Open Spaces Operative - Grounds Maintenance

Rochford District Council is looking to appoint an enthusiastic and proactive individual to take on the challenging role of Open Spaces Operative (Grounds Maintenance).

This is an exciting opportunity for a positive and enthusiastic individual to join our dedicated and hardworking Grounds Maintenance Team. We are looking for versatility, self-motivation and a keen interest in the great outdoors.

During your role, you will be engaged in all aspects of Horticultural work including the use of tractors, heavy grass cutting machinery, tree, shrub and bedding planting, hedge cutting, renovation of sports pitches as well as assisting in the day-to-day challenges of Grounds Maintenance. The Open Spaces operatives will be key in providing our Parks for Nature initiative as we look to rewild our parks, planting trees and maintaining wild meadows and conservation areas.

It is essential for a successful candidate to hold a full UK Driving License, and be able to undertake physical and demanding work in all weathers, of all seasons. Work within the Grounds Maintenance Team can be challenging, however; this is outweighed by the sense of pride and the self-rewarding nature of working as a part of a team within the horticultural industry.

Customer focus is very important to us and we would expect any successful candidate to act in the upmost professional of manner.

Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

Salary: Scale 3 - 4 £23,500 - £25,979 (Career Matrix)

Benefits: Local Government Pension Scheme, generous annual leave, staff discounts

Our culture and values

We like our staff to be proactive and innovative. Being customer focused and willing to maximise your potential at work are expected. We all work together to achieve the very best for our residents which sometimes means getting involved in projects and trying new tasks outside of your day to day job role. We love our staff to suggest new ideas and to have enthusiasm to try out new experiences.

The job role