Leading Hand Parks Maintenance (Botanic Areas)

Location: Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens
Position Number: PE0215
Classification: Level 5 (Stream B)
Department: Infrastructure and Operations
Program: Parks & Open Spaces

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 horticultural practices within a highly visited public setting. Learn more at 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 garden 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 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.

How to apply:

Prepare and submit your cover letter and resume, outlining your relevant experience for this role.

Applications Close:

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Having troubles submitting your application?

Reach out to one of our friendly Talent and Onboarding Team by phoning 1300 MACKAY (1300 622 529).

***Important information for applicants:

To be considered for this position, all candidates must have the appropriate working rights for Australia. Your Australian work rights will be verified during the recruitment process.

Applicants who progress beyond the interview stage will be required to undergo a pre-employment process, which includes comprehensive Pre-Employment Medical Assessments (inclusive of Drug and Alcohol testing).

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer, where all applicants are treated fairly and respectfully and have equal access to all available opportunities. At Mackay Regional Council, diversity is about creating a respectful and inclusive workplace that recognises our employees' unique contributions and perspectives, working together to deliver extraordinary results.