Vacancies
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The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) needs keen and enthusiastic individuals to support the Garden’s mission to explore, conserve and explain the world of plants.
We have four sites around Scotland, Dawyck Botanic Garden near Peebles, Benmore Botanic Garden near Dunoon, Logan Botanic Garden near Stranraer and in Edinburgh.
We currently employ around 300 staff and work with around 300 volunteers to achieve our objectives.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is committed to ensuring that all staff and customers are treated equally irrespective of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy may be downloaded from the link further down the page.
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Related Links
Employee Benefits and Discounts
If you require the above download documents in an alternative format, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk or call 0131 552 7171.
Current vacancies
Full-time (35 hours), permanent post, based in Edinburgh
Salary: £86,716-£95,196 plus membership of civil service pension scheme (28.97% employer contribution) and generous holiday entitlement
Are you a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for delivering results? Do you excel at inspiring and engaging diverse audiences and have a proven track record of securing substantial philanthropic support? If so, this is your chance to lead and shape the Development and Communications strategies at one of the world’s most prestigious botanical institutions—the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). Join us in building on recent successes in fundraising and elevating our national and global profile.
As Director of Development and Communications, you will play a crucial role in advancing our mission by driving income growth, cultivating key donor relationships, and elevating the organisation's visibility. This is an ideal role for a motivated, strategic leader who excels in combining fundraising expertise, innovative marketing, and impactful communications. You will be instrumental in enabling us to continue delivering our world-leading work in biodiversity research and conservation, horticulture, education, and public engagement, while also identifying and delivering new income opportunities.
This is a unique chance to join a forward-thinking, mission-driven organisation and help us continue to address the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. If you’re ready to lead and inspire we’d love to hear from you!
Although we see this as a full-time role, applications will also be considered from candidates looking to work on a part-time basis.
Further information can be found in our recruitment brochure for the post: Recruitment Brochure
No recruitment agencies please.
Full-time (35 hours), permanent post, based in Benmore (near Dunoon, Argyll)
Starting salary £45,712 plus civil service pension, generous holiday entitlement, and other benefits
One of the four gardens of RBGE, Benmore Botanic Garden attracts an average of 40,000 visitors per year, and is one of the finest gardens in Britain, with stunning displays of rhododendrons and magnolias. The Garden has one of the finest avenues of Giant Redwoods in the country, and a fully restored Victorian fernery. There are important plant collections from China, Japan, Bhutan, North and South America, and spectacular views across the surrounding landscapes.
We are looking for an experienced and passionate leader to join us as Curator of Benmore Botanic Garden. You’ll be responsible for the planning, management, development, and presentation of the garden to the highest horticultural standard, liaising with many internal and external stakeholders. You’ll also lead and motivate the gardens team, working collaboratively across RBGE departments to develop and deliver RBGE strategy goals and a great visitor experience.
If you’ve got proven management experience within a botanic garden, experience of working within a multi-site organisation, have excellent communication, project management and digital skills, and are looking for your next challenge in a stunning location then we’d love to hear from you.
To apply, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with:
• your CV
• a covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you’d bring to the post
• a completed equal opportunities questionnaire: EOQ form
Closing date: Midday (12pm GMT) on Tuesday 19 November 2024
Interview date: Thursday 28 November 2024 at Benmore
Recruitment Information: Recruitment brochure
Further information about us can be found at https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/benmore-botanic-garden/
If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please.
Full-time (35 hours), fixed term )18 months) post, based in Edinburgh with potential for some hybrid working
Salary £36,904 per annum, plus civil service pension and other benefits
RBGE is a world leading botanical institute and international visitor attraction taking positive action for plants and people; from local communities across Scotland, to more than 40 countries around the world. Our priority is to tackle the biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency, and to support the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Our work builds on our 354-year history as a scientific botanic garden and centre of education with internationally important botanical collections, and extensive international partnerships. Our four Scottish gardens – Benmore, Dawyck, Logan and ‘The Botanics’ in Edinburgh – comprise one of the richest plant collections on earth.
Working closely with the Interpretation and Design lead, you will support the creative development of briefs for range of contract deliverables including: interpretive content and/or design for panels, exhibitions, events, interactive displays, printed leaflets, signage, marketing and communication materials and other related design-based media. You’ll support the delivery of RBGE’s Interpretation and Design Framework as well as develop interpretive content and/or design solutions with sensitivity and understanding of the interpretive content and context for display at all four Gardens.
Applicants should be qualified or experienced in audience focused interpretive content development or interpretive design, be a team worker, have good communication skills and be knowledgeable in best practice – delivering creative, affordable maintainable and sustainable solutions.
Applications are particularly welcome from racial and ethnic minority groups, and other protected characteristics who are underrepresented at RBGE.
To apply, please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with:
- your CV
- a covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you’d bring to the post
- a completed equal opportunities questionnaire: EOQ form
Closing date: midday (GMT) on Friday 15 November 2024
Interview date: 26/28 November 2024
Recruitment Information: Job description and person specification
If you haven’t heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume your application hasn’t been successful on this occasion. No recruitment agencies please.
28 hours per week, 9-month fixed term contract (mat cover), based in Edinburgh/hybrid
£25,424 (pro-rata) plus civil service pension and other benefits
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of the world’s top four botanic gardens based on the quality, breadth and depth of our science, plant collections, public engagement, and education.
In this role you will provide administrative support to our Schools Manager in the promotion, booking and operational arrangements for all early years and school programmes delivered onsite at RBGE, during schools’ weeks at our 3 other Gardens, offsite and online. You will also the NLHF funded project Planting Connections.
You will be involved in supporting the planning and resourcing of sessions, developing, and releasing promotional materials alongside website updates, gathering stats and evidence for reports, funders and for budgets, booking in schools, and administrating bursaries for transport at all 4 gardens.
You will be an excellent communicator who thrives working in both a team and individual setting, be comfortable working to deadlines, with a keen eye for detail and in an environment in which priorities can change at very short notice. A full job description which covers all of the essential and desirable criteria can be downloaded below.
Applications are particularly welcome from racial and ethnic minority groups, and other protected characteristics who are underrepresented at RBGE.
To apply please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with:
· your CV
· a covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you’d bring to the post
· a completed equal opportunities questionnaire: EOQ form
Closing date: 12pm GMT on 22 November 2024
Interview date: 6 December 2024
Recruitment information: Job description and person specification
If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please
35 hours per week, fixed term to 29 August 2025, based at Benmore Botanic Garden
Starting salary £25,424 plus civil service pension and other benefits
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of the world’s top four botanic gardens based on the quality, breadth and depth of our science, plant collections, public engagement, and education. We are looking to recruit two Horticulturists on a fixed term basis to join our team at Benmore Botanic Garden. This could also be a secondment opportunity for an existing member of the RBGE community.
You will be looking after and carrying out general maintenance on our extensive plant collection and tasks will include grass cutting, pruning, weeding, and using various types of horticultural machinery. You’ll also be involved in plant propagation at the Nursery, development work in the garden, including re-landscaping, planting, drainage, tree felling and other associated duties.
Applicants should hold a recognised horticultural qualification, ideally NVQ/SVQ Level 2 or have equivalent practical work experience in a horticultural role. You should have an enthusiasm for horticulture, with good practical skills and horticultural knowledge, a good knowledge of health and safety practices, can communicate clearly and confidently with colleagues, students, and our visitors and be able to work efficiently, alone and in a team within a horticultural discipline with independence.
Applications are particularly welcome from racial and ethnic minority groups, and other protected characteristics who are underrepresented at RBGE.
To apply please email recruitment@rbge.org.uk with:
• your CV
• a covering letter outlining the skills, knowledge and experience you’d bring to the post
• a completed equal opportunities questionnaire: EOQ form
Closing date: 12pm GMT on 28 November 2024
Interview date: 5 December 2024
Recruitment information: Job description and person specification
If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted. No recruitment agencies please.
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