Operations Manager (City Parks)
Job introduction
Have you experience of senior level management within the grounds maintenance industry?
If so, then this could be the job for you. Due to the retirement of the current post holder Brighton & Hove City Council is seeking to appoint a professionally qualified and experienced individual to join our team of operations managers who manage grounds maintenance in the city.
You will be responsible for managing parks within a designated area and leading a team that also undertakes grounds maintenance on a range of other council owned sites including housing, highways and schools.
About the role
The city of Brighton & Hove has a range of parks including 7 Green Flag parks and has a strong emphasis on environmentally sensitive land management and a good track record of managing sites to encourage our local downland flora and fauna to thrive.
Brighton & Hove City Council is seeking to employ an experienced, full-time, Operations Manager to lead the grounds maintenance team in the allocated section of the city.
The operations manager roles are key to the experience of the city for both visitors impacting on nearly all of them. We are in a period of change as we address both our climate change and biodiversity objectives and the successful candidate will be closely involved in ensuring the councils objectives in these areas are delivered.
You will be based at the main Cityparks’ office in the historic, Green Flag, Stanmer Park with the opportunity for some Brighton and Hove based home working. As you will be expected to respond to issues as and when they arise which will frequently involve site visits the job is nor suitable for more remote home working. New offices are due for completion in December.
Candidates will be expected to be qualified to NVQ level 4 in horticulture or a related subject and a full UK driving licence. Candidates without NVQ level 4 may be considered if they can demonstrate an equivalent level of knowledge gained through experience in the industry.
Contracted working hours are 37 per week, Monday to Friday.
We are seeking a thoroughly experienced and appropriately qualified professional who can demonstrate the following qualities:
- NVQ level 4 in horticulture or equivalent formal qualification in an horticultural related discipline
- Significant level of experience working in the horticultural industry in a managerial position directly managing manual workers
- Expert knowledge of legislation relating to the horticultural industry including Health and Safety and highway legislation.
- An up-to-date detailed knowledge of current horticultural industry policy and practice
- Effective communication and negotiation skills in dealing with all sectors of the community often with differing and conflicting views
- An understanding of the impact grounds maintenance operations have on climate change and biodiversity and a commitment to improve performance in these areas
Contract: permanent, full-time
Interview date: week commencing Monday, 10 October 2022
For an informal discussion, please contact Robert Walker – Head of City Parks at robert.walker@brighton-hove.gov.uk
As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and upload a supporting statement. Your supporting statement is the most important part of your application as it will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Supporting statement guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk)) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.
Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.
Work Permits: We may be able to obtain a Work Permit for this post but this is subject to meeting the requirements of the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points-based Immigration System. Please see Gov.uk for more information on the Skilled Worker Visa.
For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Company information
Encouraging a diverse workforce
Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.
Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).
We welcome applications from all sections of the community but particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, LGB, female or trans as these groups are currently under-represented in our Directorate workforce.