Specialist Nursery Manager, Shuttleworth Botanic Garden

Role Summary

As part of a strategic expansion in our living collections, conservation initiatives, and plant research capabilities, The Shuttleworth Botanic Garden (SBG) is seeking an innovative Specialist Nursery Manager – Germination and Propagation. This is a newly created position responsible for designing, implementing and leading a state-of-the-art propagation facility.

The successful candidate will take operational and scientific leadership over the germination and early-stage propagation of a broad spectrum of temperate, wild-origin species at scale. Utilising advanced environmental control technology and precision automation, the Manager will deliver species-tailored micro-climates, strictly uphold national and international phytosecurity protocols and oversee rigorous data management via institutional record-keeping systems.

Key Responsibilities

1. High-volume germination and species-specific propagation

• Oversee large-scale seed processing, scarification, stratification, germination trials and early propagation for diverse taxa (including rare, threatened, and recalcitrant species).
• Design, implement, and refine tailored propagation regimes to scale production for wild-origin conservation, ex-situ living collections and research projects.
• Monitor seedling establishment, vigour, and health during the early growth phases before transitioning stock to main nursery areas or collection beds.
• Review and report on the utility of asexual propagation techniques for relevant species and implement those techniques as required.

2. Climate technology and environmental controls

• Operate, programme and maintain automated nursery infrastructure, including environmental systems controlling humidity, fogging, day/night thermal curves, photosynthetically active radiation lighting and irrigation.
• Optimise species-specific micro-climates within mist units, micro-propagation suites, germinators, and specialised growing zones to maximise germination success rates.
• Monitor sensors, environmental logs and climate data to proactively troubleshoot equipment variations and maintain optimal growing parameters.

3. Seed bank management, testing and viability

• Direct seed bank operations in accordance with international botanic garden standards.
• Conduct rigorous seed quality testing, including moisture content analysis, cut tests, tetrazolium staining, radiography, and germination percentage trials.
• Manage seed storage infrastructure (desiccation, ultra-low temperature, and deep-freeze preservation), ensuring long-term conservation value and genetic integrity.

4. Phytosecurity and biosecurity protocols

• Enforce institutional phytosanitary standards, biosecurity protocols, and integrated pest/disease management practices across all propagation zones.
• Ensure full compliance with national plant health regulations and international transfer frameworks, including CITES, the Nagoya Protocol and import/export quarantine procedures.
• Implement strict quarantine regimes for newly acquired germplasm and incoming plant material to eliminate the risk of pest/pathogen introduction to the wider garden collections.

5. Data management and record keeping

• Maintain accurate, real-time accessioning, seed lot tracking and propagation logs using specialised botanical software.
• Record germination rates, dormancy-breaking treatments, and environmental variables to build institutional knowledge and contribute to peer-reviewed research or garden publications.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Education

• Required: Master’s degree (MSc) or PhD in plant science, horticulture, botany, plant physiology, seed science or a closely related biological field.

Technical experience and expertise

• Proven post-qualification experience managing specialist nursery operations or seed research facilities, ideally within a botanic garden, research institute or advanced commercial germplasm facility.
• Deep, demonstrable expertise in seed biology, seed bank management, viability testing and dormancy-breaking techniques across diverse taxonomic families.
• Extensive experience of propagation methods; both sexual and asexual.
• Applied experience operating computerised nursery environmental management platforms and automated climate chambers.
• Expert knowledge of global phytosecurity standards, quarantine protocols, and regulatory frameworks governing seed and plant transfers and the ability rapidly to build detailed knowledge of applicable Isle of Man biosecurity regulations.
• Proficiency in using plant collection management databases for accession logging and curation tracking.

Personal attributes

• The drive to be part of the SBG becoming a world-renowned botanic garden.
• Strong leadership capability with a forward-thinking, scientific mindset to establish and optimise the outputs from a new post.
• Highly methodical with exceptional attention to detail in scientific record-keeping and biosecurity tracking.
• Excellent collaborative communication skills to interface with research scientists, horticulturists and international institutional partners.

General

This is a full-time role in the Isle of Man.

Having a full, clean driving licence is necessary as the role may involve working at different sites on the Island.