Landscape & Grounds Operative

Landscaping Matters; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 10,000 - GBP 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A university campus landscaping team in Canterbury is seeking an experienced Landscape and Grounds worker. You will maintain and improve the soft landscape, working on turfed surfaces, trees, and shrubs. Responsibilities include operating equipment, collaborating with the Grounds Team, and enhancing biodiversity on campus. Ideal candidates will have NVQ 2 or equivalent, a full UK manual Driving Licence, and proven horticultural maintenance experience. Excellent staff benefits, including generous leave and pension scheme, are offered.

Benefits

43 days’ leave per year

Excellent pension scheme

Corporate healthcare plan

Qualifications

• Proven experience of horticultural maintenance in a medium to large organisation.
• Full UK manual Driving Licence required.
• Knowledge of maintenance techniques for artificial and natural landscapes.

Responsibilities

• Carry out annual landscape maintenance in a timely manner.
• Operate University-owned plant equipment for horticultural tasks.
• Collaborate with the Grounds Team to fulfill objectives.
• Conduct maintenance and project work to enhance biodiversity.

Skills

Horticultural maintenance

Driving University vehicles

Knowledge of landscapes maintenance techniques

Education

NVQ 2 or equivalent in Horticulture or related field

Job description

Overview

Are you an experienced Landscape and Grounds worker? Join our team where you will provide a full range of horticultural services to maintain and improve the soft landscape of our beautiful Canterbury campus.

You will work on turfed surfaces, trees, hedgerows, shrubs and sports facilities to maintain and improve a safe and pleasant environment for our students, staff and visitors and to enhance biodiversity on the campus. We are seeking someone who is keen to work as part of a multi-skilled team and continue learning new skills and improving our Grounds services.

The average working hours for this role are 35 hours per week, split into seasonal working:

Summer: Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 16:30, Friday 8:00 to 14:30 (total 36.45 hours)

Winter: Monday to Wednesday 8:00 to 15:30, Thursday 8:00 to 15:00, Friday 8:00 to 14:00. (total 31.75 hours)

Responsibilities

• Proactively carrying out work in line with the landscape specification document to ensure annual landscape maintenance occurs in a timely manner
• Driving and operating University owned plant equipment, vehicles and equipment to carry out horticultural tasks around the estate in a safe and compliant manner
• Working effectively with colleagues in the Grounds Team in order to ensure the best use of skills and experience to achieve the team’s objectives
• Carrying out regular maintenance and project work to enhance the biodiversity of the campus and helping to deliver the implementation of the published Environmental Management System.

What will you bring to the role?

• NVQ 2 or equivalent qualification/experience in related areas e.g. Horticulture, Sports Turf or Maintenance of amenity facilities
• Full UK manual Driving Licence (you will be driving University vehicles and transporting equipment)
• Proven experience of horticultural maintenance in a medium to large organisation
• Knowledge of maintenance techniques and processes inherent in the upkeep of artificial and natural landscapes.

What we can offer in return

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You’ll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

• 43 days’ leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff)
• Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage:Working at Kent

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place. Visit our website for more on who we are:http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. For further information regarding the application process, please [e-mail] quoting reference number EST-204-26