Parks Team Leader

Do you have the skills and passion to lead park maintenance across some of our borough's busiest and most loved parks? Are you motivated by creating clean, safe, welcoming green spaces and delivering an excellent experience for visitors every day? We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Parks Team Leader to coordinate day-to-day park operations across Tilgate, Goffs and Broadfield Parks, lead frontline teams and ensure our major parks are managed to a high standard for residents, visitors, events and community groups. This is a hands-on leadership role combining practical park management with team coordination and customer-focused service delivery.

You will play a key role in planning, organising and prioritising work across high profile parks, ensuring resources are deployed effectively to meet seasonal demand and visitor expectations. Working closely with the Parks and Conservation Manager, you will:

• Coordinate maintenance activity across busy destination parks
• Lead staff, gardening groups and volunteers on site
• Balance operational tasks with visitor engagement and service improvement
• Act as a visible and approachable presence within the parks

Key responsibilities:

• Coordinate and plan work programmes across Tilgate, Goffs and Broadfield Parks, responding to visitor numbers, seasonal pressures and events
• Lead and motivate park maintenance teams, ensuring safe working practices and high standards at all times
• Use your park management knowledge to prioritise tasks that improve cleanliness, safety, visual appeal and protect the parks' natural environment
• Oversee a wide range of grounds maintenance activities including grass cutting, planting, pruning, litter management, hard surface cleaning and tree maintenance
• Liaise with internal support teams and contractors to ensure parks receive the right support at the right time
• Improve the visitor experience by engaging with park users, responding to feedback and resolving issues promptly
• Support events and community activities within the parks
• Ensure inspections are completed, issues are recorded and follow up actions are taken
• Act as a role model for customer care, teamwork and professional standards

What we're looking for:

• Strong park and grounds maintenance knowledge, gained through hands-on experience
• Experience of coordinating work across large or busy outdoor sites
• Proven ability to lead small teams, volunteers or community groups
• A practical understanding of how park management decisions impact the visitor experience
• Good organisational skills with the ability to plan work seasonally and in advance
• Excellent customer care and communication skills
• Confidence using a range of grounds maintenance machinery and vehicles
• Good IT skills, including the ability to use standard office software and digital tools
• A full current UK driving licence

Qualifications in horticulture, grounds maintenance, health & safety or leadership are desirable, as is experience working in popular public parks.

Working pattern: 37 hours per week, worked across a rota that includes regular weekends, early starts, participation in the late lock up rota, and occasional bank holidays, reflecting the needs of busy public parks. A full and current UK driving licence will be a requirement of the role. Satisfactory clearance of a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) will be a condition of employment.

We offer a generous employee benefits package, with a range of discounts, benefits and wellbeing incentives to suit everyone. At Crawley Borough Council, you will have access to a structured programme of learning from day one, designed to help you succeed in your role and grow your career. Crawley Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.