Grounds Maintenance Team Leader
| Posting date: | 24 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £28,802 to £30,728 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 06 April 2026 |
| Location: | Maidstone, Kent |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Maidstone Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Are you passionate about creating vibrant, welcoming, and biodiverse green spaces? Do you take pride in your work and enjoy leading others to deliver exceptional results? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
About the Role
We are seeking a proactive and skilled Grounds Maintenance Team Leader to support the delivery of high-quality parks and open spaces that are resilient, rich in biodiversity, and thoughtfully designed and maintained, to inspire and engage our communities.
You will be responsible for leading and managing a team of Grounds Maintenance Operatives to deliver excellence in one of the following specialist areas:
Town Centre and Cobtree Manor Park & Fine Horticulture
Create visually stunning, ecologically diverse gardens and planting schemes that enhance the Town Centre and provide beautiful, welcoming spaces for residents and visitors.
Mowing, Hard & Soft Landscaping
Maintain high-quality parks and open spaces across the borough, ensuring exceptional horticultural standards and inclusive landscapes that support vibrant, well used recreational areas.
Shrubs & Hedges, Hard & Soft Landscaping
Deliver excellent care and maintenance of shrubs, hedges, and landscaped areas, helping to cultivate resilient, diverse, and inclusive parks and green spaces for the community.
________________________________________
Key Responsibilities
• Lead, motivate and support a team of grounds maintenance operatives to deliver high-quality services.
• Plan, organise and oversee daily work programmes within your specific area.
• Ensure horticultural practices reflect industry best standards and environmental sustainability.
• Maintain safe working practices and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
• Operate and oversee the use of tools, vehicles, and machinery safely and efficiently.
• Monitor service standards, carry out inspections, and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, partners, and the public to uphold the reputation of our green spaces.
This is a full time role working 37 hours per week Monday to Friday on a permanent contract.
About You:
You will have:
• Experience in grounds maintenance, horticulture, or a related field.
• NVQ 3 in grounds maintenance or equivalent (or willingness to undertake this training)
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop a team.
• The ability to plan workloads effectively and deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Knowledge of relevant regulations including Health & Safety, and horticultural best practice.
• Good communication skills and a positive, hands-on approach.
• A commitment to creating accessible, attractive and biodiverse green spaces for all.
• A full, valid UK driving licence (up to 7.5 tonnes) and towing licence.
Selection Process:
Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.
About Us:
Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy.
We continue to build on our strengths - assets, knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans.
We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support, training, and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.
Our Offer:
A range of benefits including:
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy additional leave
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role
Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Andrew Jesson, Green Spaces Manager on 01622 602555
Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/330686/Grounds-Maintenance-Team-Leader-MBC-JDPS-March26.pdf
Interview Date: Friday 17th April 2026
About the Role
We are seeking a proactive and skilled Grounds Maintenance Team Leader to support the delivery of high-quality parks and open spaces that are resilient, rich in biodiversity, and thoughtfully designed and maintained, to inspire and engage our communities.
You will be responsible for leading and managing a team of Grounds Maintenance Operatives to deliver excellence in one of the following specialist areas:
Town Centre and Cobtree Manor Park & Fine Horticulture
Create visually stunning, ecologically diverse gardens and planting schemes that enhance the Town Centre and provide beautiful, welcoming spaces for residents and visitors.
Mowing, Hard & Soft Landscaping
Maintain high-quality parks and open spaces across the borough, ensuring exceptional horticultural standards and inclusive landscapes that support vibrant, well used recreational areas.
Shrubs & Hedges, Hard & Soft Landscaping
Deliver excellent care and maintenance of shrubs, hedges, and landscaped areas, helping to cultivate resilient, diverse, and inclusive parks and green spaces for the community.
________________________________________
Key Responsibilities
• Lead, motivate and support a team of grounds maintenance operatives to deliver high-quality services.
• Plan, organise and oversee daily work programmes within your specific area.
• Ensure horticultural practices reflect industry best standards and environmental sustainability.
• Maintain safe working practices and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
• Operate and oversee the use of tools, vehicles, and machinery safely and efficiently.
• Monitor service standards, carry out inspections, and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, partners, and the public to uphold the reputation of our green spaces.
This is a full time role working 37 hours per week Monday to Friday on a permanent contract.
About You:
You will have:
• Experience in grounds maintenance, horticulture, or a related field.
• NVQ 3 in grounds maintenance or equivalent (or willingness to undertake this training)
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop a team.
• The ability to plan workloads effectively and deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Knowledge of relevant regulations including Health & Safety, and horticultural best practice.
• Good communication skills and a positive, hands-on approach.
• A commitment to creating accessible, attractive and biodiverse green spaces for all.
• A full, valid UK driving licence (up to 7.5 tonnes) and towing licence.
Selection Process:
Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.
About Us:
Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy.
We continue to build on our strengths - assets, knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans.
We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support, training, and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.
Our Offer:
A range of benefits including:
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy additional leave
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role
Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Andrew Jesson, Green Spaces Manager on 01622 602555
Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/330686/Grounds-Maintenance-Team-Leader-MBC-JDPS-March26.pdf
Interview Date: Friday 17th April 2026
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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.