Grounds Maintenance Team Leader

Grounds Maintenance Team Leader

Location: Chiswick, London

Salary: Competitive

The organisation has been awarded the grounds maintenance contract to work in partnership with the Trust. Supporting, and supported by, their in-house team work to manage, maintain and enhancement of the gardens, in an innovative, inclusive approach to working with the local community.

The Role

This role will lead their onsite team in the delivery all tasks assigned to the team by their Head Gardener and their highly talented, and supportive, gardeners. The role sits within the Green Team, and as such plays an important role in their mission to deliver excellent horticultural and landscaping services alongside offering the best opportunity for unemployed Londoners to develop their skills and experience to enter long term roles within the green space sector.

Main Objectives:

• Delivery of high quality grounds maintenance programme within the Trust’s vision:
  • Conserving the historic, built, horticultural and natural heritage for visitors
  • Sustaining and improving biodiversity
  • Supporting the local community’s health and well-being

• Line management of Gardener and trainees, ensuring all tasks are delivered on time and to specification
• Support, development and on-the-job training for all trainees and volunteers working on the team
• Day to day reporting to, and liaison with, the team at the Trust

Key Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Oversee the delivery of all scheduled, responsive and ad hoc tasks within the contract with the Trust, ensuring they are completed according to best practice.
• To lead by example, motivating and guiding the team and maintaining workforce discipline.
• Provide line management of the team delivering the service, ensuring continuous performance management and development through performance appraisals, regular 1:1s, access to training opportunities, the establishment of personal development plans, and site-based observations of the delivery of accredited training.
• Ensure total compliance with Health and Safety, including completion of all RAMS for all activities; ensuring they are fully documented; ensure they are read, understood, signed and adhered to by all staff and trainees; supporting the Programme Manager to regularly review safe working practices.
• Maintain strong and cooperative working relationship with the Trust’s team. Working with them to adapt work schedules and plans to meet the needs of the Trust.
• To ensure the team assist the Trust in community engagement and interaction with all visitors, including gardens’ users, local residents, community partners, schools, visitors and volunteers (including their Trustees).
• To ensure that they collect and provide all performance information required by the Trust and support the Green Team Programme Manager in annual reporting.
• To operating and ensure others operate company and hire vehicles, machinery and equipment with care and that daily checks and routine servicing are carried and properly recorded. To ensure planned maintenance is undertaken and any defects and repairs are reported to Green Team Programme Manager for rectification.
• To ensure the team secure all of the organisation’s equipment and the Trust’s sites and premises to which the team have access.
• To work closely with their employment team to select, manage, train and develop all trainees assigned to the contract.
• To oversee any volunteers assigned to support the service, providing guidance and training to enhance their development. To support the teams delivering corporate volunteering events.

Skills and Qualifications

• A relevant horticulture and/or landscaping / management qualification such as a BTEC, NVQ or RHS at Level 3 (minimum requirement)
• Proven experience as a gardener and the ability to demonstrate a strong track record of success.
• Experience and competence in using machinery (including tractors & mowers), spraying equipment, and handheld machine garden tools.
• Ability to plan and manage working schedule for the team, prioritising tasks, and providing solutions to fix issues as raised by stakeholders and clients
• Ability to undertake and supervise horticultural maintenance tasks, adhering to project briefs, specifications and budgets
• Ability to use MS office (Word, Excel) Internet and Email.
• A willingness to be flexible in work patterns and to fulfil occasional evening and weekend duties
• Full UK driving licence held over 3 years with the ability to be reasonably insured

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for this reputable company, please do not hesitate to apply.