Grounds Maintenance Contract Manager Maintenance · Reading ·

UKund Control; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance linked bonus

Pension scheme

Private GP service

Life insurance

Subsidised gym membership

Holiday buy scheme

Job summary

Ground Control is seeking a Contract Manager to own a region across Berkshire and surrounding areas. The role focuses on delivering high-standard grounds maintenance services, ensuring client satisfaction and compliant operations on every site.

You will lead teams, manage subcontractors, and coordinate health and safety with operational directors to maintain service excellence while growing the regional portfolio.

Qualifications

• Experience managing grounds maintenance or horticultural contracts.
• Proven ability to lead multi-site teams and subcontractors.
• Strong focus on client relationships, safety, and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of grounds maintenance services across your region.
• Build strong, long-term client relationships and manage expectations.
• Provide clear leadership to site teams and subcontractors, setting standards and monitoring performance.
• Plan, organise and prioritise daily and seasonal operations to meet SLAs and safety requirements.
• Identify opportunities for additional works and service improvements to grow regional business.
• Tackle issues early and maintain strong performance across contracts.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Contract management

Team leadership

Client relationship management

Health and safety

UK driving licence

Job description

Contract Manager

Location: Berkshire & Surrounding Areas (Field-Based)

Salary: Competitive

Contract Type: Full time, permanent

Typical Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday

Take ownership. Build lasting relationships. Make a visible impact every day.

You take pride in running great sites, building strong client relationships, and leading people with fairness and clarity. That’s exactly the kind of leadership we value at Ground Control.

We’re looking for a Contract Manager who owns their region with confidence, someone who delivers high standards, tackles problems early, and represents the business with professionalism and pride. You’ll have real autonomy, the support of an experienced operational network, and the freedom to make decisions that shape the success of your contracts.

What you’ll do:

In this role, you’ll take full ownership of your region and play a key part in maintaining strong client relationships and high standards across every site.

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of grounds maintenance services across your region, ensuring each site is well-presented, safe and delivered to the standards expected by our clients.

• Build strong, long-term relationships with customers, acting as their main point of contact and proactively managing expectations, feedback and service improvements.

• Provide clear leadership to DE teams and subcontractors, setting standards, monitoring performance and ensuring work is delivered consistently, efficiently and with pride.

• Plan, organise and prioritise daily and seasonal operations, making sure SLAs are achieved, schedules run smoothly and health and safety requirements are always met.

• Identify opportunities for extra works and service enhancements, using your knowledge of sites and client needs to add value and contribute to regional growth.

• Tackle issues early and maintain strong performance across all contracts, using sound judgement, problem-solving skills and a calm, practical approach to challenges.

• Work closely with Regional Operations Directors, HSQE partners and central support teams to ensure your region runs effectively and clients receive a seamless, reliable service.

What you’ll get:

• The freedom to run your region with trust, not micromanagement

• A region where your leadership shapes performance, client satisfaction and long-term success

• Scope to grow your portfolio and influence as you deliver strong results

• Development opportunities through hands‑on leadership, turnaround work and cross-functional collaboration

What we’re looking for:

• Proven experience managing grounds maintenance or horticultural contracts (or similar multi-site service delivery environments), with a clear understanding of operational standards, seasonal demands and what “good” looks like on‑site

• A confident, organised leader who sets clear expectations, follows through on commitments and takes ownership of regional performance and culture

• Someone who builds trust quickly with clients and teams: credible, communicative and able to handle difficult conversations with fairness and professionalism

• A calm, solutions‑focused problem solver who can prioritise, make sound decisions under pressure and tackle issues early before they

• Strong commercial awareness, able to spot extra works opportunities, protect margins and balance quality with efficiency

• High personal standards around safety, quality and service delivery, with the judgement to maintain them even when resources are stretched

• A full UK driving licence, as you’ll be travelling across your region to meet clients, support teams and ensure consistent delivery

Benefits:

• Competitive salary – aligned with your skills and experience

• Performance linked bonus: Bonus opportunities aligned to your level and contribution

• Pension scheme – helping you plan for the future

• Recognition schemes – celebrating and rewarding great work

• Private GP service – fast, convenient access to medical support

• Life insurance – providing added peace of mind

• Subsidised gym membership – supporting your health and wellbeing

• Holiday buy scheme – purchase up to 5 additional days of annual leave

Equal Opportunities Statement

At Ground Control, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic as defined in the Equality Act 2010.

We actively support and promote an inclusive culture, ensuring fair and equitable treatment throughout the recruitment process and across all stages of employment, including training, development, promotion, pay, and termination. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and employees, and to creating a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimisation.

We expect all colleagues to uphold our values of dignity, respect, and inclusion. We take a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discriminatory behaviour and are committed to continuous improvement through training, inclusive policies, and accountability at all levels.