Advertised from 11 August 2026

Role

Founded in 1889, St Andrews Botanic Garden is managed by an independent charitable Trust to address the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. Our mission of botanical conservation and education has seen us take transformational steps in recent years, including radical steps to achieving Net Zero, investment in building projects, establishment of international and regional partnerships, development of the Garden’s habitats, and publication of research that establishes the Botanic Garden’s expertise in urban ecology.

These steps have been critical to establishing strong institutional foundations, and our focus now is to consolidate this progress by preparing for ambitious capital investment and in turn, growth in turnover and expansion of our charitable activities. The success of these next steps will depend on developing partnerships that connect our mission and resources to deliver positive, long-term change.

Located in the historic town of St Andrews, the Botanic Garden is part of a thriving coastal community with links across Scotland and further afield.

The role

We are looking to recruit an Executive Director and establish the Botanic Garden as a leading site for ecological innovation through programmes that deliver a new business model for conservation and education.

The Executive Director will be a capable, organised and experienced individual with an outstanding professional background who shares our enthusiasm for plants and the ways they shape places and people. We expect that the incoming Executive Director will have demonstrated experience of managing competing strategic demands amidst dynamic policy and funding landscapes.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who recognises the role that botanic gardens can play in bringing people together, wants to lead a vibrant and outward-looking organisation, and intends to continue and further the

excellent work of the last few years.

The opportunities for the Executive Director are significant and wideranging, as befits a botanic garden at an inflection point. Significant progress has been made to safeguard the Trust as an independent charity and demonstrate capacity for innovation in a fast-moving landscape, and the incoming Executive Director will be working with a Board of Directors

dedicated to supporting the Garden as it navigates new opportunities in a challenging and ever-changing environment.

Application notes

Application deadline: Friday 11th September, 3pm

Please download the recruitment pack below to find out more about the role and how to apply.

Downloads