Team Manager Arboriculture and Grounds

Scotlink; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - GBP 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in England is seeking a Senior Arboriculture and Grounds Manager. In this position, you will drive performance in managing trees and green spaces, ensuring safety and compliance while working with multidisciplinary teams. You will be responsible for developing services, preparing strategic reports, and managing budgets. The ideal candidate has extensive arboriculture experience and excels in influencing stakeholders. A vehicle is necessary due to travel requirements.

Qualifications

• Recognised arboriculture professional with confidence to act as technical authority.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders while balancing operational delivery.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead Dorset Council’s Arboriculture and Grounds service to manage trees and green spaces.
• Prepare business cases, equality impact assessments, and committee reports.
• Manage budgets and income streams, ensuring efficiency and safety standards.

Skills

Arboriculture expertise

Team leadership

Stakeholder influence

Budget management

Health and safety governance

Job description

This is a senior, visible role where you’ll lead Dorset Council’s Arboriculture and Grounds service, shaping how we manage trees and green spaces across the county while balancing statutory duties with income-generating work for both internal and external customers, and having real influence on safety, quality, and long-term service development.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll act as Dorset Council’s expert in arboriculture, providing authoritative advice on tree-related matters, including acting as an expert witness and presenting evidence at public enquiries when required.

You’ll lead and manage teams across Grounds and Arboriculture, supporting the Service Manager with strategic planning, service development and delivery, and working proactively with elected members, partners, communities and other stakeholders.

You’ll be responsible for

• driving performance against national, corporate and service indicators
• preparing business cases, equality impact assessments and committee reports
• managing budgets and income streams, delivering efficiencies, overseeing commissioning and procurement activity
• leading business reviews and plans
• ensuring robust health and safety arrangements
• and representing the council at meetings, events and with the media as needed.

About you

• You’ll be a recognised arboriculture professional with the confidence to act as the council’s technical authority
• lead multidisciplinary teams, manage budgets and performance
• influence senior stakeholders
• balance operational delivery with strategic thinking
• while maintaining high standards of safety, governance and public accountability.

Further Information

Please ring Giles Nicholson - service manager for Environment and Greenspace at 07831 683150 if you have any questions about this role. This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

Apply here:Team Manager - Arboriculture and Grounds in Dorchester - Dorset Council