeding, planting, and bed maintenance.
• Maintaining gravel/cobblestones/paved surfaces, paths, driveways, walls, and fences.
• Maintaining the greenhouse, growing cuttings, seeding, and potting plants.
• Waste management gardens and property.
• Manage the grounds maintenance budget and monitor cost control.
• Procurement of materials and equipment.
• Maintaining accurate records of equipment, servicing and chemical applications.
• Undertake basis general repairs and maintenance to the property, including simple health and safety checks and associated record keeping.
• Coordination of specialist trades and contractors, including planned maintenance works.
• Maintaining firewood and coal stores and stock levels – also delivering to various locations offsite.
• Management of the access gates and timings.
• Coordinating safety checks and valeting of company pool cars on site.
• Providing ad hoc assistance to the housekeeping team, for example manual lifting, where required.

Person Specification

You will have relevant experience and knowledge, an understanding of garden design and bedding schemes, and be creative and truly passionate about gardening. You will enjoy and take great pride in the gardens and have the skills and vision to enable the garden to flourish under your care.

A full driving licence is a requirement of the role, as there will be the need, on occasions, to visit other local sites. A vehicle will be provided for such trips.

Pay and Benefits

£23,000 - £25,000 per annum FTE.

In addition to the above pay provision, the following benefits are also provided:

• 28 days paid annual leave per year, increasing with service.
• Death in service life assurance benefit of 2 x annual salary.*
• Workplace pension employer contribution of 5%, with the opportunity to increase this to 6% provided this is at least matched by the employee.*
• Company sick pay - entitlement increases with length of service.*
• Flexible working opportunities and family-friendly policies.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Employee well-being programme (in development).
• Free onsite parking.

* upon completion of 3-month probationary period

We also provide the following staff discounts:

• Free travel for immediate family on Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Ullswater 'Steamers'.
• Staff discounts in retail and café outlets.
• Significantly discounted holiday accommodation rates across the group including a friends and family rate.

About Lake District Estates

Lake District Estates is a dynamic and growing family-owned company incorporating a number of businesses operating private holiday home ownership, self-catering holidays, residential and commercial lettings, retail outlets and heritage visitor attractions. The company head office on Maude Street in Kendal provides support to the wider business accommodating senior management, finance, marketing, human resources, and property teams.