Open Spaces Officer

St Helens Council; St Helens; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

St Helens Borough Council is seeking an Open Spaces Officer to help enhance the local environment and foster community engagement through events in our parks. You will support safety documentation, inspect spaces, and engage with groups to deliver high‑quality open spaces and activity programmes.

We welcome applicants with a passion for the environment, health and safety, and community events. Flexibility for occasional evenings/weekends is required, along with a full UK driving licence.

Qualifications

• GCSEs in Maths and English (Grade 4/C or above) or equivalent Level 2 qualifications.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Flexibility to support occasional evening/weekend events.
• Interest in the environment, health and safety and community events.
• Ability to engage effectively with the local community.

Responsibilities

• Support event organisers with documentation and guidance on safety measures.
• Promote best practices for event safety and legal responsibilities.
• Carry out site inspections before, during, and after events to ensure safety and quality of open spaces (including occasional weekend work).
• Liaise with community groups, event organisers, council departments, and external agencies.
• Attend ESAG meetings and coordinate reviews of event proposals and risks.
• Assist with funding bids to support open space projects and events.
• Provide information and interpretation services about open spaces.
• Inspect and maintain signage, notice boards, footpaths, and trails.
• Conduct daily visual inspections of children’s play equipment and maintain records.
• Monitor and record usage of habitats, facilities, and the wider environment.
• Support and supervise volunteers, community groups, and temporary employment schemes.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of open space management plans and Green Flag assessments.

Skills

Organisational skills

Communication

Teamwork

MS Office

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Job description

Are you passionate about the environment, community, health and safety and events? Join St Helens Borough Council as an Open Spaces Officer and help enhance the local environment, foster relationships in the community and encourage the use of our parks as spaces for events and activities.

Making a Difference

Whatever stage of your career, working in the public sector puts you at the heart of communities. Our workforce provides services to our resident's day in and day out, making a positive impact on people’s lives. We could not do this without the dedication, professionalism and strength of our workforce. There are so many reasons to choose to work at St Helens Council including the fantastic range of employee benefits and rewards on offer..

Roles That Matter

We are seeking a proactive and confident Open Spaces Officer with excellent interpersonal and communication skills to join our Environment & Sustainability Team. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in supporting the Council’s environmental objectives through the provision of high quality open spaces, community engagement and the encouragement of events and activities in our parks. We are flexible about your experience. You may be new to the industry, or be experienced in the environment, open spaces, events, health and safety or with community engagement. Whatever your background, you’ll be passionate about open spaces, building community spirit through community engagement and events, and above all – making a positive difference to the people of St Helens!

What You’ll Be Doing

• Supporting event organisers with documentation and guidance on safety measures.
• Promoting best practices for event safety and legal responsibilities.
• Carrying out site inspections before, during, and after events to ensure safety and quality of open spaces (including occasional weekend work).
• Liaising with community groups, event organisers, council departments, and external agencies.
• Attending ESAG (Event Safety Advisory Group) meetings and coordinating reviews of event proposals and risks.
• Assisting with funding bids to support open space projects and events.
• Providing information and interpretation services about open spaces.
• Inspecting and maintaining signage, notice boards, footpaths, and trails.
• Conducting daily visual inspections of children’s play equipment and maintaining records.
• Monitoring and recording usage of habitats, facilities, and the wider environment.
• Supporting and supervising volunteers, community groups, and temporary employment schemes.
• Contributing to the development and delivery of open space management plans and Green Flag assessments.

What You’ll Bring

• Excellent organisation skills and attention to detail.
• An interest in the environment, health and safety and community events.
• A willingness to learn and develop new/existing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with the local community.
• Ability to manage time efficiently, work as part of a team and independently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel.
• GCSEs in Maths and English (Grade 4/C or above) or equivalent Level 2 qualifications.
• Flexibility to be able to support occasional evening/weekend events.
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Experience in an open spaces/events/health & safety/local authority setting would be a plus.
• A full UK driving licence.

Why Join Us?

At St Helens Borough Council, we’re committed to delivering high-quality, customer‑focused services that support a cleaner, greener future. You’ll be part of a forward‑thinking team that values innovation, collaboration, and community impact.

We offer:

• Ongoing professional development
• A supportive and inclusive work environment
• The opportunity to make a real difference in your community

Interviews are intended to take place in the week commencing 26th October.

Full Job Description & Person Specification Documents are included with this advert.

We reserve the right to close the advert early, with sufficient applications.

Equality & Diversity

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, who share our values, our commitment to inclusion, and who will help us on our journey to transform our organisation. The Council guarantees an interview to disabled applicants who demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria for the job, as detailed on the Person Specification, and will, for qualifying disabled candidates, make reasonable adjustments within selection.

All Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 Nolan Principles

St Helens Council is officially recognised as one of the region’s leading fair employers, achieving accredited status under the Liverpool City Combined Authority Fair Employment Charter. The Charter recognises the ongoing commitment to fair pay, secure work, training & progression & staff well-being whilst celebrating employers who go above and beyond for their workforce providing an inclusive and supportive environment.

Be scam aware: St Helens Council will never ask applicants to share payment information or charge recruitment fees when applying for vacancies. If in doubt, contact [e-mail]

If you have any questions or require further information please contact [e-mail]