Grounds Technician

Location: Shuttleworth College - Old Warden

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £25,467 and £28,482 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 40 hours per week – 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

• Grounds Maintenance & Site Standards: Carry out proactive grounds maintenance across all Bedford College Group sites, ensuring gardens, pathways, sports fields and exterior areas are safe, clean, tidy and welcoming.
• Horticulture, Machinery Use & Seasonal Work: Undertake grass cutting, strimming, planting, pruning, hedge work, weed control, leaf clearance, winter gritting and small construction tasks, using a range of grounds‑care machinery confidently and safely.
• Biodiversity & Site Improvement: Work with the Senior Grounds Technician to enhance biodiversity, assist with planning grounds improvements and prepare planting designs for year‑round seasonal interest.
• Collaboration, Supervision & Contractor Liaison: Support or supervise apprentices, students and volunteers, and work alongside external contractors on larger landscaping/tree‑work projects while maintaining professional standards.
• Safety, Maintenance & College Responsibilities: Apply strong Health & Safety and COSHH knowledge, maintain and organise machinery servicing, and support wider College activities including cross‑campus meetings and open days, while upholding safeguarding, EDI and compliance duties.

About you:

• Qualifications & Technical Training: Holds a Level 2 (or equivalent) horticulture qualification, with training in operating horticultural machinery, tractors, grass‑cutting equipment, hedge cutters and strimmer’s.
• Industry Experience & Knowledge: At least two years of horticultural experience with strong plant knowledge and clear understanding of Health & Safety and COSHH procedures and regulations.
• Work Quality & Independence: Able to work independently to a consistently high standard, follow written procedures, meet deadlines and maintain strong attention to detail under pressure.
• Teamwork, Communication & Reliability: Effective communicator, reliable and punctual, with the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and adapt flexibly to changing tasks.
• Mobility & Practical Requirements: Flexible to work across all College sites with a full driving licence and a positive, adaptable approach to fulfilling the needs of the role.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: 02 March 2026

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork: We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously: We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred: At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive: We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring: We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence: We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group:

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students:

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.