Senior Executive Parks and Landscape Officer

publicjobs; Leinster; On-site; EUR 73,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

Kildare County Council is seeking a Senior Executive Parks and Landscape Officer to lead the Parks and Public Realm division within the Transport, Mobility and Open Spaces Directorate. You will oversee planning, design, biodiversity initiatives and a substantial annual budget, reporting to the Senior Parks and Landscape Officer.

The ideal candidate will hold an NFQ Level 8 qualification in Horticulture/ Landscape Architecture / Arboriculture / Natural or Environmental Science and have at least

Qualifications

• Qualification in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Arboriculture, Natural or Environmental Science (level 8 or higher).
• At least seven years post graduate experience in planning, design, development and management of parks/open spaces/related areas.
• Ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams to achieve corporate objectives.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Good financial management within a budgetary control framework.
• Proven ability to deliver projects on time and within budget, including procurement and contracts.
• Knowledge of health and safety standards applicable to local authorities.

Responsibilities

• Control, maintain and develop parks and public realm spaces.
• Plan, design and construct new parks/open spaces.
• Manage planting and maintenance of trees in public spaces.
• Support biodiversity initiatives within the Council.
• Manage a significant annual budget across services.
• Promote green infrastructure and climate initiatives.
• Supervise staff; handle HR duties.
• Develop policies and strategies for areas of responsibility.
• Perform other duties as required.

Skills

Public realm

Landscape design

Urban design

Public procurement

Health and safety

Contract delivery

Graphic design

IT skills

Staff management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Horticulture / Landscape Architecture / Arboriculture / Natural or Environmental Science (NFQ 8+)

Job description

Job title:Senior Executive Parks and Landscape Officer

Employer: Kildare County Council

Location: Kildare

Closing Date: 3pm, Thursday, 26th November 2026

Salary: Starting at €80,680

About the Employer:

Kildare County Council is one of 31 Local Authorities in the Republic of Ireland. The Council has responsibility for the delivery of a wide range of services which are necessary to the physical, economic, social, and cultural life of County Kildare, with a focus on making Kildare an attractive place to live, work and invest. Kildare County Council have 40 elected members representing 5 Municipal Districts, Athy, Kildare/Newbridge, Naas, Clane/Maynooth and Celbridge/Leixlip.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Senior Parks and Landscape Officer, the Senior Executive Parks and Landscape Officer is a senior management position within the Transport, Mobility and Open Spaces Directorate of Kildare County Council. They have responsibility for the development, management and administration of the parks service which includes public realm areas, parks and recreation facilities and biodiversity initiatives. This position may also be developed to incorporate an area management element into the role. The Senior Executive Parks & Landscape Officer will be required to have good knowledge and awareness of Health and Safety Legislation and associated Regulations. They will also be required to have an understanding of the role and duties of managers in safety management in the workplace.

The Senior Executive Parks & Landscape Officer duties include but are not limited to the following:

• The control, maintenance and development of parks and public realm open spaces (including recreational facilities therein).
• The planning, design and construction of new parks and open spaces.
• The management of planting and maintenance of trees on public thoroughfares and public open spaces.
• Support the development of the Council’s biodiversity function.
• Management of a significant annual budget across a range of services.
• The promotion of green infrastructure, climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives and the promotion of public wellbeing through public infrastructure initiatives.
• The management and supervision of staff, including associated HR functions.
• The development of policies and strategies for their area of responsibility.
• Any other associated duties as may be assigned from time to time.

About You:

Candidates must, on the latest date for receipt of application forms, hold a qualification in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Arboriculture, Natural or Environmental Science (level 8 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications).

Candidates shall also: a) have not less than seven years post graduate satisfactory experience of planning, design, development and management of one or more of the following: Parks, Heritage Landscapes and Gardens, Open Spaces, Green Infrastructure, Public Realm and Urban Design, Urban Forests, Sports Grounds, Recreation and Play Facilities, Burial Grounds, Community Gardens and Allotments;

b) have the ability to work on their own initiative and as part of a senior executive team, managing and motivating multi-disciplinary teams to achieve corporate objectives;

c) have good interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders including interest groups and public representatives;

d) have proven ability to manage financial resources within a strict budgetary control framework;

e) have a proven ability to manage the delivery of projects on time and within budget, including dealing with procurement, contractors, professional consultants, stakeholders.

f) demonstrate a capacity for innovation and problem solving;

g) demonstrates the ability to develop policies, strategies, best practice guidance and the preparation of technical reports as required;

and h) have a good working knowledge of the legal regulatory standards that apply to local authorities, including health and safety.

The ideal candidate shall have the following Skills and Experience:

• Satisfactory professional knowledge and experience of public realm, landscape and urban design.
• Knowledge of the legislation, policies, procedures and regulations guiding the design, operation and management of the public realm.
• Knowledge of the current recreational needs, interests, trends and facilities.
• Knowledge of the methods, techniques and requirements for the upkeep of buildings, facilities, grounds and equipment.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices in the management of natural resources within parks and open spaces.
• Knowledge of public relations and possess good interpersonal and communication skills and have the ability to engage with a wide range of people.
• Knowledge of the principles and practice of personnel and office management
• Knowledge of public procurement processes.
• Knowledge and awareness of Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations, their implications for the organisation and the employee, and their application in the workplace and experience in the application of same.
• Knowledge of the methods and techniques of construction activities, including construction methods, equipment, specifications and contracts and experience in contract delivery.
• Competence and experience in the area of landscape design.
• Competency and experience in the area of information technology; with well developed skills including graphic design.
• Ability to organise, evaluate and present information effectively both orally, graphically and in writing.
• Ability to schedule work projects.
• A willingness to take ownership of problem-solving and lead where necessary
• Capacity to work on his/her own initiative.
• An understanding of Local Authority services and structures or have the ability to quickly acquire same.
• Be capable of working closing with the elected members to deliver the full range of quality services, to drive policy and to implement decisions.
• Be capableof working in close co-operation with other Council departments, the strategic and Area Committees and various external stakeholders, while being able to seek co-operation and consensus from a wide range of bodies and representative groups.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday, 26th November, 2026.

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.