Vacant job

The Royal Academy of Literature, History and Antiquities is seeking a substitute gardener for the period 1 September 2026 – 31 August 2027.

Stensjö Village

In the cultural reserve of Stensjö Village, owned and managed by the Royal Academy of Literature, History and Antiquities, the dwellings and barns of several farms remain clustered together as they were in many parts of Småland before the land reform (lagaskifte) was carried out in the 19th century. Stensjö Village is located 11 km north of Oskarshamn in Kalmar County and is a popular destination where visitors come to experience the landscape, hike on trails, enjoy coffee in the café, participate in programs, watch the animals, or simply be present.

Five people work full-time on-site, each responsible for their own area such as gardens, landscape, forestry, animal care, and food processing/café. Public activities in the form of tours and events take place.

The buildings, gardens, enclosed fields, and forests, totaling 576 hectares, are maintained using ecological methods to reflect the character of the village around the turn of the 20th century.

Stensjö Village also functions as a knowledge and development center for historical landscape management and self-sufficiency.

www.stensjoby.se (http://www.stensjoby.se)

The Position and Responsibilities

We are looking for a gardener who wishes to work in a cultural-historical environment, primarily with the gardens but also with other tasks occurring on the farm. At Stensjö, the entire responsibility for garden maintenance lies with this position. Therefore, for most of the period, you will work as the person in charge of the gardens, as this position is a substitute for our regular gardener.

The duties include maintenance, planning, and documentation of gardens and vegetable plots, pruning fruit trees and bushes, and harvesting vegetables for the café and for winter storage. More archival duties involve managing plant collections, e.g., remaining cultural plants at old farmstead sites. Other tasks include scythe mowing, raking, and haymaking, assisting in landscape care, and supervising the farm's animals. Machine operation is involved.

Qualifications

Requirements for the position

• You must be a trained gardener or have equivalent qualifications, preferably with a cultural-historical focus.
• Ability to work both independently and structured, as well as collaboratively with others on tasks distributed within the staff group.
• Good communicative skills in spoken and written Swedish.
• The work requires good physical fitness.
• Valid driver's license (Category B).

Merits

• Experience working with cultural environments and cultural landscapes.
• Experience working with animals (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens).
• Tractor driving experience.
• Brush cutter/chain saw license.
• Experience with organic farming.
• Experience with landscape care with a cultural-historical focus, scythe mowing, horse work.
• Experience with museum operations and outward-facing, public activities.
• Experience with or interest in basic carpentry.
• Basic interest and knowledge of small-scale farming; nature, history, and culture.

Personal Attributes

We place great emphasis on personal suitability. You can work independently and intensively when required, but also be a good colleague and partner, always keeping Stensjö's best interests in mind in all internal and external contexts. You have a strong sense of responsibility and can flexibly switch between different tasks.

Employment and Other Information About the Work

• The position is a fixed-term parental leave substitute.
• The employment involves working at least 50% during the period 1 September – 31 January and 100% during the period 1 February – 31 August. There is an opportunity to increase the working hours to 1 September – 31 January depending on competencies that enable other tasks on the farm.
• The work involves scheduled working hours, including work on weekends and public holidays.
• The Academy applies individual salary setting.
• The workplace is Stensjö Village, 10 km north of Oskarshamn. Housing in Stensjö Village is available.
• The Royal Academy of Literature, History and Antiquities' secretariat is located in Stockholm. Support functions such as finance, administration, communication, IT support, archives, etc., are located there.
• The Property Manager, who is your direct supervisor, has their main workplace in Stockholm but is present at Stensjö several times a year. Between these visits, meetings and contact occur via Teams and phone. On-site at Stensjö, there is a responsible supervisor.

The members of the Academy have a great interest in the cultural properties, and many visit Stensjö regularly. There is guest accommodation for them at Stensjö.

Applications must include a cover letter, CV, and references and should be sent to Stensjö Village: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Interviews are conducted on an ongoing basis, and the position may be filled earlier than the application deadline, so do not wait to submit your application.