Peripatetic Parks Team, Senior Chargehand

Leeds City Council; Leeds; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Flexible and hybrid working

Career development opportunities

Generous annual leave

Job summary

Leeds City Council is seeking a Senior Chargehand Gardener to lead a team of gardeners across the East area, covering citywide tasks as needed. The role requires excellent communication, mentoring skills and the ability to travel between sites with a UK driving licence.

You will oversee seasonal roles, ensure safety and record-keeping, and work with partners and volunteers to deliver high quality horticultural maintenance and landscaping across Leeds.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in horticulture or equivalent practical experience.
• PA1/PA6 spraying certificate required.
• Full UK driving licence essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise and train gardening staff of mixed grades, including seasonal staff, apprentices and volunteers.
• Organise and undertake mentoring and training within the defined district.
• Maintain accurate records and reports; manage equipment and safety procedures.
• Liaise with partners, stakeholders and the public to deliver horticultural projects.

Skills

Team leadership

Staff development

Horticulture passion

Stakeholder communication

Citywide travel

Leadership excellence

Education

Level 3 qualification in horticulture

PA1/PA6 spraying certificate

Full UK driving licence

Job description

Job title: Peripatetic Parks Team, Senior Chargehand

Salary: C3 £33,119 - £34,811

Hours: 37

Contract: Full Time

Location: City Wide, Based in Area East

This is an exciting job opportunity for a Senior Chargehand Gardener based in the East of the city to cover City wide.

About You

As a Senior Chargehand Gardener you will bring to the role:

• Ability to lead and motivate a team of gardeners.
• Encourage staff to be their best and support advancement through training.
• A passion about horticulture and an infectious enthusiasm to deliver results.
• Good communication with multiple stakeholders and members of the public.
• The ability to access all required locations across the city.
• Effective leadership working collaboratively and inspiring others.

About The Role

As an experienced Supervisor / leader and horticulturist, you will ensure seasonal jobs are undertaken to an annual schedule. Keep accurate records and storing information correctly. Excel in working with our partners, stakeholders, community groups and be comfortable conversing with visitors to the parks. You will have excellent communication skills and will lead from the front.

Work includes all aspects of horticultural maintenance, including manual handling such as lifting, digging, hard and soft landscaping, preparation of ground for the planting and establishment of plants, weed spraying, the laying, establishing and maintenance of turf, fencing, the construction and maintenance of landscape features and grass cutting using a range of grass cutting mowers or machinery.

In addition, the Senior Chargehand Gardener will be responsible for attending stakeholder meetings and take a lead on ensuring all staff are adequately trained, have welfare provision they need as well as organising the workforce, managing annual leave and dealing with day-to-day operational issues.

A full UK driving licence is essential, to enable the post holder to travel independently to various sites as required to supervise and transport staff.

The post may be based at any point within the Leeds City boundaries.

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you will usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

To organise and undertake, on a day-to-day basis, the available resources in order to complete mentoring and training in Climate, Energy & Green Spaces specialist horticultural equipment and machinery and to ensure that correct work-related records are kept.

Responsibilities

• The organisation, undertaking and completion mentoring and training operations within the defined working district.
• The supervision and training of gardening staff of mixed grades, including seasonal staff, apprentices, volunteers and work placements whilst undertaking work instruction in the use of specialised machinery and equipment. This will also include the driving from one area of work within the Leeds City boundaries to another in order to train and mentor staff.
• The accurate completion and return of inspection and training records, and other administrative duties as required.
• To maintain and ensure quality assurance methods, within the post holder defined working area in the operational role.
• To ensure that the Safety Policy and relevant Safe Working Practices are adhered to by the staff under the post holder control.
• Where necessary, to implement the Authority Grievance and Disciplinary procedures.
• To undertake any training, including staff appraisals, as is deemed necessary to improve performance.
• To ensure that the applicable sections of the Climate, Energy & Green Spaces Green Policy are followed and that the correct monitoring procedures are adhered to.
• Additional duties as assigned by the Area Officer or their designated officer.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification within this field of work and actively working towards gaining or able to demonstrate a significant number of years practical experience in gardening and horticultural operations
• PA1 /PA6 spraying certificate.
• A full UK driving licence.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

• Ability to communicate with a wide range of people individually, in groups and at all appropriate levels.
• Ability to supervise and train staff effectively.
• Ability to plan and organise resources efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to keep accurate records.
• Ability to produce associated reports as required.
• Ability to work on own initiative or as part of a team.
• Physical ability to provide mentoring and training in aspects of gardening and horticultural specialised equipment and machinery.
• Ability to produce risk assessments for the related work areas.
• Level 3 qualification within this field of work or equivalent experience .
• PA1 / PA6 spraying certificate.
• Knowledge of current, modern horticultural machinery and its uses.
• Knowledge of health and safety procedures.
• Knowledge in the use of computers, smart phones and Microsoft software packages.
• Significant number of years practical experience in gardening and horticultural operations.
• Experience in staff supervision and training.

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Knowledge of quality and safety assurance procedures.
• Knowledge of Departmental policies and procedures.