Head Gardener

Major Duties and Responsibilities

In this role, you will play a vital part in maintaining and enhancing the College's gardens and grounds to ensure they are safe, visually appealing, and conducive to a welcoming environment. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Maintenance of garden areas to provide maximum plant health and to be visually appealing
• Create and implement maintenance schedules for all gardens and grounds of the campus
• Regularly identify areas of improvement for the gardens and grounds
• Utilise industry best practice pruning to promote plant health and flowering
• Control of pests, diseases, and fertility to ensure optimum growth and health of the plants
• Regular mulching of garden beds to suppress weed growth
• Ensure playground soft fall material is always above minimum depth and topped up as needed
• Maintain hedges to a healthy standard
• Monitor, collection and disposal of all rubbish, debris, leaf litter and dropped branches on footpaths and driveways to eliminate trip and slip hazards
• Ensure sports areas are free of weeds, moss, and litter
• Advise Maintenance Supervisor when arborists are needed to address certain campus trees
• Keep up to date with modern industry practice through professional development
• Be alert for safety concerns around the campus and report them immediately
• Additional duties as assigned by the College

Person Specification

Essential Criteria (competencies, qualifications, knowledge and experience)

• Proven experience in horticulture with 3-5 years' experience in a similar position
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Experience working both cooperatively in a team and autonomously
• Relevant experience and skills in the safe and effective use of tools and equipment
• Acts professionally and maintains appropriate confidentiality
• Willingness to learn new tasks and skills, including the use of new equipment
• Innovative and practical approach to problem solving
• An understanding of the Victorian Child Safe Standards
• Certificate 3 in Horticulture

Desirable Criteria (competencies, qualifications, knowledge and experience)

• Previous experience in schools, aged care or similar environment
• Proven competence with use of technology
• Current Victorian drivers' licence

MLC's commitment to child safety

MLC is committed to the safety, participation, and empowerment of all children. All members of our community, including employees, contractors, agency staff and volunteers, have an important role in providing students with a safe and nurturing environment in which to prosper and thrive. MLC has zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently within our policies and procedures.

MLC is committed to preventing child abuse through identifying risks early and removing and reducing these risks. We have robust human resources and recruitment practices, supported by regular training and development.

We support and respect all children, as well as all members of our community. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal students, the cultural safety of children from a culturally and/or linguistically diverse background, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.