Head Gardener

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

Summerset Waikanae is seeking a hands on Head Gardener to lead and care for its outdoor spaces, blending practical horticulture with strong leadership. This full time, onsite role runs Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm, supervising garden staff and contractors, planning work programmes and budgets with the Property and Village Managers, and maintaining irrigation systems and seasonal improvements to keep the grounds welcoming for residents and visitors. The ideal candidate will hold a National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4+) and a Growsafe certificate, with proven community or aged care experience and a warm, respectful approach. Benefits include health insurance, employee share scheme, birthday leave and EAP; apply early before March 3.

Company Description

You can help bring our villages to life!  

Summerset Waikanae is preparing to welcome residents to its beautifully designed village – an exciting new chapter for our vibrant community. With its stunning location and thoughtfully landscaped grounds, the outdoor spaces will be a true highlight – and we’re searching for a skilled and passionate Head Gardener to help bring them to life.

Job Description

We’re looking for a passionate and experienced Head Gardener to bring life, colour, and care to our Waikanae village.

This is a hands-on, varied role where you’ll combine practical gardening expertise with strong organisation and leadership skills, taking pride in creating and maintaining beautiful outdoor spaces that residents, families, and visitors can enjoy. If you love working outdoors, value community, and have a genuine appreciation for both people and plants, this could be the role for you.

Key duties:

• Ensure well maintained, beautiful gardens and landscapes
• Maintaining clean, tidy, and well-presented buildings, grounds, and shared amenities
• Presenting a professional, friendly, and welcoming manner to residents, families, and visitors
• Supervise garden staff and contractors. 
• Working closely with the Property Manager and Village Manager to plan, manage, and report on work programmes and budgets
• Undertaking seasonal and long-term planning to enhance and evolve the village’s green spaces
• Maintain irrigation systems, tools and garden infrastructure to the best practice standards.

This a permanent full time role, working Monday to Friday 8am - 4:30pm. 

Please click here to view the job description. 

Qualifications

You’ll bring hands-on experience in gardening or landscaping—ideally within an aged care or similar community-focused environment. What truly sets you apart, however, is your passion for creating beautiful outdoor spaces and your warm, respectful approach to working with people from all walks of life.

You’ll also bring:

• A National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4 or above)
• A Growsafe (Standard) Certificate
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and resolve issues efficiently
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• A proactive, self-starting attitude with the initiative to work independently

Additional Information

We are proud to show our appreciation for the passion and commitment our people show every day, by offering a selection of employee benefits:

Our benefits include:

• Annual Employee Share Scheme
• Southern Cross Health Essentials Insurance
• Birthday leave
• Employee Assistant Programme for you and your family
• Ongoing training and career development 

Next Steps: Applications for this role will close on Tuesday 3rd March. This role may close early due to an increased number of applications - apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!