Regional Grounds Maintenance operative

United Utilities; Penrith; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 7.5%

Generous annual leave

Pension up to 14% employer contrib

Company healthcare plan

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders

Discounts and wellbeing support

Job summary

United Utilities is hiring a Regional Grounds Maintenance Operative to join the Cumbria team. The role involves outdoor maintenance across diverse sites, operating a range of equipment and supporting environmental recovery projects.

You’ll work on treatment works and facilities, ensuring safety and high standards of presentation. The position is permanent, full-time (37 hours) onsite in Penrith/Cumbria, offering a competitive salary of £29,122 per annum, annual bonus eligibility and a strong

Qualifications

• Practical experience in grounds maintenance, vegetation management or outdoor maintenance.
• Experience operating grounds maintenance machinery and equipment.
• Ability to work safely in outdoor environments and challenging conditions.
• Full UK Manual Driving Licence and willingness to tow trailers or obtain training.

Responsibilities

• Carry out grounds maintenance across multiple sites including vegetation management and soft landscaping.
• Support environmental recovery and site improvement projects.
• Record work accurately and communicate with site teams and stakeholders.
• Follow risk assessments and safe systems of work.

Skills

Grounds maintenance

Operate machinery

Health and safety

Risk assessments

Customer service

Driving licence

Pesticide qualifications

Trailer towing

Education

NVQ/City & Guilds in horticulture (Desirable)

Job description

About us

Regional Grounds Maintenance Operative

Location: Penrith, Cumbria
Salary: £29,122 per annum
Working Pattern: Onsite
Contract Type: Permanent
Employment Type: Full Time
Hours: 37 Hours Per Week

At United Utilities, our purpose is to deliver great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West. As the custodians of thousands of operational and non-operational sites across the region, maintaining safe, well-presented and environmentally responsible environments is a vital part of what we do.

We're looking for a motivated and hands-on Regional Grounds Maintenance Operative to join our team in Cumbria. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working outdoors, operating specialist equipment and making a visible difference across a diverse range of sites.

From maintaining treatment works and operational facilities to supporting environmental recovery projects and vegetation management activities, you'll play a key role in ensuring our sites remain safe, compliant and maintained to the highest standards.

If you enjoy practical work, take pride in delivering quality results and want to be part of a team that supports critical infrastructure across the North West, we'd love to hear from you.

Why United Utilities?

As a FTSE 100 organisation, United Utilities offers long-term career opportunities, excellent benefits and the chance to contribute to essential services that millions of people rely on every day.

In addition to a competitive salary, you'll benefit from:

• Annual bonus opportunity of up to 7.5%
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution
• Company-funded healthcare plan
• Life assurance cover
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• MyGymDiscounts and wellbeing support
• EVolve Car Scheme
• ShareBuy Scheme
• Salary Finance and Wealth at Work support
• Flexible benefits through MORE Choices
• Enhanced parental leave policies
• Employee discounts and recognition awards

The Role

As a Regional Grounds Maintenance Operative, you will carry out a wide range of grounds maintenance, vegetation management and environmental recovery activities across United Utilities' operational and non-operational sites.

Working outdoors in all weather conditions, you'll help maintain water and wastewater treatment sites, ensuring they meet the high standards expected across safety, environmental performance and site presentation.

You'll operate a variety of specialist vehicles, plant and equipment and play an important role in supporting site improvements, recovery projects and seasonal maintenance activities.

No two days will be the same, making this an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys varied and practical work.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Carry out grounds maintenance activities across a variety of operational and non-operational sites.
• Undertake vegetation management and clearance works.
• Deliver soft landscaping activities to maintain and improve site appearance.
• Identify opportunities for site improvement and report recommendations.

Environmental & Recovery Works

• Support recovery projects across operational and non-operational land.
• Undertake vegetation removal from filter beds and other treatment assets.
• Assist with pontoon works and specialist environmental maintenance activities.
• Support seasonal and winter work programmes as required.

Plant & Equipment Operation

Operate and conduct daily checks on a wide variety of equipment, including:

• Ride-on mowers
• Pedestrian mowers
• Strimmers
• Hedge cutters
• Leaf blowers
• Tractors and agricultural equipment
• Robotic machinery
• Vehicles and trailers
• Specialist grounds maintenance equipment
• Ensure all equipment is operated safely and in accordance with training and company procedures.

Site Support & Maintenance

• Carry out minor remedial works including fencing and pathway repairs where trained and competent to do so.
• Record completed work accurately using company systems.
• Liaise closely with operational site teams and stakeholders.
• Support Team Leaders in planning and delivering work programmes.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Adhere to all health, safety and environmental requirements.
• Follow company procedures, risk assessments and safe systems of work.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessments while working in changing site environments.
• Apply and handle pesticides safely, including invasive weed management activities.

Team Support

• Support the onboarding and development of new starters and trainees.
• Take ownership of task-based activities when required.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and contractors to achieve team objectives.
• Undertake other reasonable duties as required by the business.

About You

We're looking for someone who enjoys working outdoors, takes pride in maintaining high standards and has a strong awareness of health and safety.

You’ll be a team player with a practical mindset, a positive attitude and the ability to work independently when required. You’ll enjoy a varied role that combines grounds maintenance, environmental work and site improvement activities across a large geographical area.

Most importantly, you’ll be committed to delivering safe, high-quality work and providing excellent service to internal customers and stakeholders.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

Essential

• Practical experience in grounds maintenance, vegetation management, landscaping or similar outdoor maintenance activities.
• Experience operating grounds maintenance machinery and equipment.
• Ability to work safely in outdoor environments and challenging conditions.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to understand and follow risk assessments and safe working procedures.
• Commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
• Full UK Manual Driving Licence.
• Ability to tow trailers or willingness to undertake training.
• Willingness to obtain relevant pesticide application qualifications if required.
• Willingness to obtain NPTC Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Manually Fed Woodchipper Operations if required.
• Willingness to work towards a Class C Licence if required.

Desirable

• City & Guilds, NVQ or Lantra qualification in an agricultural, horticultural, landscaping or land-based discipline.
• Experience working within utilities, environmental services, local authority or grounds maintenance environments.
• Knowledge of invasive weed management and pesticide application practices.

Join Us

This is a fantastic opportunity to build a long-term career while working outdoors in some of the North West's most varied environments.

As a Regional Grounds Maintenance Operative, you'll help ensure that United Utilities' sites remain safe, compliant and well-maintained while supporting essential services that millions of customers rely upon every day.