Maintenance Engineer (Horticulture) - Streetscene Services

Reading Borough Council; Reading; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Reading Borough Council is seeking a skilled Maintenance Engineer to join their Streetscene team. You will ensure the reliability and safety of outdoor powered equipment such as mowers and strimmers, while maintaining an organized inventory. This role offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and a commitment to professional growth and diversity in the workplace.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement of 25 days plus bank holidays

Wide range of flexible working opportunities

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

Life Assurance for LGPS members

Season Ticket Loan for public transport

Lease car salary sacrifice scheme

Qualifications

• Qualified Maintenance Engineer with problem-solving skills.
• Experience in public spaces maintenance.
• High safety and organizational standards.

Responsibilities

• Diagnosing and repairing faults across mechanical and electrical equipment.
• Managing tools and service records, ensuring compliance with safety standards.
• Carrying out preventative maintenance to minimize downtime.

Skills

Hands-on experience with powered outdoor equipment

Good fault-finding skills

IT confidence for logging repairs

Job description

Are you a skilled Maintenance Engineer who enjoys hands-on problem solving and making a real impact in your local community? Join our Streetscene team and take pride in keeping Reading's essential outdoor equipment running safely and smoothly - including strimmers, mowers, chainsaws, and ride-on machinery used in horticultural and grounds maintenance work.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the Role:The role will be based at our depot at 19 Bennet Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0QX

We're particularly interested in candidates with experience maintaining horticultural tools and equipment used in public spaces, parks, highways, or local authority environments.

As our Maintenance Engineer, you'll be responsible for the repair, servicing and maintenance of our extensive stock of powered equipment including mowers, strimmers, ride-on machines, and more. You'll respond to equipment issues, manage our stock and database of tools and parts, and ensure safety and reliability across our machinery.

You'll play a key part in improving equipment efficiencies, managing external contractors, and helping maintain a high-quality, safe working environment. There may also be occasional infrastructure repairs involving mechanical or welding work.

About the Streetscene Services Team:The Streetscene Services Team is dedicated to maintaining clean, safe, and attractive public spaces across the borough. Our team is responsible for a wide range of essential services, including street cleaning, litter collection, graffiti removal, fly-tip clearance, and the maintenance of street furniture and signage.

In addition, the team looks after the borough's green spaces by cutting grass, maintaining verges, and caring for public trees to ensure they remain healthy and safe.

Working closely with local communities and partner agencies, Streetscene plays a key role in enhancing the quality of life for residents by ensuring that our streets, parks, and open spaces are well-kept and welcoming.

Key Responsibilities:

In this role, you'll be responsible for diagnosing and repairing faults across a wide range of mechanical and electrical equipment. You'll carry out both preventative maintenance and urgent repairs to ensure minimal downtime and maximum reliability. Alongside this, you'll manage the inventory of tools, spare parts, and consumables, making sure stock levels support efficient maintenance operations.

You'll also maintain accurate equipment and vibration monitoring records, liaising with manufacturers and contractors to ensure high standards and value for money. Sharing your technical knowledge will be key as you support apprentices and contribute to team development. A strong focus on health and safety is essential, with an expectation to maintain clean, secure, and compliant workspaces at all times.

Duties will include:

• Provide timely and effective responses to enquiries and complaints from managers, supervisors, and operatives.
• Manage and maintain an accurate tools and equipment database and associated service records.
• Carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and respond to equipment faults and breakdowns efficiently to minimise downtime.
• Ensure all plant and equipment is maintained to high safety and performance standards.
• Monitor and maintain equipment vibration levels in compliance with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) regulations.
• Uphold strong health and safety practices, maintaining clean and secure workspaces.

About You:You're a qualified Maintenance Engineer who enjoys problem solving and takes pride in reliable repairs. You're organised, safety-conscious, and capable of working independently to keep our operations running smoothly.

We're especially interested if you have:

• Hands-on experience with powered outdoor equipment
• Good fault-finding skills across mechanical and electrical systems
• IT confidence for logging repairs and stock levels
• A full UK driving licence

Nice to have:

• PAT testing or HAVS monitoring certification
• Welding or light fabrication skills

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better - and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at 19 Bennet Road, Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact Chris Camfield - Streetscene Services Manager - [e-mail]

Closing Date: Sunday 20 th July 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed

Interview Process: Formal interview, basic written and practical test

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.