Open Spaces Officer
| Posting date: | 14 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £24,090 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 13 February 2026 |
| Location: | Dover, Kent |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Dover District Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | DDC0799 |
Summary
Dover District Council has an exciting agenda to deliver first class public services, putting our residents at the heart of everything we do. As an employer, Dover District Council is proud to provide a supportive, friendly, diverse and flexible working environment in which our employees can thrive.
The Dover District covers approximately 121 square miles and is steeped in history, with wonderful coastline and countryside, lush valleys and beautiful parks and gardens, including the Green Flag Awarded Kearsney Parks, which encompasses a Grade II Thomas Mawson formal gardens. This makes Dover such an attractive place to live and work.
With amazing natural landscapes, parks and gardens, we’re looking for an enthusiastic Open Spaces Officer to join the Parks and Open Spaces Team.
The Role & Responsibilities:
You will lead on motivating and engaging an established group of volunteers who maintain Council owned open spaces. You will seek opportunities to grow volunteer activity, lead on horticultural tasks, and support wider Council events and activities at Council parks and open spaces.
You will also work closely with the Principal Open Spaces Officer to develop and deliver wider open space strategic objectives through data collection and liaising with local stakeholders.
Who We Are Looking For
You must have experience of working with volunteers.
You must have experience of working in a similar role for at least a year.
We are looking for somebody with a good breadth of horticultural knowledge, and with strong communication skills for dealing with people at all levels.
A valid UK driving license and access to a car is required for this role.
What Can We Offer?
We can provide a friendly and supportive environment for you to excel in. We also offer several employee benefits, subject to eligibility criteria, such as:
Generous annual leave provision
Benenden Healthcare Membership and Employee Assistance Programme
Discount scheme including reduced membership rates at the local leisure centre, days out and entertainment
On-site parking (site dependent)
Opt-in Local government pension scheme with the opportunity for staff to make advanced, voluntary contributions (AVCs) to top up their pension
Cycle2Work scheme
The quality of your application will be considered as part of the recruitment process.
For an alternative format, or to apply using a different method, please contact us.
What Next?
If you would like a further discussion about the post then please contact Grace Dennis (Principal Open Spaces Officer) at grace.dennis@dover.gov.uk.
Interviews to be held on week commencing 9th March 2026 TBC.
The Dover District covers approximately 121 square miles and is steeped in history, with wonderful coastline and countryside, lush valleys and beautiful parks and gardens, including the Green Flag Awarded Kearsney Parks, which encompasses a Grade II Thomas Mawson formal gardens. This makes Dover such an attractive place to live and work.
With amazing natural landscapes, parks and gardens, we’re looking for an enthusiastic Open Spaces Officer to join the Parks and Open Spaces Team.
The Role & Responsibilities:
You will lead on motivating and engaging an established group of volunteers who maintain Council owned open spaces. You will seek opportunities to grow volunteer activity, lead on horticultural tasks, and support wider Council events and activities at Council parks and open spaces.
You will also work closely with the Principal Open Spaces Officer to develop and deliver wider open space strategic objectives through data collection and liaising with local stakeholders.
Who We Are Looking For
You must have experience of working with volunteers.
You must have experience of working in a similar role for at least a year.
We are looking for somebody with a good breadth of horticultural knowledge, and with strong communication skills for dealing with people at all levels.
A valid UK driving license and access to a car is required for this role.
What Can We Offer?
We can provide a friendly and supportive environment for you to excel in. We also offer several employee benefits, subject to eligibility criteria, such as:
Generous annual leave provision
Benenden Healthcare Membership and Employee Assistance Programme
Discount scheme including reduced membership rates at the local leisure centre, days out and entertainment
On-site parking (site dependent)
Opt-in Local government pension scheme with the opportunity for staff to make advanced, voluntary contributions (AVCs) to top up their pension
Cycle2Work scheme
The quality of your application will be considered as part of the recruitment process.
For an alternative format, or to apply using a different method, please contact us.
What Next?
If you would like a further discussion about the post then please contact Grace Dennis (Principal Open Spaces Officer) at grace.dennis@dover.gov.uk.
Interviews to be held on week commencing 9th March 2026 TBC.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.