Job Opportunity: Streetscene Operative - Parks, Horticulture and Grounds Maintenance
Vacancy reference
ECR000336
Salary
Grade 5 - £25,584 to £27,269 per annum, pro-rata
Hours
36 - 37 Hours per week
Contract
Fixed term - 6 Month Fixed Term Contracts
Location
Kutton Lane Depot, Newcastle-under-Lyme
About the job
If you enjoy working outdoors in all weathers and have a passion for grounds maintenance in relation to grass cutting, shrub bed maintenance, hedge cutting, weeding and sports ground care and willing to be flexible with other seasonal tasks you will be of particular interest for this varied hands-on role. If you’re a team player, physically fit, enthusiastic and positive, and enjoy varied work outdoors all year round as an active member of a team, this role could be for you.
You’ll be able to communicate confidently and well with managers, other team members and the public. We’ll provide a full induction, ongoing training and all your PPE
We provide a range of essential services and have high standards, making a real difference to the way the Borough looks. This team cuts grass and hedges, maintains shrub beds, clears litter, plants up key civic areas, manages parks and does a range of environmental land management work on Council land.
The seasonal fixed term contract posts will be positions in one of three teams undertaking grounds maintenance:
- Ride on Mower Team
- Parks and Gardens
- Cemeteries
Seasonal hours ranging from April to August 36 hours over 4 days, Monday to Friday September / October 37 hours over 4.5 days Or 37 hours Monday to Friday (Cemeteries Team). There will be some weekend working if required.
We know that services at the frontline improving the environment are changing, and that providing ‘Green Skills’ for staff is an investment in the future. The culture here is all about getting the best out of our team by providing a range of benefits to everyone.
Requirements
- You’ll have a full driving license, preferably HGV2 (minimum category C1) and have a previous experience of using heavy and light plant.
- You will also have a sound health and safety knowledge.
- Ideally, you’ll also have a good knowledge of the Borough and general labouring experience
- Please see Person Specification for a full list
Why work for us?
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a borough with big ambitions. We’ve already started our transformation, however, we still need to find better ways of doing things because we are determined to do the very best we can for our communities.
If our vision is to be the best, then we need the best people working for us. Our people are at the heart of what we do and have the freedom to innovate, grow and develop. We recruit people who share our vision and values; people who have the drive to deliver our ambitious Council plan.
Our historic Borough is a place of marked contrasts. We are the home of a world class University at Keele, a leading light known internationally for its research and sustainability record, which stands side by side with former mining communities including some which register amongst the most deprived areas in the country. Our Borough is also a mixture of urban centres, affected by some of the same social issues facing our neighbouring city, Stoke-on-Trent, but also outstanding rural landscapes in our less populated villages. Our plans and priorities aim to address the needs of all our communities.
Our People Offer
We reward our people with a competitive range of benefits including; access to the local government pension scheme, minimum 24 days annual leave plus 5 extra days after 5 years' service, flexible working options and family friendly policies, local and national high street discounts, free car parking, green travel scheme including cycle to work and electric car salary sacrifice, free employee 24 hour employee assistance and counselling services, flu vaccination service and health checks plus development and training opportunities.
Contact
Want an informal chat about whether this job is for you? Contact Simon Turner on Simon.Turner@newcatle-staffs.gov.uk or call 01782 717717
Closing date
5pm on Sunday 23 March 2025.
Should we receive a large number of applications, then this post could close sooner than the date stated.
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted within two weeks of the closing date.
Interview date
To be arranged
Supporting documents and information
Download the job description and person specification
We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the interview or assessment process please contact our People team (humanresources@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk)
Need help completing the online application form?
Our application form has recently been updated to make it easier to apply, please be aware that you are not able to save your application part way through so please ensure you have all information to hand;
- Make a note of the details of the post you are applying for.
- Read through the job description and person specification.
- Review our values and behaviours.
- Ensure that you have relevant job application information to hand i.e. employment details, qualifications and training, professional memberships (if applicable) and the details of two referees.
- If you have a CV you can cut and paste information easily into the form.
- The supporting information section of the application is your opportunity to share with us your key achievements and highlight any relevant experience. We’d like you to tell us; who you are, your values and strengths, why you feel you are suitable for the role and finally, your career goals.
- We’d suggest typing your supporting information firstly to a Word document and then copy and paste to the supporting information section of the online application. This way you won’t lose valuable information if the page times out.
- At the end of the form you can choose to save a copy of your application, we advise doing this.
- If you are interested in more than one role, you will need to submit a separate form for each job.
Contact our People team if you have any questions regarding the online application form or require further support (humanresources@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk)