Ground Maintenance Operative

Overview

Buckinghamshire Council’s Street Scene Team delivers street cleansing and grounds maintenance services across Aylesbury Vale and is currently recruiting for skilled and experienced Grounds Maintenance Operative.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is an organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

About the role

You will work as part of a team delivering an efficient grounds maintenance service across the Council’s parks and open spaces, completing a range of practical horticultural and seasonal duties.

Key responsibilities:

• Maintain parks and open spaces through tasks such as grass cutting, shrub bed work, hedge maintenance, and keeping sites clean and litter-free
• Carry out seasonal duties including leaf clearance, snow clearance and winter maintenance
• Support the maintenance and preparation of football and cricket pitches
• Operate relevant machinery and equipment safely, completing pre-use checks and reporting faults/maintenance needs
• Follow all health & safety regulations, safe systems of work and PPE requirements at all times
• Drive Council vehicles safely, completing daily vehicle inspections and keeping vehicles clean and in good order
• Complete work schedules as instructed, keeping accurate records/paperwork and escalating issues promptly
• Interact with members of the public professionally and act as an ambassador for the Council

The work is outdoors all year round, and work will take place in all weather conditions. All personal protective equipment and clothing will be provided.

About you

You are required to have grounds maintenance experience, including use of relevant machinery and equipment such as ride on mowers, and hand operated equipment. Experience of working on a Local Authority contract, or in house service, is advantageous.

You should have good communication skills; be able to apply initiative to your work; follow instructions; and be a fast learner and a good team player.

A Horticultural qualification such as NVQ Amenity Horticulture (or equivalent), Pesticide (PA1 and PA6) or any horticultural LANTRA or NPTC qualifications would be advantageous.

A full UK driving license is essential.

Other information

Please see the attached job summary for further information on this role and person specification.

Closing date: 14th May 2026

Interview date: TBC

Interview-type / process: In person

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Wiktor Potempa at [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/