Horticulture and Street Scene Services Manager - Braintree District Council

Horticulture and Street Scene Services Manager - Braintree District Council

Braintree District Council

Permanent, Full Time

£41,145 to £45,498 per annum

Location: Braintree

Closing Date: 15th September 2025

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Braintree Council to recruit this Horticulture and Street Scene Services Manager.

*To apply for this role please click here: Horticulture and Street Scene Services Manager or visit https://www.braintree.gov.uk/join-our-team.  Please DO NOT click the Apply button on the left.

The Opportunity:

Braintree District Council is embarking on an exciting transformation journey and move into a unitary Authority in 2028. We are seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Manager to join our Operations service to play a pivotal role in leading, guiding, supporting and motivating our grounds maintenance and street cleaning teams.

About the role:

Working as the service manager within our parks, open spaces and street scene department, the successful candidate will be tasked with managing the day-to-day operations of these teams, supervision of employees, compliance with statutory requirements and ensuring a positive contribution is made to the delivery of the Council’s objectives and reputation.

Duties of the role will include:

• The provision of high-quality customer focused services.
• Providing operational leadership, support, motivation and development to the supervisors and team leaders.
• Managing and supervising external contractors involved in the day-to-day delivery of services.
• Regularly review working practices and procedures to optimise the best use of resources.
• Managing corporate projects.
• Assisting in managing the budgets.
• Monitoring levels of sickness absence and performance.
• Undertaking investigations as necessary into matters such as service complaints, disciplinary and vehicle accidents.

About the team:

These high performing teams are responsible for keeping the district looking clean and green, and provide essential services to both the community and visitors. Looking after play areas, nature reserves, car parks, public spaces and street cleanliness, the remit is wide to make sure the environment is safe, clean and pleasant. Our employees are passionate about the service and their roles within the community.

About you:

To lead this team effectively, you will need experience of people management as an essential, alongside some prior knowledge of the operations we perform. You will also need budget management experience, knowledge of health and safety legislation, have excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills and be IT literate, with the ability to produce and analyse reports.

Accountabilities:

1. Manage and oversee the provision of high-quality customer focused services provided by the Street Scene Teams, ensuring they are responsive to change and embrace best practice in terms of efficiency and high performance under the Councils Corporate Objectives.
2. Provide forward thinking operational leadership, support, motivation and development to the supervisors/team leaders and to co-ordinate with other Operations staff to ensure a cohesive and integrated approach to the delivery of services.
3. Manage and supervise external contractors involved in the day-to-day delivery of services.
4. Regularly review working practices and procedures to optimise the best use of resources.
5. Participate in partnership working across departmental, organisational and cross-border boundaries to ensure best practice.
6. Drive a strong performance culture of continuous improvement, ensuring a proactive approach to changing customer/service/legislative requirements.
7. Undertake team meetings including preparation of agendas, minutes and chairing meetings as required.
8. Manage and assist in managing corporate projects as and when directed by the Operations Manager.
9. Assist in managing the budgets, including monitoring expenditure for all the respective areas within the reporting lines.
10.  Monitor levels of sickness absence and take appropriate action including conducting absence review meetings (Stage 1 and 2) and presenting at Sickness Absence Panel meetings and to the Operations Manager, as required.
11. Undertake investigations as required e.g. service complaints, disciplinary matters, vehicle accidents (list is not exhaustive) etc.
12. Establish and maintain effective communication mechanisms and foster good working relationships within Operations and other departments within the Council including excellent industrial relations with Trade Union representatives.
13. Deal with all day-to-day service-related requests and corporate complaints ensuring they are thoroughly investigated, corrective action taken, and lessons learnt.
14. Ensure the health and safety of employees at work through the implementation and monitoring of the Council’s/Department’s health and safety policies/plans and in accordance with all statutory requirements.
15. Enable the development of staff, ensuring that staffing levels reflect the demands of the service and flexible/ generic working arrangements.
16. Prepare reports and statistical information as required.
17. Work with other Managers/Assistant Managers/Supervisors across Street Scene and other service areas in Operations to ensure a seamless approach to service delivery.
18. Respond in a positive and timely manner to all service requests/enquiries/complaints ensuring that corporate deadlines are met.
19. Ensure that all staff demonstrate a customer focused, professional attitude and represent the Council in an exemplary manner.
20. Proactively respond to, resolve or escalate any operational issues in a timely and appropriate manner.
21. Assist in carrying out compliance checks on all vehicles and plant deployed in the service to ensure compliance with the Council’s Operator’s Licence. 
22. Ensure the timely investigation into complaints, road traffic accidents and health and safety incidents and submit completed reports to the Operations Manager/Insurance department as required.
23. Work closely with the Transport Manager & Plant Workshop ensuring vehicles, plant and equipment is serviced, inspected and maintained in accordance with the road transport legislation and in compliance with the Council’s Operator’s Licence.
24. Manage the Open Spaces Assistant in relation to open spaces furniture, allotments, play areas (list is not exhaustive) etc.

Why choose Braintree District Council?

Braintree District Council is an ambitious and forward-thinking authority with a vision of creating a great place for our residents and businesses.

As a Council our role is as a guardian of the place and its people; where residents live well in healthy and resilient communities; a well-connected district with high-quality homes delivered with the infrastructure and a place which attracts and provides good employment opportunities.

We are becoming one of the fastest growing Districts in the East of England with three growing towns, London just 45 minutes away and the district located directly between the international transport centres of Stansted Airport and Harwich and Felixstowe International Ports. We have a deserved track record for delivering and a strong reputation within the business community and are committed

Braintree District Council is a great place to work. We pride ourselves on our creative and innovative approach which is led by our staff. We are committed to having an engaged workforce who understand our strategy and how they can help deliver it. Some of the benefits of working for Braintree District Council are:

• Flexible working
• Free parking
• Local government pension scheme
• Learning and development for all staff
• Staff recognition schemes
• Extensive health and wellbeing programme including discounted gym membership.

What next?

If we sound like the right fit for you and you feel like the right fit for us, we would welcome your application. Please apply online here: Horticulture and Street Scene Services Manager

If you would like to find out more about the post, the team or working with us at the Council please contact Levi White, Operations Manager at levi.white@braintree.gov.uk

Closing date for receipt of applications: Midnight on Monday 15^th September 2025.

Please Note – Essex County Council is advertising this role on behalf of Braintree District Council and if successful you will be employed by Braintree District Council. 

* Please apply online HERE Horticulture and Street Scene Services Manager - do not click the apply button below.