Are you looking for a quiet gardening job? This is not it. Imagine overseeing 4,000m² of vacant land transformed with rescued, donated and wayward plants and trees into a vibrant public space - a living greenspace hub for sustainability, creativity, culture and community.
Two part-time posts or one Full-time post - £40,000 pa pro-rata
Launching this summer with a community build, Cultivate Colindale will feature a biodiverse meadows, gardens, allotments, a greenhouse complex with propagation, a materials yard and a community tree nursery alongside sustainable innovations, creative commissions and cultural programming.
At the heart of the site will be the House of Wayward Plants Reuse Centre. Building on nearly a decade as the Official Reuse Partner of the RHS, distributing over 100,000 mature plants, trees and materials to over 1,000 community and school gardens across London, the reuse centre will allow us to expand our reuse efforts year-round, diverting waste from the construction and horticultural industries to green London, supporting the communities who need them most.
Cultivate Colindale was designed by Wayward, an award-winning design and placemaking practice, and will be run by Wayward in partnership with Energy Garden, a community benefit society that develops community gardening and renewable energy initiatives.
This is a highly unique, public-facing role for a pioneering and ambitious new project. It’s also a physically demanding job. You’ll wear many hats including:
- Host: Be the public face on site, communicate the vision, build local relationships, welcome visitors and volunteers.
- Gardener: Lead stewardship of all planted areas: community allotments, biodiverse habitats, greenhouse propagation and tree nursery. Care for rescued and donated plants and trees.
- Site Operations: Run day-to-day operations: opening and securing the site, health and safety, inductions, incident logging and problem-solving. Support community builds of the site.
- Reuse Operations: Manage the flow of donated plants, trees and hard-landscape materials arriving through the Reuse Centre.
- Coordination: Build weekly work plans so Energy Garden’s engagement officer can create meaningful volunteer and apprentice opportunities. Plan for seasonal tasks and special projects, and flag when extra hands are needed.
Skills:
- Advanced horticultural knowledge and practical skill, preferably gained in community growing or public-garden settings. You will have access to Energy Garden’s biodiversity and tree officers and Wayward’s reuse expertise.
- Confident communicator who enjoys working with communities and the public.
- Comfortable with physical on-site tasks, including our community builds. Bonus: willing to use a cargo bike and - with training - drive a forklift.
- More bonus skills: basic construction or carpentry, photography, foraging, seed saving or propagation, Let us know what else you do!
Qualities we’re looking for: Highly collaborative, social and energised by this project, its vision and all its possibilities. Organised and thoughtful. Hopeful and optimistic about the power of green spaces to transform communities.
Working pattern: Site open days run Wednesday to Sunday, so regular weekend work is essential. Hours will be arranged to provide cover across these five days, with occasional evenings for events or late deliveries. We're open to a split part-time arrangement if two people can work seamlessly together, or one full-time hire. Start as soon as possible.
How to apply: Email jobs@wayward.co.uk with a short cover letter and CV. Tell us if you seek part-time, full-time or if you're open to either. Right to work in the UK required. Training provided for any required certifications. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We will review applications as they arrive and keep the role open until filled.