🌿 Job Specification: Head of Gardens – KZN
📌 Position Title
Head of Gardens
📍 Location
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
👤 Reports To
Chief Executive Officer
💰 Salary
Market-related and negotiable based on experience, starting from R50,000 CTC per month. Additional benefits and package details will be discussed during the interview process.
🌱 Position Overview
A luxury hospitality property in KZN is seeking an experienced, disciplined and hands-on Head of Gardens to lead the full gardens department across the estate.
This senior leadership role covers the day-to-day running, presentation, planning and management of all gardens, including:
🌳 Legacy gardens 🌸 New developments 🏵️ Specialist garden areas 💧 Dams & water infrastructure 🚶 Pathways & guest areas 👥 Garden teams (±20 staff including Garden Manager)
This is a hands-on operational role, requiring strong leadership, planning, scheduling and a commitment to immaculate, guest-ready garden standards.
🛠️ Key Responsibilities
🌿 Gardens Leadership & Operations
- Take full responsibility for daily garden operations.
- Oversee all garden zones, lawns, pathways, dams and guest-facing outdoor spaces.
- Maintain luxury-level presentation standards.
- Lead a team of ±20 staff.
- Ensure planning, scheduling, supervision and accountability.
- Maintain discipline, structure and productivity.
- Deliver work to required standards, timelines and budgets.
✨ Guest Experience & Presentation Standards
- Ensure gardens are always guest-ready, clean, safe and beautifully presented.
- Maintain premium standards for hotel guests, day visitors, spa guests, weddings and events.
- Keep pathways, lawns and features consistently maintained.
- Identify issues proactively and ensure follow-through.
- Collaborate with other departments to support the overall guest experience.
📅 Planning, Scheduling & Reporting
- Prepare daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal work schedules.
- Conduct daily inspections and maintain action lists.
- Report to the CEO on standards, risks, progress and resource needs.
- Coordinate maintenance, planting programmes, irrigation checks and seasonal tasks.
- Use basic systems (email, Excel, budgets, schedules, reports).
👥 Team Leadership & Staff Management
- Lead the gardens team with discipline and consistency.
- Manage productivity, conduct, attendance and performance.
- Train, coach and develop staff.
- Support performance management and disciplinary processes.
- Build a culture of pride, detail and excellence.
- Lead by example and be hands-on when required.
🌸 Horticulture, Plant Health & Specialist Coordination
- Maintain oversight of plant health and horticultural standards.
- Work with external experts on orchids, grasses, trees and specialist plants.
- Implement approved garden plans and seasonal programmes.
- Translate expert advice into practical action.
- Monitor plant condition and garden health continuously.
💧 Water, Infrastructure & Maintenance Coordination
- Oversee dams, irrigation and water reticulation systems.
- Work with Maintenance for repairs and technical support.
- Identify and report issues with pumps, pathways, irrigation or infrastructure.
- Coordinate contractors and specialists where needed.
💼 Budget, Suppliers & Contractors
- Manage the gardens department within budget.
- Control spend on tools, equipment, consumables, plants and resources.
- Coordinate external experts, contractors and suppliers.
- Ensure contractor work meets standards and timelines.
- Use resources responsibly and efficiently.
⚠️ Health & Safety
- Ensure safe working practices.
- Oversee correct use of tools, chemicals, PPE and procedures.
- Monitor safety around pathways, dams and guest-facing spaces.
- Support company health and safety standards.
📚 Required Experience
- Minimum 5 years’ practical experience in gardens, horticulture, landscaping, botanical environments, luxury hospitality, lodges, nurseries or large private gardens.
- Proven experience leading garden or operational teams.
- Experience in guest-facing or high-standard environments is advantageous.
- Experience with contractors, suppliers or specialists is beneficial.
- Experience with large gardens or luxury outdoor spaces is highly suitable.
🎓 Qualifications
- Horticultural or botanical qualifications are advantageous but not essential.
- Practical experience, leadership ability and attention to detail are more important.
⭐ Skills & Attributes
- Disciplined and structured
- Hands-on when required
- Strong, confident leader
- Highly organised
- Excellent planner and scheduler
- Detail-driven
- Guest-aware and presentation-focused
- Practical and solutions-focused
- Comfortable with external experts and contractors
- Strong operational manager
- Calm under pressure
- Proud of maintaining exceptional standards
- Collaborative across departments
- Committed to excellence
✔️ Essential Requirements
- Valid driver’s licence
- Strong spoken and written English
- Basic computer literacy (email, Excel, schedules, budgets, reporting)
- Comfortable in a guest-facing hospitality environment
- Able to work hospitality hours (weekends, public holidays, peak periods, major events)
- Must live within reasonable travelling distance of KZN or be willing to relocate
- Must be available to start as soon as possible (subject to notice period)
📨 Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:
- A current CV
- A short cover note outlining relevant experience
- A recent professional head-and-shoulders photograph (no older than 6 months)