Landscape manager

Landscape managers manage, maintain and develop landscapes such as parks, gardens, nature reserves or industrial estates. The work includes planning future landscape management.

Also known as:

• Garden landscape manager

Work activities

Landscape managers care for and develop landscapes. These can be:

• Natural landscapes.
• Artificial landscapes, such as parks and gardens.
• Industrial estates and business parks.
• Areas of natural beauty, such as nature reserves.

They manage the land, which involves advising on the management and maintenance of sites and planning for future landscape management. Landscape managers often draw up management plans for clients and advise on maintenance problems that may arise from a particular design or plan. Other duties of a landscape manager might include:

• Developing an ecological plan for a forest or a whole county.
• Advising on the best type of plants to use on a particular site.
• Working out the impact of a major construction project on the environment before the project starts.

Personal qualities and skills

As a landscape manager, you’ll need:

• Good teamworking skills as you’ll be working closely with landscape architects and scientists and with other professionals such as engineers.
• The confidence to speak in public.
• Good planning skills.
• An interest in protecting the environment.
• Knowledge of conservation issues and countryside law.
• Good people skills to deal with clients.
• Some knowledge of the characteristics of plants and soils.
• IT skills.

Pay and opportunities

According to job site Glassdoor, landscape managers can expect to earn between £31,000 and £47,000 (152 salaries, December 2023).

You can expect to work a full-time week, Monday to Friday. However, you may have early starts, late finishes and some weekend work.

Employers include local authorities, development companies, and local or national conservation and environmental organisations. Some people are employed by private practices while others are taken on by large organisations that own land. Opportunities for landscape managers occur with employers in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Self-employment opportunities occur for experienced landscape managers to work independently as self-employed landscape consultants.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised on all the major job boards, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

There are several routes into this career. One way is to complete an accredited degree related to landscape management. For a list of all accredited courses, contact the Landscape Institute (LI). An alternative is to study a related degree in a subject like horticulture, and possibly a postgraduate qualification, followed by relevant work experience. There are a small number of relevant foundation degrees, HNDs and HNCs related to landscape management available throughout the UK. These can be used to progress to full degree courses or may be a route into the career. Some people start in assistant roles and work their way up to management positions.

Training for this career may be through in-house courses or may be through attending externally run training programmes.

Some experienced landscape managers set up their own businesses. In some companies, managers can be made partners following several years of service. Some landscape managers train towards becoming chartered members of the LI.

Qualifications

To enter a relevant degree, you will usually need:

• Three A-levels. Geography and science subjects are useful.
• GCSEs at grades 9-4 in your A-level subjects.
• A further two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4, including science and maths.

Other qualifications are often acceptable as alternatives to A-levels, for example:

• Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, entry requirements for different courses vary, so check university prospectuses for more details.

To enter a relevant HNC, HND or foundation degree, you will usually need:

• One A-level. Geography and science subjects are useful.
• A GCSE at grades 9-4 in your A-level subject.
• A further three to four GCSEs at grades 9-4, including English and maths.

Other qualifications are often acceptable as alternatives to A-levels, for example:

• Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, entry requirements for different courses vary, so check university prospectuses for more details.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Relevant skills gained in planning, landscape architecture or in a related management role are most useful.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

If you already have a degree in a related subject, such as biology or horticulture, you can qualify by taking a postgraduate course followed by supervised training over a two- to four-year period. Candidates can progress to membership of the Landscape Institute. A range of colleges and universities offer degrees in subjects related to landscape management. Study can be full or part time/flexible or via distance learning. Some courses have been developed in partnership with the Landscape Institute.

Related careers

• Countryside manager
• Ecologist
• Environmental conservation officer
• Landscape architect
• Landscape scientist
• Manager
• Recycling officer