Lead Estates and Maintenance Operative

Surrey County Council; Guildford; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government council in Guildford is seeking a proactive Lead Estates/Maintenance Operative. This role involves supporting maintenance and grounds work across various sites and requires experience in maintenance tasks and equipment. Ideal candidates will possess strong communication and organizational skills, along with the ability to lead volunteers. The position offers 26 days of holiday, ongoing training, and an opportunity to make a positive impact in the community.

Benefits

26 days holiday

Employee Assistance Programme

Local government pension

Lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience in maintenance including carpentry, plumbing, and decorating.
• Familiarity in using grounds maintenance equipment.
• Ability to supervise and work collaboratively in tasks and projects.

Responsibilities

• Support planned and reactive maintenance across SOLD sites.
• Lead volunteers and staff in maintenance tasks.
• Ensure health and safety compliance during maintenance works.

Skills

Experience in maintenance

Grounds maintenance knowledge

Supervisory skills

Effective communication

Organizational skills

Tools

Grounds maintenance equipment

Basic maintenance tools

Job description

Overview

Location: Surrey

Description

The starting salary for this role is £29,697 per annum, working 36 hours per week. We are hiring a Lead Estates/Maintenance Operative to play a vital role supporting the service with day-to-day, reactive and scheduled works and tasks, enabling us to provide high quality facilities and services. Our centres are based in the beautiful rural areas of Guildford, Ham near Richmond, and Mickleham, near Dorking - the latter being the primary base.

This role will suit someone who is active and enjoys working indoors and outdoors in varied terrain.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer s leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development (SOLD) offers high quality, outcome-led outdoor learning experiences and thrilling outdoor adventures to schools, families and youth groups.

About the Role

SOLD requires a proactive and skilled person to join the team in this role, supporting the planned / reactive maintenance and grounds work of SOLD's buildings, accommodation including canvas, transport and grounds. You will work closely with the wider staff team and at times, external contractors.

You will require a diverse set of practical skills, strong communication skills and excellent customer service skills. On occasions, you will lead volunteers, groups and other staff in maintenance tasks and projects around SOLD sites. You will be computer literate; communicating and working collaboratively with others, using the internal reporting and recording systems for works and to ensure health and safety requirements and legislation are met and maintained.

Responsibilities

• Support planned and reactive maintenance and grounds work across SOLD sites and accommodation
• Work indoors and outdoors in varied terrain
• Lead volunteers, groups and other staff in maintenance tasks and projects
• Communicate effectively with colleagues and external contractors
• Use internal reporting and recording systems to log works and ensure health and safety compliance

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• Proven experience in maintenance including carpentry, plumbing and decorating
• Familiarity in use of grounds maintenance equipment and gardening
• Supervising and collaboratively working with others in tasks and projects
• Being inclusive, positive, outcome and solution-focused
• Work intuitively, be well planned and organised
• Holder of a valid driving licence

As part of your application, you will be asked to upload your CV and answer the following application questions:

1. What has drawn you to apply for this role?
2. Please tell us about, and provide examples of your experience in basic maintenance tasks
3. Please tell us about, and provide examples of, your experience in grounds maintenance and machinery
4. Can you provide an example of a time when you had deal with a challenging situation while working under pressure? Explain how you dealt with it
5. What are your experiences and attributes for leading others within tasks and projects?

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 19/10/2025 with interviews planned for Monday 27th October 2025.

An enhanced DBS check will be carried out for the successful candidate as part of wider pre-employment checks.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.

Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about ourvalues.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.