Gardener’s Helper Part-time

Recognized as the #1 Best Canadian Hotel in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC, overlooking the city's sparkling Inner Harbour. A Forbes recommended and MICHELIN key hotel that offers 431 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Fairmont Spa with signature West Coast experiences, and Q at the Empress featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine, an award-winning wine list, and regionally focused cocktail culture. World-famous Tea at the Empress is served in the Lobby Lounge with stunning harbour views.

The magnificent property completed a $60+ million restoration in 2017 that celebrated its proud history while moving the hotel into a new era of modern luxury and transforming the iconic property into a must-visit destination. In 2023, the property introduced a revamped Fairmont Gold Experience, including a major renovation to the Fairmont Gold floor. 88 Fairmont Gold rooms and a newly renovated lounge are ready to accommodate guests. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada's Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia's stunning natural and expansive beauty. Historic Hotels Worldwide recognizes the property's prestigious grounds as the Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens in the World.

What is in for you:

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at Accor properties worldwide 
• Exclusive Employee and Friends & Family Discounts at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver 
• Exclusive access to the Pacific Northwest Food & Beverage Discount Program with 50% off at our dining destinations in Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler
• Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world! 
• Complimentary meal during your shift through our Colleague Dining Program 
• Complimentary uniform laundering
• Access to our comprehensive benefits and wellness programs, including extended healthcare benefits and RMT, dental, vision, and complimentary counseling, wellness sessions, financial and family planning through GreenShield
• Access to our company-matched Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)
• Opportunity to develop your talent through coaching and our Leadership Mentoring Programs
• Hourly pay rate of $25.32 to $28.94

What you will be doing:

• Care and maintenance of ornamental plants, shrubs and trees on the hotel grounds and shared spaces
• Grooming and tending of lawns and gardens, including the roof-top herb garden, while ensuring a high aesthetic standard
• Digging, shoveling and raking
• Operating mechanical and power equipment
• Actively participating in the Fairmont Empress’s environmental program and department specific initiatives towards sustainable operations
• Safety conscious and actively involved in maintaining a safe work environment
• Providing a high standard of internal and external customer service
• Additional tasks as assigned by management

Your experience and skills include:

• Recent experience in a gardening/landscaping role in a high-profile operation (experience in a hotel setting is an asset) or in a very physically demanding position
• Reliable, dependable and a team player
• Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision and think on your feet
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
• Ability to work overtime as required
• Comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions
• Must have a valid BC Driver’s license and steel toed boots
• Horticulture/Landscaping education or working towards certification is an asset
• Must pass a respirator fit test

Physical Aspects of Position (include but are not limited to): 

The Gardener’s Helper position is an extremely physical and demanding position. The successful applicant must be physically capable and willing of performing repetitive work, as well as lifting and carrying heavy loads and requires the ability to sustain a high level of physical exertion for extended period of time.

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job:

• Able to lift (up to 80 lbs.), carry, push, and/or pull; frequent climbing and balancing; significant bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling, pushing, pulling, digging; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 5% sitting, 50% walking, and 45% standing  

• Able to walk up to 25 km a day and/or stand for long period of time
• Ability to use standard gardening tools (clippers, shovels, wheelbarrows, rakes, etc.) for long periods of time.
• Climbing ladders while carrying up to 40lbs
• Able and willing to work outside in all weather conditions. The job is performed under some temperature extremes and under adverse weather conditions with exposure to risk of injury and/or illness 
• Able to work with chemicals – may entail wearing a mask for protection on occasion 
• Able to operate motorized equipment including lawn equipment and small tractors 

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment: Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit https://careers.accor.com/

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS