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Urban Rooftop Garden Manager (Biodynamic)

Ruskin Mill Trust
Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

Posted: 17 May 2023

Deadline: 2 Jun 2023

Compensation: £29,736 to £35,474 per annum

Paid Full-time Permanent

Job description

This is an exciting and innovative college run by Ruskin Mill Trust, which is a leading independent provider of specialist care and education for young people and adults with learning and complex needs. Situated right in the heart of Birmingham, The New Standard Works, which houses Argent College, is a Grade II Listed building on Vittoria Street in the Jewellery Quarter.

Argent College offers a diverse and exciting practical curriculum in which work education and vocation are linked in a continuum, to provide relevant and meaningful therapeutic learning experiences.

Urban Rooftop Garden Manager (Biodynamic)

Salary Range: £29,736 to £35,474 per annum

Grade 9 / Grade 10

Starting salary will be dependent on qualifications and experience

40 hours per week, full year role

Based at Argent College, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

For more than 30 years, Ruskin Mill Trust has developed a highly creative approach to education and care for children and adults with complex needs, autistic spectrum conditions and disabilities through its unique method of Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE). Inspired by its founder, Aonghus Gordon, using the insights of Rudolf Steiner, John Ruskin and William Morris; Ruskin Mill Trust works with hand, head, heart and place to provide students with the tools to transform material and in doing so transform themselves.

The successful candidate will work from Argent College’s urban biodynamic market garden located on the rooftop of the beautiful Grade 2 listed New Standard Works building in the heart of Birmingham’s vibrant Jewellery Quarter.

The unique role of Urban Rooftop Garden Manager (Biodynamic) will combine many capabilities, including: teaching, research, micro-farm development and growing high quality biodynamic produce for our college kitchens and the award-winning Hive Café and Bakery located on the ground floor of the building.

The successful applicant will be an experienced practitioner who has the ability to manage the Trust’s biodynamic vision, operation and curriculum, in particular the Trust’s Seed-to-Table curriculum in collaboration with the Senior Management Team bringing a conscious awareness of the importance of biodynamic work into the college and wider Trust; will have a strong background in growing vegetables as well as social/educational work and posess a willingness and enthusiasm to be trained in biodynamics.

In this role you will be responsible for the upkeep and productivity of the rooftop garden, provide taught sessions and work experience opportunities for students, as well as volunteers, and bring the principles of biodynamics into all areas of your work, providing research opportunity for the Trust.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in developments at Argent College, Glasshouse College (based in Stourbridge, West Midlands) and other provisions within the wider Ruskin Mill Trust.

Working with us is rewarding. In return, we offer competitive salaries with progression in pay once qualified, and an auto-enrolment pension scheme. In addition, staff receive:

• A comprehensive induction, an excellent personal development plan and extensive training to include: Biodynamic Ecology through RMT’s Growing Land, Growing People Level 3 accredited training, Autism, Attachment, Emotional Resilience, Holistic Support, Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE), CPI Safety Intervention training
• Ruskin Mill Trust is committed to professional development for staff
• A unique location in which to work, with free healthy and nutritious lunches

Ruskin Mill Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for both adults and children.

Application information

Please express your interest by emailing ryan.banks@rmt.org. Thanks!

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