Grounds Maintenance (Environmental Operative)

The Riverside Group; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent housing association is hiring a Grounds Maintenance (Environmental Operative) based in Derby, UK. The role involves maintaining landscaped areas, responding to environmental issues, and ensuring excellent customer service. Candidates should have experience in grounds maintenance, a clean driving license, and strong communication skills. The position offers competitive pay, generous holidays, and development opportunities within a supportive environment.

Benefits

Competitive pay

28 days holidays plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

Investment in personal development

Wide range of benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in environmental services or grounds maintenance is essential.
• Must be able to perform manual work effectively.
• Customer-focused approach with strong communication skills is required.

Responsibilities

• Undertake general maintenance for landscaped areas including grass cutting and litter picking.
• Respond rapidly to remove fly tipping and graffiti.
• Ensure safe working practices when using hand tools and machinery.

Skills

Environmental Services / grounds maintenance experience

Ability to undertake manual work

Customer focussed with excellent communication skills

Clean driving licence

Basic IT skills including Microsoft Office

Excellent team player

Education

Successful completion of a horticultural course

Job description

Grounds Maintenance (Environmental Operative)

Job Description

Job Title: Grounds Maintenance (Environmental Operative)
Contract Type: Fixed term until 30th October 2026
Salary: £23,724.26 per annum
Working Hours: 35 hours per week, full time
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday
Location: Derby, United Kingdom

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.
The difference you will make as a Grounds Maintenance (Environmental Operative)
To undertake a range of grounds maintenance work within your assigned region to landscaped areas, gardens and open spaces owned by the Group.

About you

• Environmental Services / grounds maintenance experience.
• Ability to undertake manual work.
• Customer focussed with excellent communication skills.

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to be considered.

Role Profile

• Undertake general maintenance to hard and soft landscaped areas owned by the Group, including grass cutting, hedge trimming, litter picking, clearing leaves and shrub bed cultivations.
• Provide a rapid flexible response to the removal of fly tipping, rypack and graffiti removal.
• Maintain safe working practices at all times when utilising appropriate hand tools and machinery.
• Report health, safety and environmental breaches and issues to the Grounds Maintenance Supervisor in line with the agreed escalation route.
• Apply ‘Our Riverside Way’ within the environmental offer by delivering excellent levels of customer service at all times.
• Provide community insight, reporting any environmental issues, community safety or resident feedback to the Environmental Supervisor as appropriate and in line with the agreed escalation route.
• Maintain effective relationships with colleagues on each of our contracts.
• Undertake personal development and training to keep up to date with all relevant legislation.
• Work collaboratively and flexibly across all teams within the organisation.
• Ensure work activities are compliant with the organisation’s policies and procedures as well as external statutory and regulatory obligations.
• Respond flexibly to any necessary changes in work priorities and undertake other duties when required to support the effective operation of the service.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and procedures.

Person specification

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Environmental Services / grounds maintenance experience.
• Ability to undertake manual work.
• Customer focussed with excellent communication skills.
• Clean driving licence.
• Basic IT skills including Microsoft Office.
• Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements
• It is a requirement that the role holder holds a current, valid UK driving license.

Desirable

• Successful completion of a horticultural course.

About Us

Riverside is one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.