Nursery Operative
| Posting date: | 03 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £26,123 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 23 October 2025 |
| Location: | CW8 2GN |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | 431299/1 |
Summary
You will seed and grow the trees for the nation’s forests. You will support the general running of the nursery, including crop husbandry, plant production and dispatch. You will be a champion of our health & safety culture by exercising our value of ‘look out and look after’ within our work.
Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.
Where you’ll work…
Central District -
Central England Forest District Team manages 30,000ha of the Nations Forests within a triangle formed by Preston, Grimsby and Milton Keynes.
We manage a diverse range of forests from ancient oak-wood to new community forests, producing 150,000 tonnes of timber every year and providing homes for a wide range of wildlife. Over 8 million people live within 20 miles of our forests, giving rise to a diverse range of customers, neighbours and stakeholders. We manage seven visitor centres, attracting over 2.5 million visits per year, and 23,000 hectares of accessible woodlands.
Plant husbandry
• be organised and use nursery machinery professionally and efficiently.
• follow spoken/written instructions and guidance from supervisors, and manufacturer’s instructions.
• maintain plant and soil health by watering, feeding, weeding, and spraying.
• monitor crops for pests and diseases and report any concerns quickly.
• monitor and control weeds using manual, mechanical and herbicides as required.
• use plant protection products as part of an integrated pest management programme.
Plant production
• sow seeds manually and using machines.
• fill trays and transplant seedlings.
• propagation from cuttings.
• harvesting, packing, and grading trees to customer specification.
• keep accurate records of operational outputs using the methods provided by nursery management.
• collect data and enter it into Forestry England applications.
• report issues promptly.
Health and safety
• follow health and safety training and instructions.
• use checklists and risk assessments when for tasks.
• follow proper lifting techniques and safety guidelines to prevent accidents and injuries.
• correctly and safely use trollies or other manual handling equipment as required.
• follow relevant biosecurity legislation, policies, procedures, and rules provided in training courses.
• make sure members of staff and visitors follow site biosecurity measures.
Team working
• work as part of a team or on your own to achieve nursery targets and goals.
• use your initiative to work proactively to complete tasks.
• provide first level support and direction to seasonal agency staff so that nursery operations are carried out
professionally and effectively.
• be willing to undertake training to improve your skills.
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme