Garden Team Leader/Horticulturist

A distinguished private garden in Santa Barbara seeks an experienced Garden Team Leader / Horticulturist to steward and advance a refined Mediterranean-style landscape set across approximately 29 acres. This position is designed to best preserve the integrity and long-term vision of the gardens, and establish a stable, accountable, and high-performing team environment moving forward.  The ideal candidate is a hands-on horticultural professional with demonstrated leadership experience in private estate garden management.

Duties to include, but not limited to:

·          Provide overall leadership and direction for the care and evolution of the Mediterranean-style gardens and grounds

·          Manage, mentor, and elevate an on-site garden team, while coordinating specialized outside vendors

·          Develop and implement seasonal planting strategies, irrigation plans, fertilization schedules, and sustainable horticultural practices

·          Monitor plant health, soil conditions, integrated pest management, and long-term landscape vitality

·          Execute and oversee fine gardening, pruning, detailing, and hands-on horticultural work as required

·          Collaborate with landscape architects, contractors, and consultants to ensure design continuity and quality execution

·          Maintain tools, equipment, and garden infrastructure to professional standards

·          Develop and oversee horticultural budgets and project timelines

·          Adapt to estate needs with professionalism, including occasional weekend or holiday coverage

This is a full-time position:

·          Monday–Friday (flexibility required)

·          Generous compensation

·          Full benefits – health, dental, vision, life, 401K, paid vacation, paid holidays, and paid sick days

Qualifications:

·          Degree in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, or related field

·          5–10 years of progressive experience in estate garden management, ideally within Mediterranean or California appropriate landscapes

·          Proven success leading and developing garden or grounds teams

·          Strong working knowledge of irrigation systems, plant health care, soil science, and sustainable practices

·          Demonstrated ability to balance creative vision with structured operational management

·          Exceptional attention to detail, organizational capability, and discretion

·          Ability to pass a comprehensive background check and provide outstanding professional references

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