Work with us
People and plants have shaped Chelsea Physic Garden since 1673. The people who currently work or volunteer in the garden still believe in the power of plants.
Current vacancies
Schools and Families Officer
Position: Permanent, part-time (4 days a week).
Salary: £25,000 – £28,000 per annum (FTE) – Actual £20,000-£22,400
About the role:
Are you passionate about inspiring children and young people through nature and plant science? Join us as the Schools & Families Officer at Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest outdoor classroom, home to over 4,000 plant species.
In this role, you’ll work closely with schools, home-educators, colleges, and community groups to deliver engaging, high-quality learning experiences for all ages. You’ll create digital resources to extend our impact, engage both in-person and online audiences, and foster connections with diverse learners.
Additionally, you’ll manage bookings, scheduling, and invoicing for our schools and family programmes, ensuring smooth operations and a lasting impact on our visitors.
Help us share the wonders of nature and plant science with the next generation!
To apply: Please use the Application Form below, and email to: , with role in the title of the email. Please also fill in an Equal Opportunities Form and send this too. If any aspect of the application process poses a barrier to you, please email us and we will do our best to help.
Closing date for applications: 11.59pm, Sunday 23 February 2025
Interview date: Monday 3rd March 2025
Visitor Experience Director (Maternity Cover)
Position: Temporary – maternity cover, full-time, 35 hours per week (including some evenings and weekends as part of a roster).
Salary: £48,000 p/a.
About the role:
This role is responsible for delivering an enriching and welcoming experience for audiences, sparking curiosity and lifelong learning. It contributes to project visioning, development and implementation. It leads the organisations health and safety and risk management responsibilities and manages the small but important archive collections.
The successful candidate will relish the opportunity to maximise revenue from visitor admissions, including donations and gift aid. They will work closely with colleagues to ensure visitor safety and the quality of the welcome. Through their team they will ensure that there is an enriching learning, outreach and public engagement programme and engaged volunteers.
This role is a key member of the senior leadership team and takes an active part in strategic planning for the Garden, attending Board and its subcommittees meetings and is an active part of the Chelsea Heritage Quarter steering and programming groups.
To apply: Please complete the job application form below, and equal opportunities form and email to: .
If completing the application form would present a barrier to you applying for this role, please contact: , providing brief details of the issue for you and we will do our best to agree suitable alternative arrangements for your application.
Closing date for applications: Sunday 2 March 2025, 11.59pm.
Provisional first interview date: Wednesday 12 March 2025.
Horticultural Trainee
Position: Fixed term contract of 18 months. Full-time, on average 35 hour week with occasional weekend working.
Salary: £25,201.
About the role:
Applications are now open for our paid Horticultural Traineeship. Do you have a passion for plants and an interest in working with a historic living collection? Are you looking to develop your horticultural skills? Apply via our website to join our friendly team.
This paid traineeship will encompass eighteen months working alongside our team of experienced gardeners, volunteers and wider team of experts. The Trainee will have the chance to hone their practical horticultural experience alongside studying towards RHS level 2 (or equivalent). The trainee will work outside and in the glasshouses with a diverse plant collection in a small botanic garden.
We work an average 35 hour week and have a rota of weekend working shared between the team. The salary on appointment is £25,201 plus pension, employee welfare scheme, and more.
This Traineeship has been made possible thanks to the support of the Rick Mather David Scrase Foundation.
To apply: Please complete the job application form below, and equal opportunities form and email to: .
If completing the application form would present a barrier to you applying for this role, please contact: , providing brief details of the issue for you and we will do our best to agree suitable alternative arrangements for your application.
Closing date: Sunday 6 April, 11.59pm.
First interviews: week commencing 28 April.
Finance Director
About the role:
We are looking to recruit our next Finance Director. The Finance Director plays a leading role in the organisation’s overall strategic planning, playing a critical role in supporting the Board, the Director and senior leadership team, ensuring effective and timely annual strategic and operational business and budget planning.
The Finance Director will be both a leader and practitioner, taking an active part in achieving the workload of the small department (1.4FTE), whilst also confident as a key member of the leadership team and trusted adviser to Trustees and committee members.
Preparation of accurate and timely reports including, monthly quarterly and annual management reports, as well as responsibility for leading on the annual audit and preparation of the annual financial statements for the charity and trading subsidiary.
The Person:
Qualifications, Experience and skills needed include:
- ACCA/CIMA/ACA fully qualified Chartered or Certified Accountant with substantial post qualification experience
- Demonstrable understanding of charity and company accounting processes and distinct legal differences
- Logical and methodical with excellent attention to detail in the presentation of written and verbal reports
- Confident and competent to manage a diverse workload in a pressured environment without substantial direction
- Willingness to work in a highly collaborative manner with colleagues
- Staff management and supervisory skills demonstrating an ability to influence others to achieve outstanding results
- Experience in a small organisation requiring strategic and operational input
Basic terms and conditions:
This is a full-time fixed term role (35 hrs) per week and may include some weekends and bank holidays as part of a roster. Opportunities for hybrid working after probation based on a minimum of 60% at the Garden including either a Monday or a Fridays.
Salary up to £72,000 for the right candidate; salary exchange pension contributions based on employer 6% – employee 3%; 33 days annual leave including 8 bank holidays. Death in service and a generous employee wellbeing and assistance programme.
All enquiries to Allan Freeman – AGF Recruitment
Closing date: please see link above to contact recruiter.
1st Interview: 5 & 6 March 2025.
To apply:
Please contact Allan Freeman at AGF Recruitment.
Our Application form is available to download, please use it for the job you wish to apply for, clearly stating the role you are applying for. Also, please complete and send us this equal opportunities form with your application. Please note, that we cannot accept applications via a CV or resume, and we can only consider applications from UK residents or those with the right to work in the UK.
Chelsea Physic Garden is an inclusive employer. If any aspect of our application process poses a barrier to you, please get in contact via and reasonable adjustments can be arranged.
Chelsea Physic Garden is a London Living Wage Employer
Chelsea Physic Garden has existed on the banks of the Thames since 1673, delivering its founding mission to demonstrate the importance of medicinal and herbal plants to the well-being of humankind.
The Garden has a successful education programme, a thriving membership and annually welcomes over 50,000 visitors. As a financially self-supporting charity, the Garden’s challenge for the future is to reinforce its relevance and popularity whilst strengthening its diverse income streams.
Chelsea Physic Garden is an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from everyone, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, neurodiverse people, and people from all ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
Working at Chelsea Physic Garden is rewarding; not only do you get to work in an iconic and beautiful location, a number of benefits exist for employees. To view them click below.
Become a Horticultural Trainee
Horticultural traineeships give trainees a chance to experience the various aspects of working in a small botanic garden, gaining experience in practical horticulture and the management of a unique plant collection, with scientific research and educational applications, both outdoors and under glass.
Our 2023/2024 Horticultural Trainee is generously supported by the Rick Mather and David Scrase Foundation.
An additional two-year entry-level trainee post is funded as part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund project to restore our historic glasshouses, our thanks go to all the funders.
We also rely a large network of volunteers
Are you a people person dedicated to a high standard of customer service, who would like to spend time in London’s oldest botanic garden?