Gardener - Handyperson

Department of Education, Western Australia; England; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer contributed superannuation 12

Flexible working arrangements

Generous leave entitlements

Professional development opportunities

Access to salary packaging

Onsite parking

Job summary

The Department of Education, Western Australia is seeking a dedicated professional for a permanent full-time role commencing November 2026 in Padbury. This role involves maintaining and enhancing the site grounds and outdoor facilities, ensuring safety and functionality for staff, students, and visitors.

The successful applicant will contribute to sustainable landscape development and support the Department’s initiative for environmental sustainability.

Qualifications

• Practical skills in grounds maintenance or related field.
• Ability to communicate effectively and build positive relationships.
• Commitment to creating well-maintained outdoor environments.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and enhance site grounds and outdoor facilities.
• Care for turf, gardens, trees, shrubs, and landscaped areas.
• Undertake minor repairs and general maintenance tasks.
• Operate, clean, and maintain gardening equipment and tools.
• Identify and report maintenance issues and potential hazards.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Horticulture

Communication

Teamwork

Safety procedures

Tools

Gardening equipment

Landscaping tools

Job description

This is a permanent full-time position commencing November 2026

Statewide Services provides the services and supports required by schools to enable student achievement, with a focus on those students and schools that need it most. While it primarily exists to support schools, it also has an important system-facing role supporting strategy and policy development.

Systems Services and Responses is part of the Service Design and Support directorate which provides the shared functions and support needed to provide better services to schools. System Services and Reponses provide coordination across corporate services and system responses for Statewide Services including supporting facilities planning and management of the Statewide Services Centre based in Padbury.

The Role

The Statewide Services Centre is a dynamic multi-service departmental office and specialist school site that accommodates more than 400 staff, welcomes families and students accessing specialist support services, and hosts professional learning and conference events throughout the year. Our grounds play an important role in creating a safe, welcoming and inspiring environment for all who visit.

We are committed to the Department's sustainability framework - Caring for Country together [JB1.1] and support initiatives like Bush Classrooms [JB2.1] that develop native, waterwise ecosystems that reflect local biodiversity and Aboriginal cultural knowledge. Statewide Services is a demonstration site for the Bush Classrooms initiative and has established three areas on site that provide models of good practice to schools – Miyawaki (pocket) forest; Mookaroo (wetlands environment) and Giles Avenue bushland areas. These spaces provide exciting opportunities for the successful applicant to contribute to meaningful environmental outcomes while helping maintain vibrant and sustainable outdoor environments.

In this varied and hands-on role, the applicant will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing the site grounds and outdoor facilities to ensure they remain safe, attractive and functional for staff, students and visitors. The successful applicant will be responsible for caring for turf, gardens, trees, shrubs and landscaped areas. They will be expected to undertake minor repairs and general maintenance tasks and will operate, clean and maintain gardening equipment, tools and machinery.

They will support the ongoing development of sustainable and waterwise landscape and will identifying and report maintenance issues and potential hazards; and contribute to the development and implementation of safe work procedures. This applicant may be required to support security procedures such as arming and disarming security systems based on planned work schedules.

This role offers the opportunity to work closely with the Manager, System Services and Responses, the Business Coordinator and a range of staff across the Centre. Your ability to communicate effectively, build positive working relationships and contribute as part of a collaborative team will be highly valued.

We welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds who bring practical skills, initiative and a commitment to creating well-maintained outdoor environments. Whether your experience comes from schools, local government, commercial landscaping, grounds maintenance, horticulture, facilities management or a related field, we encourage you to apply.

Professional Benefits

We are conveniently located in Padbury and our employees enjoy a range of benefits which include:

• 12% employer contributed superannuation.


• Flexible working arrangements are genuinely considered to create healthy work life balance including; flexible working hours and part-time arrangements


• Generous leave entitlements including annual, personal, long service and parental leave


• Professional development opportunities and study leave/assistance


• Access to salary packaging (in accordance with relevant industrial instruments)


• Enjoy availability of onsite parking at the Padbury Statewide Services Centre.

Want to know more?

Full details of the role, selection criteria and training requirements are listed in the attached Job Description Form (JDF).

For more information about this opportunity, please contact, System Services and Response – Business Coordinator, Pramod Kumarachaparambil Anandakuttan on [phone] or [e-mail]

Equity and Diversity

We are committed to an inclusive and culturally responsive workforce reflecting the diversity in our workplaces and the Western Australian community. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, young people, people of diverse sexualities and genders, people with disability, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Explore our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2021-2025 for more details.

Eligibility

To work with us, you must:

• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or have a valid visa with relevant work rights for the term of the appointment.


• consent to a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and obtain a current Screening Clearance Number issued by the Department of Education’s Screening Unit before you start.


• obtain or hold a current Working with Children Check


• complete introductory School Gardener training within 3 months of commencement in metropolitan areas or as soon as practicable for regional areas

More information about employment eligibility can be found on our website and in the attached Job Description Form (JDF).

Applicants assessed as suitable may be considered for similar vacancies that arise in our branch within the next 12 months. This includes circumstances where this position becomes subsequently vacant should the successful applicant decline or vacate the advertised position.

The Department applies a four (4) day breach period to this selection process.

Advertised Vacancy Number: DOE1065051

Applications close: 4.30pm (AWST) on Friday, 16 October 2026