Outdoor Grounds Operative — Transform Public Spaces

Somerset Council; Yeovil; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

Training and development opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Volunteer opportunities

Job summary

Somerset Council is seeking a Grounds Operative in Yeovil to maintain and improve public spaces across Somerset. The role covers parks, cemeteries, housing areas, highways and landscaped sites, with hands-on outdoor work and flexible hours.

You will join a supportive team delivering practical grounds maintenance with a visible community impact. We welcome applicants with varied experience and a positive attitude.

Qualifications

• Good physical fitness and ability to lift and move materials/equipment.
• Experience with outdoor manual work and hand-operated equipment.
• A full UK driving licence.
• Good understanding of health and safety requirements, including COSHH.
• Ability to work safely in varying weather conditions and flexible to changing priorities.
• Basic IT skills and ability to learn new systems (Outlook, Word, Teams).
• Good teamwork and flexible approach to work.

Responsibilities

• Carry out grounds and horticultural work such as grass cutting, hedge trimming, planting, weeding and general upkeep.
• Maintain highways, verges, housing areas, cemeteries, parks and landscaped sites.
• Remove litter, leaves, graffiti and fly-posting to keep spaces clean.
• Use hand tools, powered equipment and ride-on machinery with training.
• Support seasonal and emergency work (flood response, watercourse clearance, snow/ice clearance, sandbagging).
• Drive council vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tonnes, perform daily checks and report defects.
• Complete basic paperwork and electronic records accurately.
• Provide professional and courteous service when interacting with the public.
• Work flexibly to support service needs, including occasional work outside normal hours.

Skills

Physical fitness

Teamwork

Adaptability

Health and safety awareness

Education

General education or equivalent practical experience

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Somerset Council is seeking a Grounds Operative in Yeovil to maintain and improve public spaces across Somerset. The role covers parks, cemeteries, housing areas, highways and landscaped sites, with hands-on outdoor work and flexible hours.

You will join a supportive team delivering practical grounds maintenance with a visible community impact. We welcome applicants with varied experience and a positive attitude.