Senior Environmental Operative x 2 in Oldham

Location: Oldham

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Reporting to: Neighbourhood Environment Manager

Salary: £28,272.61

Improving lives in Oldham. First Choice Homes Oldham has an exciting opportunity for two Senior Environmental Services Operatives to join our Neighbourhood Care team. This is a hands-on role where you’ll help keep our neighbourhoods clean, green and safe. You’ll work across communal areas, open spaces, landscaped areas, play areas, parks and other outdoor spaces. You’ll also support our winter work, including snow clearance, ice removal and gritting.

The impact you’ll make: You’ll help make our neighbourhoods places people can feel proud to live in. From cutting grass and trimming hedges to picking up litter and removing fly tipping, your work will make a clear difference every day. You’ll work with colleagues, partners and local communities to provide a high-quality environmental service for our customers.

What you’ll be doing:

• Carry out grounds maintenance, including grass cutting, edging, hedge trimming, pruning, planting, weeding and leaf clearance.
• Pick up litter, empty bins, remove fly tipping and help keep outdoor areas clean.
• Help look after communal grounds, landscaped areas, play areas, parks and open spaces.
• Use hand tools, powered tools, plant, vehicles, ride-on mowers and other equipment safely.
• Complete daily checks on vehicles, tools and equipment.
• Report any defects, repairs or maintenance issues.
• Help with snow clearance, ice removal and gritting during winter.
• Report graffiti, vandalism and other issues in communal areas.
• Support neighbourhood inspections and community projects.
• Help with landscaping and site preparation.
• Follow health and safety rules at all times.
• Support the day-to-day supervision of small teams when needed.
• Speak to customers on site and pass any issues to managers where needed.

What we’re looking for: We’re looking for someone with experience in gardening, grounds maintenance, horticulture, street cleaning or a similar role. You’ll enjoy working outdoors, take pride in your work and be confident using tools and equipment safely.

You’ll need:

• Experience of tasks such as litter removal, mowing, planting, trimming, pruning or general labouring.
• Experience using hand tools, powered tools and grounds maintenance equipment.
• A good understanding of health and safety.
• The ability to work well as part of a team.
• The confidence to use your own initiative.
• Good communication skills.
• A customer-focused approach.
• The ability to organise your work and solve problems.
• Confidence dealing with members of the public.
• A full driving licence.
• The ability to lift waste, soil, loose materials and other items onto vehicles by hand.

Qualifications and training: You’ll need an NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture or an equivalent qualification. It would also be helpful if you have any of the following:

• PA1 and PA6A certification or experience treating Japanese knotweed.
• A licence to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes or use a trailer.
• Strimming, needle stick or similar training.
• Handyman skills or trade training, such as joinery or bricklaying.
• Training to use specialist plant and equipment.
• A First Aid certificate.

Why join FCHO? First Choice Homes Oldham is a housing association providing safe, affordable and high-quality homes across Oldham and the surrounding areas. We own and manage over 11,500 homes and are proud to make a real difference in our communities. This is a great opportunity to join a values-led organisation where your work will have a direct impact on customers and the neighbourhoods they call home.

What’s in it for you? We offer a fantastic range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, work–life balance and career development:

• Competitive salary
• 37-hour working week
• 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase additional annual leave
• Defined contribution pension scheme with up to 10% employer contribution
• Private health insurance and healthcare cash plan
• Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 support)
• 24/7 GP access through Doctorline
• Discounts, wellbeing tools and gym membership
• Professional subscriptions paid (where required)
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• On-site wellbeing room and café
• Long service awards

Interested? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit your application before 31/05/2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. Interview and assessment to be confirmed.

We are committed to building an organisation that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills and are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. As an equal opportunities employer, FCHO is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective colleagues and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us. We care that you have a great experience with us at FCHO and if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments to make your experience smoother, please let us know and we’ll do all we can.