Natural Environment Specialist Operative - Horticulture in Plymouth

Plymouth City Council is seeking to appoint two Natural Environment Specialist Operatives – Horticulture to join our ambitious Natural Environment Service. These roles are key to delivering high-quality horticulture, landscaping and green space management across the city. As a subject matter expert, you will plan and carry out specialist horticultural tasks while supporting the wider team in maintaining Plymouth’s parks, green spaces and sports facilities to an excellent standard. Working within a frontline, mobile team, you will contribute directly to enhancing the city’s natural environment, supporting biodiversity, community wellbeing and high-quality public spaces.

You Will

• Plan and deliver a wide range of horticultural, landscaping and green estate management tasks across multiple sites
• Maintain parks and green spaces, including flower beds, shrubs, hedges, sports pitches, grass areas and landscaped features
• Support Team Leaders and Assistant Team Leaders in coordinating work programmes and directing team activities
• Undertake and apply risk assessments and ensure compliance with health and safety procedures
• Operate and maintain specialist horticultural machinery and equipment safely and effectively
• Help ensure green spaces with designations (e.g. Green Flag sites) are maintained to required standards
• Engage with Friends groups and local communities to support use and care of green spaces
• Support apprentices and learners, sharing knowledge and promoting best practice

You Will Also

• Ensure accurate completion of records and documentation
• Promote safe working practices and a positive team culture
• Represent the service professionally when interacting with the public

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for skilled horticultural operatives with strong practical experience and a passion for maintaining high-quality green spaces.

Essential Qualifications & Knowledge

• Horticultural qualification (e.g. City & Guilds Level 2 or equivalent) or demonstrable experience
• Knowledge of grounds maintenance and natural environment management
• Knowledge of health and safety legislation, including COSHH
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in Maths and English
• Relevant qualifications in the use of mowers, strimmers, hedge cutters, brush cutters and pesticide application
• Full UK driving licence (including towing capability)
• Emergency First Aid at Work +F (or willingness to obtain)
• Competence in ICT systems (e.g. Microsoft Office / asset management systems)

Skills And Experience

• Experience working in public green spaces or horticultural environments
• Experience operating horticultural machinery and equipment
• Experience undertaking risk assessments and safe working practices
• Experience in a frontline, customer-facing role
• Ability to work independently and support others as a subject matter expert

You Will Also Demonstrate

• Strong practical horticultural skills and attention to detail
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to plan and organise work to meet service standards
• Commitment to maintaining high-quality public spaces

Why Plymouth?

This role will be based within Plymouth City Council’s new Natural Environment Service – consisting of several groundbreaking programmes and teams across the themes of Communities; Trees; Marine; Nature Recovery; and Environmental Operations. The new Natural Environment Service enhances Plymouth’s demonstrable leadership as a Nature City with a track record in innovation across Climate, Nature, People, and Place programmes – working collaboratively across themes to achieve maximum impact for the city and the wider region. This is a hugely exciting time to join us in delivering our ambitions, most recently published in our Plan for Nature and People.

Additional Information

• These are frontline, mobile roles working across Plymouth
• The role includes outdoor, physically demanding work in all weather conditions
• You will be expected to respond flexibly to operational requirements
• The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is: Basic.

If you have a passion for horticulture and want to help maintain and enhance Plymouth’s green spaces, we would love to hear from you. For more information or an informal discussion regarding this role, please contact Nick Allison – Natural Environment Principal via e‑mail.

Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation. As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.