Role: Horticulturalist
- Located at Sydney’s Iconic - Taronga Zoo!
- Temporary, 1 Year Contract, Full-Time position
- TCSA Salaried Employees Award, Horticulturalist Level 1, annual package $82,913.88 (includes base salary $73,154 + plus superannuation & leave loading)
Taronga Zoo Sydney is looking for an experienced and motivated Horticulturalist to join our Wildlife Ops team!
As a Horticulturalist at Taronga, you’ll combine expert plant knowledge with hands-on care to transform exhibits and grounds into thriving ecosystems. From native revegetation and browse harvesting to mentoring the next generation of gardeners, you’ll shape green spaces that support wildlife, inspire guests, and advance sustainability across the zoo.
About the Role…
Provide horticultural services for the presentation of exhibits and general facilities, maintenance of bush land area using bush regeneration and revegetation techniques, tree health and the management of browse plantations for essential animal food collection.
Key Accountabilities…
- Carry out a broad spectrum of horticultural duties including, general grounds, garden and lawn maintenance, species identification, browse production & harvest, revegetation, turf management and weed control including the administering of approved chemicals.
- Provide technical expertise and advice to gardeners and other labour resources on general grounds maintenance (including remnant bush areas, harbour foreshore and offsite browse collection sites including browse plantations).
- Undertake a variety of landscaping projects within grounds and exhibits, including providing horticultural expertise on landscape design.
- Undertake bush regeneration and revegetation in and around Taronga premises.
- Coach, support and mentor allocated staff including Gardeners and Horticultural Apprentices & Volunteers.
- Actively contribute to record keeping including research, identification, cataloguing, data collection and labelling of plant species across zoo grounds, exhibits, browse plantations and harbour foreshore.
- Work effectively as a member of a high performing team, to assist Taronga in its achievement of strategic outcomes.
- Comply with and suggest sustainable practices in the workplace to help Taronga achieve sustainability targets and reduce environmental impact.
About You…
We are looking for candidates that have:
- Recognised Trade or Horticulture certificate or equivalent experience.
- Experience in Arboriculture
- Current NSW Driver’s License or ability to have existing license formally recognised, including ability to drive a manual vehicle.
- Obtain and maintain a current paid NSW Working with Children Check at own expense.
Benefits…
Our employees enjoy generous employment conditions including some of the following:
- Flexible Hybrid work model - Taronga supports a blend of in-office, remote, and on-the-go workers!
- Complimentary family and friends passes across both Taronga’s Sydney & Dubbo Zoo’s
- Free onsite car parking, outside of peak periods
- A wide range of discounts on our award winning accommodation across both sites
- Discounted food and beverage purchases across the sites
- Discounted Fitness Passport
- We’re a social team - there’s always lots going on around the zoo that we get involved with!
- + more!
We Value Diversity…
Taronga is an equal opportunity employer, where we recognise the diversity of our workforce and community – be it on the basis of gender, age, culture, religion, language or personal circumstances.
Taronga is also committed to building on the perspectives, experience, knowledge and skills that this diversity brings to our organisation.
About Applying…
Please submit your resume and a cover letter of one page. You are also required to complete the two target questions as part of your application.
- How do you stay updated with the latest horticultural practices and technologies? Can you provide an example of how you've implemented a new technique or technology in your work?
- Taronga Zoo relies on a steady supply of browse from species like eucalyptus, mulberry, and other trees and shrubs. Using your arboriculture or horticulture experience, how would you set up and manage a browse cutting program to keep this supply going year-round, while keeping the plants healthy and protecting their habitat? Please include how you’d choose the right species, plan the growing schedule, and harvest sustainably
Applications Close: 11:59pm 17 August 2025