Gardening jobs in Rye

Pay: £24,500 FTE (pro-rated to days arranged)

Days worked per week: 3 days per week (flexible)

Holiday: 28 days including Bank holidays (pro-rated for part time employees)

Overall Purpose:

To support the smooth running of The Glasshouse logistics and plant care operation while training to take increasing responsibility for installations, maintenance, events, Christmas and special projects.

Overview:

Help keep a growing Social Enterprise moving - looking after plants, preparing brilliant client work and helping create second chances.

The Glasshouse is a Social Enterprise established in 2020, creating beautiful, nature-filled workplaces while creating training, paid work and employment opportunities for women with lived prison experience.

We design, install and maintain indoor planting for offices, hospitality and retail across London.

Behind every client installation is a busy logistics and horticultural operation: plants arriving, being cared for and prepared, materials and stock organised, vans packed, installations delivered and maintenance teams supported.

We are looking for someone practical, organised and eager to learn who can support our Logistics Manager and gradually build the skills to take on more responsibility across this operation.

The Opportunity:

This is a hands-on trainee role at the heart of The Glasshouse. You will learn how our plants, products and client installations move from order through preparation to delivery, while developing strong horticultural and plant care skills.

At first you will work closely with the Logistics Manager, supporting stock, deliveries, plant preparation, van packing and day-to-day organisation at our growing and warehouse facilities.

As your experience develops, we would expect you to take increasing responsibility for planning and delivering installations, refreshes, events, Christmas and other special projects.

You will receive substantial on-the-job training in horticulture, plant care, installations and our systems. Because our work is bespoke and involves many different products, plants and client requirements, we expect there to be a proper learning period. There is also the opportunity to work towards a horticultural qualification if you would like to.

This role will sometimes be client-facing, so you will need to be friendly, professional and comfortable working with a wide range of people. You will also work closely with colleagues across horticulture, operations, retail and our Social Impact Programme.

What you'll do:

Logistics - growing and warehouse facilities

• Support the Logistics Manager to organise and keep accurate records of plant, pot, material and equipment stock across our growing and warehouse facilities.
• Help keep both sites organised, safe and well stocked so that the team can work efficiently day to day.
• Support health and safety onsite, following The Glasshouse policies and helping maintain safe working practices.
• Receive deliveries of plants, pots and supplies and help organise incoming and outgoing stock.
• Prepare and pack plants, materials and equipment for client installations, refreshes, corporate gifting, workshops and events.
• Help manage stock orders for day-to-day supplies, planting media, pots and other materials.
• Support plant preparation ahead of installations, working under the direction of the Logistics Manager and horticultural team.
• Help ensure vans and trucks are packed accurately and safely, and attend client installations where required.
• Travel alongside drivers to London client sites to support deliveries and installations. Some early starts will be required.
• Drive the company van between our Cranbrook facilities when needed, subject to licence and insurance requirements.

Plant care - Cranbrook and London

• Learn how to care for indoor plants and help ensure stock plants are healthy, clean, watered and ready for client use.
• Develop the skills to install, refresh, maintain, clean and treat plants to The Glasshouse standard.
• Support the team with preparation and planting for installations, refreshes, shop orders, corporate gifts and monthly orchid deliveries.
• Work with the horticultural team to ensure plants are correctly recorded and managed within our plant passport system.
• As your skills develop, support or cover maintenance and refresh work at client sites where appropriate.
• Over time, take increasing responsibility for refresh logistics and coordination.

Christmas:

• Learn how The Glasshouse plans and delivers its Christmas programme, from stock and preparation through to installation and breakdown.
• Help maintain accurate records of Christmas stock and allocate decorations, trees and supplies to confirmed clients.
• Support the preparation of logistics documents and schedules for confirmed Christmas work.
• As your experience develops, take increasing responsibility for ensuring client orders are packed comprehensively and delivered smoothly.
• Take part in Christmas installations, deliveries and breakdowns, including early starts and occasional out-of-hours work where required.

Working as part of The Glasshouse:

• Work closely with colleagues across logistics, horticulture, operations, retail and our Social Impact Programme.
• Communicate clearly with the team so that stock, logistics, plant care and client work run smoothly.
• Attend regular team meetings and training, in person or online.
• Wear The Glasshouse branded clothing when working on site or with clients.
• Suggest practical improvements to our systems, services and ways of working.
• Support additional projects, events, maintenance cover and installation or breakdown work when needed.
• Where appropriate and agreed, help transport trainees between The Glasshouse facilities.

Who we're looking for

We care less about having done this exact job before than whether you have the practical skills, attitude and willingness to learn that will make the role work.

Essential...

• Highly organised and reliable

You can keep track of stock, tasks and timings, notice when something is missing and make sure things get done properly.

• Practical and hands-on

You are happy lifting, packing, moving plants and materials and working physically as part of a team. Safe lifting training will be provided.

• Keen to learn

You are interested in plants, horticulture and logistics and want to build your skills over time. Previous indoor plant knowledge is useful but not essential.

• A strong team player

You communicate clearly, build good relationships and are comfortable working within a small, diverse team.

• Detail-focused

You care about accuracy and presentation and understand that the small details matter when preparing work for clients.

• Self-motivated and practical

You can work independently, prioritise tasks and solve everyday problems without needing constant direction.

• Professional and customer-focused

You are friendly and professional with clients and colleagues and take pride in representing The Glasshouse well.

• Comfortable with basic systems

You can use Google Drive and are willing to learn the systems we use to manage stock, schedules and client work.

• Aligned with our purpose

You are enthusiastic about working for a Social Enterprise and comfortable working alongside women with lived prison experience.

Ideally...

You may already have some experience of logistics, warehousing, stock management, horticulture, plant care, installations, events or customer service. A clean driving licence, access to a car and confidence driving a van would be particularly useful.

You don't need to tick every box. We are looking for someone dependable, capable, curious and keen to grow with the role.

Why The Glasshouse?

The Glasshouse is at an exciting stage of growth. This role offers the opportunity to learn across horticulture, logistics and client delivery rather than being limited to one narrow area of work.

You will be supported by an experienced team, receive substantial practical training and have the opportunity to take on more responsibility as your knowledge and confidence grow.

And the work has a purpose beyond the plants. A well-run logistics and horticultural operation enables us to deliver great work for clients - and every successful client relationship helps create more training, paid work, employment and second chances.

Expected hours: 21.0 per week

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Free parking

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Cranbrook TN17 3AL: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Application question(s):

• Do you have a reliable, independent means of transport to travel to and from our sites in both Cranbrook and Staplehurst? Please type Yes/No
• This role is physically demanding and involves regular lifting, carrying, and moving items throughout the day. Are you comfortable with, and physically able to perform, these daily duties? Please type Yes/No
• How would you rate your basic computer skills (e.g., logging information, using basic software, or responding to emails)? Please type Excellent/Basic/No Experience

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person