Plant Health Assistant Officer

Position Summary

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is seeking a Plant Health Assistant Officer to support the activities of the International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN). The successful candidate will contribute to the development of communication materials, management of social media channels, and provision of administrative support to the Plant Health team. This role offers the opportunity to gain experience working within an international conservation network focused on plant health and biosecurity.

Job Purpose: Supporting IPSN activities by assisting in the creation of promotion materials, communication and various administrative tasks.
Reports to: Plant Health Manager
Contract Type: Full-time (35hrs/week) Fixed term
Duration: 2.5 months (with potential to extend depending on funding)
Location: BGCI Offices, London (hybrid/remote working considered within the UK)

About BGCI

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a membership organisation and a global network for plant conservation located in Kew, London with regional bureaux in China, Kenya, Singapore, and the USA. Our membership comprises over 800 botanical institutions working in plant conservation - botanic gardens, arboreta, NGOs, restoration organisations, government, and universities - in over 120 countries all around the world. We work with this extensive network of members, and the wider conservation community, to use our collective knowledge and hands on expertise to reverse the threat of extinction facing plants and to secure plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet.

BGCI coordinates efforts to enhance regional networking and scale up technical networks by facilitating, coordinating, and supporting the consolidation and functioning of botanic garden networks. As part of these range of networks, The International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN) leverages the unique resources of botanic gardens and arboreta worldwide to act as early warning systems for new and emerging pest and disease risks.

The network facilitates collaboration between plant health scientists, policy/legislation makers and botanic garden staff, enhancing global plant biosecurity efforts. IPSN activities include developing resources for pest and disease identification, conducting research on potential threats, and sharing critical information across its international network of members. Through these efforts, IPSN plays a vital role in protecting plant biodiversity and supporting global plant health.

Person Specification

BGCI is seeking to appoint a candidate with strong communication and writing skills, excellent interpersonal abilities, and experience in developing engaging content for social media and other communication channels. The successful candidate will be capable of summarizing technical information clearly and will demonstrate sensitivity to working within complex, multicultural, and international contexts.

Please note that the role is UK based so you must be eligible to work in the UK. We are unable to provide sponsorship for this role.

Closing date for applications is 20th November 2025.

The interviews will be conducted online on w/c 8th December 2025.

BGCI is committed to putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our organisation. We are committed to ensuring a working environment in which all individuals are free from discrimination and in which opportunities are equal to all. We encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly those underrepresented within our sector.