About Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens
Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens is a significant regional botanic garden with a strong focus on tropical and subtropical horticulture, conservation, and public engagement. The Gardens feature curated living plant collections, thematic landscapes, and display gardens that showcase flora from the Central Queensland Coast Bioregion and comparable environments.
The Gardens play an important role in plant conservation, education, interpretation, and community connection, supporting guided walks, exhibitions, events, and research-informed hort icultural practices within a highly visited public setting. Learn more at 1772864114723000&usg=AOvVaw1BCPTYJUisZoArNzukY1dn\">mackayregionalbotanicgardens.com.au.
About the Opportunity
Mackay Regional Council is seeking an experienced botanic garden or public garden horticulturist to join the team as Leading Hand - Horticulture (Botanic Areas).
This role supports the care, development, and presentation of living plant collections and display landscapes, working within a botanic garden framework that prioritises horticultural excellence, plant health, sustainability, and visitor experience.
As a Leading Hand, you will provide day-to-day supervision and technical guidance to a small horticultural team, contributing to the delivery of programmed maintenance, collection care, and landscape enhancement activities in line with botanic ga rden standards and agreed service levels.
This is a hands-on leadership role suited to candidates with experience in botanic gardens, arboreta, or high-quality public gardens, who are passionate about living collections and professional horticultural practice.
community events.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and support a horticultural team in the maintenance of botanic garden landscapes, display gardens, and living plant collections.
* Assist with the care and development of plant collections, including planting, pruning, replacement works, and ongoing plant health monitoring.
* Deliver programmed horticultural maintenance in accordance with established schedules, presentation standards, and seasonal priorities.
* Contribute to landscape development and enhancement projects within a curated garden environment.
* Ensure all works comply with workplace health and safety requirements, environmental best practice, and service level agreements.
* Support a positive, inclusive, and safety-focused team culture in a public-facing botanic garden setting.
Essential Skills & Experience
* Demonstrated experience working in a botanic garden, arboretum, public garden, or curated horticultural collection environment.
* Sound practical knowledge of horticultural principles, including plant establishment, maintenance, and presentation in a living collections context.
* Experience providing on-the-job leadership, supervision, or mentoring within a horticultural team.
* Understanding of the standards required for horticulture in high-amenity, publicly accessible gardens.
* Strong commitment to workplace health and safety and environmentally responsible practices.
* Relevant qualifications in Horticulture, Parks & Gardens, or a related discipline.
Why Work for Mackay Regional Council?
* Work within a professionally managed botanic garden environment focused on horticultural quality and public engagement.
* Contribute to the stewardship of significant living plant collections in tropical North Queensland.
* Be part of a progressive local government organisation with a strong focus on employee wellbeing and development.
Discover more about the Mackay Region 1772864114723000&usg=AOvVaw070TDJT6j1FPjAO8wMydOR\">https://www.discovermackay.com.au/
In addition to the above, we also offer the following benefits:
* Base annual salary from $67,054.26.
* Up to 18% superannuation (conditions apply).
* Choice of 4 or 5 weeks' annual leave with 17.5% leave loading.
* 9-day fortnight roster.
* Salary sacrificing options.
* Corporate discounts and wellbeing initiatives.
* Employee Assistance Program and active social clubs.
Want to know more about this role?
View the Position Description (PD) for this role in the document attachments.
nrmjobs.com.au/job/20028438