Principal Horticulture Officer
Location
Dover, Kent | United Kingdom
Job description
Could you be the person we are looking for?
Dover District is the closest part of England to Europe. The district covers approximately 121 square miles, including three main towns, Dover, Deal and Sandwich as well as dozens of picturesque villages and hamlets, with amazing natural landscapes, and beautiful parks.
Dover District Council owns 500 hectares of parks, open spaces, sports pitches, cemeteries, and closed churchyards. The in-house Grounds Maintenance team’s regular schedule ensures that green spaces in our town centres are attractive, and that residents can access both the natural environment, as well as outdoor leisure facilities. Many further hectares of land in DDC ownership are visited by the team on a reactive basis.
An exciting opportunity has become available to recruit a Principal Horticulture Officer who will lead the Grounds Maintenance team of more than 25 staff, taking responsibility for day-to-day management of the service.
Reporting to the Parks and Open Spaces Manager, the post holder will motivate and guide the team in delivering scheduled horticultural operations safely and efficiently, to a high standard. There will also be opportunities to develop new approaches, for example through contributing to the preparation of the Council’s open space strategies.
Who we are looking for:
The successful applicant will be an experienced and enthusiastic horticulture specialist with leadership qualities. They will have an excellent knowledge of horticultural operations including grass cutting and shrub pruning, as well as competency in arboricultural works.
Good written and numeric skills will be required, preferably accompanied by qualifications in horticulture, supervision/people management, and Health & Safety, or a willingness to work towards securing these qualifications.
The Principal Horticulture Officer must be an effective communicator, for example responding constructively to questions from service users, and liaising with sports clubs and volunteer groups. They must also be willing to lead the Grounds Maintenance team by example, therefore be prepared to work in all weather conditions.
A full UK driving license is required and use of a roadworthy vehicle with business insurance or the ability to visit work locations in a timely manner with work equipment.
What we can offer:
- Benenden Healthcare Membership and Employee Assistance Programme.
- Opt-in local government pension scheme, with the opportunity for staff to make advanced, voluntary contributions (AVCs) to top up their pension.
- Generous annual leave.
- Discount scheme, including reduced membership rates at the local leisure centre.
- On-site parking.
- Salary sacrifice schemes.
As this role could involve the use of vibration equipment, any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory medical clearance. We will ask you to complete a medical questionnaire which will be sent to our occupational health medical advisor and as a result of this you may be asked to undergo a medical.
Next Steps:
If you would like an informal discussion about the post, please contact the Head of Parks, Open Spaces and Countryside Emma-Jane Allen by email
[email protected] or the Parks and Open Spaces Manager Darran Solley by email
[email protected].
Interviews to be held from the 17th April 2024.
The interview format will involve a question-based interview, task and presentation.
Full information will be provided to the short-listed candidates.
Job tags
Salary
£46.17k per annum
