Botanical horticulturist

Are you a horticultural expert driven by a passion for botany? If so, we invite you to embark on an extraordinary journey with us—shaping one of Europe's most unique botanic gardens.

The 107 year old TU Delft Hortus Botanicus is part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. At the Hortus we facilitate research projects and exhibitions with a nature based solutions theme. Such as drought tolerant gardens, technical water gardens, and air filtering plant displays. The purpose of the plant collection is to showcase technical applications of both, tropical and native plants such as traditional and high tech fibres or pharmacological compounds. We host a number of symposiums, conferences, and botanically themed festivals for the university and the city of Delft (e.g. Bonsai Het Weston).

To realize our vision and rise to the next phase of development of our unique garden we are looking for passionate colleagues seeking to make a positive long lasting impact. Caring for the diverse plant collection will be at the heart of your work, accompanied by the punctilious task of maintaining accurate plant inventories using online databases and collection management software. We are particularly looking for somebody with proven expertise with herbaceous plants and/or with plant landscaping knowledge.

Your dedication will shape an inviting space where nature's beauty and potential is on full display, inviting visitors to explore and learn. Your hands-on approach will weave new chapters into the story of our collection, contributing to the Hortus being a place for connection, relaxation and discovery. You enjoy to transfer your knowledge to students, volunteers and interns through interdisciplinary collaborations and plan and organize your own work. You solve horticultural challenges as part of a team and make recommendations for improvements in business operations.

You will be in charge of shaping and nurturing selected outdoor areas in the Hortus applying your expertise, creativity and insights collected from colleagues and excursions. Developing the Hortus with regard to climate change will be a key feature for years to come. Our vision embraces both adapting to extreme weather and pioneering innovative garden practices for the public's inspiration and delight. Embracing TU Delft's ethos, we unite in forging a greener, more sustainable future through technological innovation.

• 24-38 hours per week.
• A salary between € 2,693 and € 3,636 gross per month (based on a 38-hour working week) and on scale 7 of the Collective Labor Agreement of Dutch Universities, plus 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus.
• An excellent pension scheme at ABP.
• The possibility to put together an individual work package every year.
• Discounts on health insurance.
• The university offers a flexible working week and the Netherlands is famous for its healthy work life balance.
• 232 hours of leave per year (based on a 38-hour working week). With your individual choice budget you can purchase extra hours or sell excess hours.
• An extensive education and training offer.
• The International Child Center offers childcare, before and after-school care and an international primary school.
• Partly paid parental leave.
• Access to our Health Coach Program that stimulates healthy working and vitality.

We are looking for a colleague with creative vision, expert knowledge and practical knowhow. You’re able to keep the collection in excellent condition and make it attractive to the public. In addition you bring:

• a Kew Diploma, RHS Level 2 Diploma or equivalent*;
• a good command of the English language;
• a solid knowledge of plants and experience with botanical gardening (agriculture or forestry background is insufficient);
• a good sense of aesthetics to design borders and theme gardens with strong collection and educational foundations.
• an EU passport or a EU residency permit.

* For the specialist garden work required in botanic gardens, we orientate ourselves towards the British RHS and Kew diploma programmes. The “ RHS level 2 Diploma in the Principles and Practices of Horticulture ” is considered entry level. The equivalent qualifications from other countries are also accepted. Opportunities to further your career development will be offered plus expertise exchanges with renowned institutions.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

With more than 1,000 employees, including 135 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,400 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we train students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers and science communicators.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

Biotechnology

Innovation is crucial to fulfil the potential of industrial biotechnology for sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, materials, food and feed. Similarly, scientific and technological advances in environmental biotechnology are needed to enable novel approaches to water purification, and ‘waste-to-product’ processes thus contributing to a circular economy. Increased fundamental knowledge encompassing enzymes, microorganisms and processes are essential for progress in this field. The Department of Biotechnology covers this research area and, based on new insights, selects, designs and tests new biobased catalysts, micro-organisms, and processes.

The position is available in the section Botanical Garden.

Please apply via the application button before Friday March 29 2024. If you have questions or require additional information, feel free to contact James Byng. Do you meet the requirements and would appreciate an informal (video) meeting prior to your application? Contact James Byng before 29/03/2024 via [email protected], a motivation is not required however we do ask you to include a CV or link to your LinkedIn profile.