Groundsman / Gardener

Employer
Lichfield District Council

Location
Burntwood Depot / Beacon Park

Salary
£25,584 - £27,711

Closing date
21 Mar 2025

Reference
LDC/TP/755/153

Sector
Local Councils

Job Type
Horticulture and parks

Contract Type
Permanent

Working Pattern
Annualised Hours

Hours
Full-Time

Job Details

Groundsman / Gardener (Operational Services)

Grade E: £25,584 - £27,711 per annum

Permanent - 42.75 Hours per week x 32 weeks (March / October), 28 Hours per week for 20 weeks (October / March) - (37 Hours per week on average).

Benefits to you:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Discounted Leisure Centre Membership
• 26 days holiday increasing to 31 after 5 years continuous service
• BHSF Corporate Health Cash Plan
• Performance Related Bonus - offering a one-off bonus to staff awarded an 'outstanding' moderated OKR assessment at the end of the year
• Employee referral bonus - offering a one-off bonus to staff who refer friends, family, and colleagues for LDC vacancies and they are successfully hired and complete their probation

We serve a population of around 100,000 residents within Lichfield and the district. Lichfield itself is a small cathedral city located 20 miles just north of Birmingham.

We are one of the district's largest employers and offer a range of fulfilling job opportunities. Our team is at the very heart of our council - everyone, whatever their role, contributes to delivering great services to our local community. We are committed to equality and diversity, and work to ensure that our workplaces and our services are accessible to all.

We are looking for a Groundsman / Gardener who can undertake a wide range of maintenance activities within Parks and Open Spaces as detailed within the Job description and Person Specification.

The work generally includes a wide range of horticultural and groundsman tasks such as, grass cutting, strimming, floral displays, tree & shrub planting, weed control, hedge cutting sports pitch and fine turf maintenance etc.

You should be self-motivated with the ability to act on your own initiative or work as part of a team. You should also have good interpersonal skills for dealing with the members of the public along with a commitment to customer care. You should also be capable of achieving set targets to meet the service demands. Good literacy and numeracy skills are needed as there is a requirement to record and report statistical information, keep records of completed works, complete HAVS books, chemical records, vehicle and equipment daily checks.

There will be a requirement to carry out routine operator maintenance of a range of grounds maintenance plant and equipment, as well as complying with all Health and safety regulations and follow risk assessments relating to the work you are carrying out.

You should have time served experience in traditional horticulture techniques, fine turf maintenance and general grounds maintenance activities and be prepared to work outdoors in all weathers covering a whole range of horticultural tasks.

A good knowledge along with experience of using a wide range of grounds maintenance plant and equipment such as ride on mowers, pedestrian mowers, tractors, fine turf equipment, strimmers, hedge cutters, aerators, de-compactors etc is required, as well as a good experience of using a wide range of hand tools, and be qualified and experienced in applying weed killers.

The successful candidate should hold a current full UK Driving Licence with a minimum of category B+E, F, K and no more than six penalty points and be qualified to a minimum of an NVQ Level 2 in a Land Based or Horticulture qualification and hold a NPTC PA1, PA6a or equivalent Chemical application licence.

At Lichfield District Council we are committed to creating a positive environment and culture that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of age, disability, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religious or spiritual belief, and those with caring responsibilities. All applicants are selected based on experience, knowledge and skills which are identified in the person specification.

If you need any support with completing your application, or any part of the recruitment process, please contact hr@lichfielddc.gov.uk so that we can discuss reasonable adjustments.

We reserve the right to carry out a Basic DBS as part of the Baseline Personnel Security Standard with relevant checks dependant on the requirements of the role within the Council and in line with relevant legislation after your appointment.

Attached documents

• Job Description Groundsman - Gardener.doc

Company

Working for us

We serve a population of around 100,000 residents within Lichfield and the district. Lichfield itself is a small cathedral city located 20 miles just north of Birmingham.

We are one of the district's largest employers and offer a range of fulfilling job opportunities. Our team is at the very heart of our council - everyone, whatever their role, contributes to delivering great services to our local community. We are committed to equality and diversity, and work to ensure that our workplaces and our services are accessible to all. To see our full range of services, visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ourservices and search careers for more information on how we work together to make Lichfield a great place to live and work.

We very much hope that you will want to become part of our team as we move forward and modernise our services.

#s1-Gen

You should be self-motivated with the ability to act on your own initiative or work as part of a team. You should also have good interpersonal skills for dealing with the members of the public along with a commitment to customer care. You should also be capable of achieving set targets to meet the service demands. Good literacy and numeracy skills are needed as there is a requirement to record and report statistical information, keep records of completed works, complete HAVS books, chemical records, vehicle and equipment daily checks. There will be a requirement to carry out routine operator maintenance of a range of grounds maintenance plant and equipment, as well as complying with all Health and safety regulations and follow risk assessments relating to the work you are carrying out. You should have time served experience in traditional horticulture techniques, fine turf maintenance and general grounds maintenance activities and be prepared to work outdoors in all weathers covering a whole range of horticultural tasks. A good knowledge along with experience of using a wide range of grounds maintenance plant and equipment such as ride on mowers, pedestrian mowers, tractors, fine turf equipment, strimmers, hedge cutters, aerators, de-compactors etc is required, as well as a good experience of using a wide range of hand tools, and be qualified and experienced in applying weed killers. The successful candidate should hold a current full UK Driving Licence with a minimum of category B+E, F, K and no more than six penalty points and be qualified to a minimum of an NVQ Level 2 in a Land Based or Horticulture qualification and hold a NPTC PA1, PA6a or equivalent Chemical application licence.

Working for us We serve a population of around 100,000 residents within Lichfield and the district. Lichfield itself is a small cathedral city located 20 miles just north of Birmingham. We are one of the district's largest employers and offer a range of fulfilling job opportunities. Our team is at the very heart of our council - everyone, whatever their role, contributes to delivering great services to our local community. We are committed to equality and diversity, and work to ensure that our workplaces and our services are accessible to all. To see our full range of services , visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ourservices and search careers for more information on how we work together to make Lichfield a great place to live and work. We very much hope that you will want to become part of our team as we move forward and modernise our services.

Grade E: £25,584 - £27,711 per annum Permanent - 42.75 Hours per week x 32 weeks (March / October), 28 Hours per week for 20 weeks (October / March) - (37 Hours per week on average). Benefits to you:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Discounted Leisure Centre Membership
• 26 days holiday increasing to 31 after 5 years continuous service
• BHSF Corporate Health Cash Plan
• Performance Related Bonus - offering a one-off bonus to staff awarded an 'outstanding' moderated OKR assessment at the end of the year
• Employee referral bonus - offering a one-off bonus to staff who refer friends, family, and colleagues for LDC vacancies and they are successfully hired and complete their probation
We serve a population of around 100,000 residents within Lichfield and the district. Lichfield itself is a small cathedral city located 20 miles just north of Birmingham. We are one of the district's largest employers and offer a range of fulfilling job opportunities. Our team is at the very heart of our council - everyone, whatever their role, contributes to delivering great services to our local community. We are committed to equality and diversity, and work to ensure that our workplaces and our services are accessible to all. We are looking for a Groundsman / Gardener who can undertake a wide range of maintenance activities within Parks and Open Spaces as detailed within the Job description and Person Specification. The work generally includes a wide range of horticultural and groundsman tasks such as, grass cutting, strimming, floral displays, tree & shrub planting, weed control, hedge cutting sports pitch and fine turf maintenance etc.