Workshop Fitter in Leeds

Leeds City Council is looking to recruit a Workshop Fitter to join our Transport & Engineering team within Climate, Energy and Green Space. This role is essential in ensuring the safe and efficient maintenance of our fleet of horticultural, agricultural, and arboricultural machinery. As a Workshop Fitter, you will carry out inspections, servicing, and repairs to a wide range of specialist machinery, supporting the delivery of high-quality maintenance services that help keep Leeds’s green spaces safe and accessible for all.

About You

• Qualifications: NVQ Level 1 in Land-Based Service Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Skills: Ability to service and repair agricultural, horticultural, and arboricultural machinery. Strong diagnostic and problem-solving skills. Ability to work within planned and reactive maintenance environments. Manual handling skills and ability to lift heavy machinery with assistance.
• Experience: Proven experience in a plant or machinery workshop environment. Welding and gas cutting experience. Maintenance of horticultural, agricultural, and arboricultural machinery.
• Other: Commitment to health and safety and equal opportunities. Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.
• Desirable: Training in heavy lifting equipment (e.g., forklift). Full, clean UK driving licence to allow the post holder to access remote sites and some lone working will be required.

About The Role

• Inspect, service, and maintain a wide range of specialist machinery.
• Diagnose faults and carry out repairs in line with Council standards and manufacturer recommendations.
• Complete all job-related documentation and electronic records accurately.
• Ensure safe working practices and compliance with health and safety policies.
• Use and maintain specialist tools and equipment correctly.
• Assist with on-site repairs and recovery of machinery when required.
• Participate in training and development to maintain up-to-date skills.
• You will be expected to provide your own basic hand tools for day-to-day tasks. All specialist tools and equipment required for complex repairs and diagnostics will be provided by Leeds City Council.

What We Offer You

• A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
• Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
• A clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
• A range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

Leeds City Council is a compassionate employer who is proud to offer the best employee experience. Our employee benefits aim to look after your health and wellbeing, your workplace, and your finances.

How To Apply

Please complete the online application form. Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Stephen Whiteside, Workshop and Engineering Manager. Call 0113 3786002 or email parks@leeds.gov.uk.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Purpose: To inspect, service, repair and maintain Agricultural, Horticultural, Arboricultural and related operational plant and equipment in accordance with statutory regulations and council policy.

To inspect, service and maintain the full range of specialised machinery operated by the service, undertaking assigned tasks efficiently and in accordance with specified repair policies. Report further defects revealed or observed during any repair process, including any instance where preventative work would be appropriate to support efficient repair and planned maintenance processes. Complete all current and future job-related documentation and electronic records required for management and payment purposes. To carry out all work in a safe manner, observing all relevant safety procedures, including on-site work where directed. The correct use and care of specialist tools provided for repair and maintenance purposes. To ensure the appropriate use, storage and disposal of all fuels, oils and gases related to assigned work tasks. Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills. Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes. To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice. Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested. Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person. Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council. Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures. The council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications: NVQ Level 1 in Land Based Service Engineering or considerable work experience in a related workshop environment.

Personal Specification

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements. Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate.

Skills Required:

• Ability to undertake servicing and repairs to commercial Agricultural, Horticultural, Arboricultural and related operational plant and equipment.
• Ability to work within a planned and reactive maintenance environment.
• Ability to lift heavy machinery with assistance.
• Ability to support others to carry out on-site repairs to machinery at various sites.
• To be sufficiently numerate for measuring tasks and tool setting.
• Ability to prioritise workload and to respond to every changing circumstances.
• Ability to use own initiative and to work as part of a team.
• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.

Knowledge Required:

• A working knowledge of hydraulic components and systems.
• A working knowledge of auto electrical components.
• Knowledge of issues affecting the maintenance of modern grounds maintenance machinery.

Experience Required:

• Proven working experience in a plant or machinery workshop environment.
• Experience in the maintenance of Horticultural, Agricultural and Arboricultural machinery.
• Experience in the use of welding and gas cutting equipment.

Behavioural & Other Characteristics Required:

• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Ability to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equal Opportunities Policy.
• To carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health & Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.
• Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct.

Desirable Requirements:

It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role. Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

• Proven training record in the use of heavy lifting equipment e.g. forktruck.
• Experience in bodywork repair or light metalwork fabrication.