Parks Team Leader - Abingdon, United Kingdom - South Oxfordshire District Council

South Oxfordshire District Council

Verified Company

Abingdon, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

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Description

Job Advert

Salary and grade:
£50,764 per year, Grade 8 (increase agreed from 1 April of 6.5 percent)

Duration of role:
Permanent

Hours per week:
Full time 37

Location:
The designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon.

The councils operate in a truly flexible, and hybrid way where the focus is on outcomes not where you work.

Closing Date: 11 March 2024

About the role and what we're looking for

Job purpose

To manage the delivery of the inhouse grounds maintenance service
To manage the council's play areas including prioritising a rolling programme of repairs and refurbishment
To manage the councils' parks and open spaces
Manage the corporate tree stock
Contribute to specifications and procurement documents
To line manage a team of four officers, including undertaking formal appraisals and regular one to one meetings
Oversee the budget for parks, trees, grounds maintenance and play areas. Give advice and support to service manager for budget monitoring and setting, revenue and capital budgets
Oversee the cemetery and burial service delivery
Contribute to a variety of council projects to improve and develop the service including the use, management and synchronisation of new electronic databases and hand held devices which update in the field.

These services are all public facing and so there is a regular amount of correspondence involving FOIs, complaints and queries from public and council members which the Parks Team leader manages.

The Parks Team leader plays a key role to make sure risk assessments are up to date and staff are following safe systems of work and so the council's level of liability is always managed and staff are safe in the work they do.

The duties may vary from time to time without changing the nature of the post or the level of responsibility and the post holder may also be required to carry out any other duties appropriate to the grading of the post.

About you

At least three years' experience in a similar horticultural position with line management responsibility
Advanced knowledge and experience of Parks, Trees, play area/equipment and Grounds Maintenance services
Use of electronic systems and databases for management of Parks/Grounds Maintenance
Experience of dealing with complaints
Experience of health and safety in horticultural work standards
Managing contractors delivering Parks services

Your essential qualifications**- HND or equivalent in amenity horticulture

British Standards and qualification relating to play Register of Play Inspectors International, level
Relevant health and safety qualification for safety at work

If you have the following experience or qualifications - it's a bonus

Cemetery/burial management qualification or experience
Knowledge of council processes and procedures
Drafting, researching and writing cabinet or committee

Your style and behaviours

A good leader, can gain respect, confident
Look at processes and procedures to continually improve (particularly electronic databases and maps)
A good 'people person' can relate to manual staff
Methodical, clear and so can understand and explain work practices and can explain to others
Can prioritise a number of conflicting demands
Politically sensitive
Empathetic and understanding to deal with requests from public
Thorough and completes tasks
Self sufficient, autonomous and can take initiative

About us

Our vision and values are important to the councils and we expect you to support them and embed them in the way we work.

Our vision
We are seen as being customer-focussed, approachable and business-like. We are honest and open and are renowned for providing high quality cost effective services.

Our values

We act with integrity and show respect
We are all accountable
We are passionate about our business
We strive for simplicity
We love success

The benefits we offer
A basic 24 days annual leave per annum, rising to 29 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.

Flexible working and annualised hours - a flexible approach to work to work that our employees love

A career-average salary pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary

The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme (cheaper than directly through a store) so that you can cycle to work

Various schemes to keep you healthy (reduced gym membership, free swims, contributory medical schemes, wellbeing appointments, free eye tests for DSE users, after work sports clubs and more)

We give you two days per year to volunteer within the local community.