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- Tasks: Maintain gardens and open spaces, ensuring they look their best.
- Company: Riverside is a leading not-for-profit housing association transforming lives for over 90 years.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, personal development opportunities, and a diverse, inclusive workplace.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in your community while working in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in environmental services, strong communication skills, and a valid UK driving license required.
- Other info: Guaranteed interview for applicants with disabilities who meet minimum requirements.
The predicted salary is between 21000 - 25000 £ per year.
Job Title: Environmental Operative
Contract Type:Fixed Term Contract for 12 months
Salary:£ 23,724.57 Per Annum
Working Hours:35 hours per week
Working Pattern: Monday – Friday, Hybrid
Location: Runcorn
If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don\’tmeet all the essential criteria on the job description.
The difference you will make as an Environmental Operative
To undertake a range of grounds maintenance work within your assigned region to landscaped areas, gardens and open spaces owned by the Group.
About you
We are looking for someone who has:
- Environmental Services / grounds maintenance experience.
- Ability to undertake manual work.
- Customer focussed with excellent communication skills.
Why Riverside?
At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.
Working with us, you’ll enjoy:
- Flexible working options available
- Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
- A wide range of benefits
Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:
We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.
Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
Role Profile
- Undertake general maintenance to hard and soft landscaped areas owned by the Group, including grass cutting, hedge trimming, litter picking, clearing leaves and shrub bed cultivations.
- Provide a rapid flexible response to the removal of fly tipping, rubbish removal and graffiti removal.
- Maintain safe working practices at all times when utilising appropriate hand tools and machinery.
- Report health, safety and environmental breaches and issues to the Grounds Maintenance Supervisor in line with the agreed escalation route.
- Apply ‘Our Riverside Way’ within the environmental offer by delivering excellent levels of customer service at all times.
- Provide community insight, reporting any environmental issues, community safety or resident feedback to the Environmental Supervisor as appropriate and in line with the agreed escalation route.
- Maintain effective relationships with colleagues on each of our contracts.
- Undertake personal development and training to keep up to date with all relevant legislation.
- Work collaboratively and flexibly across all teams within the organisation.
- Ensure work activities are compliant with the organisation’s policies and procedures as well as external statutory and regulatory obligations.
- Respond flexibly to any necessary changes in work priorities and undertake other duties when required to support the effective operation of the service.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and procedures.
Person specification
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Environmental Services / grounds maintenance experience.
- Ability to undertake manual work.
- Customer focussed with excellent communication skills.
- Basic IT skills including Microsoft Office.
- Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements
- It is a requirement that the role holder holds a current, valid UK driving license.
- Successful completion of a horticultural course.
About Us
Riverside is one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.
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Environmental Operative employer: The Riverside Group
Contact Detail:
The Riverside Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Environmental Operative
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Riverside's values and mission. Understanding their commitment to community and environmental services will help you align your responses during interviews, showcasing how your personal values resonate with theirs.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight any relevant experience in grounds maintenance or environmental services during your conversations. Be prepared to discuss specific tasks you've undertaken, such as grass cutting or litter picking, to demonstrate your hands-on skills.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your customer service skills by preparing examples of how you've effectively communicated with clients or the public in previous roles. This will illustrate your ability to maintain excellent relationships, which is crucial for this position.
✨Tip Number 4
Be ready to discuss your flexibility and teamwork abilities. Riverside values collaboration, so think of instances where you've worked well in a team or adapted to changing priorities to support your colleagues.
We think you need these skills to ace Environmental Operative
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in environmental services or grounds maintenance. Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills and achievements that align with the job description.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role and Riverside's mission. Mention how your values align with theirs and provide examples of your customer-focused approach and communication skills.
Highlight Relevant Skills: Clearly outline your ability to undertake manual work and any experience with tools and machinery. If you have completed a horticultural course, be sure to mention it as it is a requirement for the role.
Showcase Flexibility and Teamwork: Emphasise your ability to work collaboratively and flexibly across teams. Provide examples of how you've adapted to changing priorities in previous roles, which is crucial for this position.
How to prepare for a job interview at The Riverside Group
✨Show Your Passion for the Environment
Make sure to express your enthusiasm for environmental services and grounds maintenance. Share any personal experiences or projects that demonstrate your commitment to sustainability and community improvement.
✨Highlight Relevant Experience
Discuss your previous roles in environmental services or grounds maintenance. Be specific about the tasks you undertook, such as grass cutting or litter picking, and how they relate to the responsibilities of the Environmental Operative position.
✨Demonstrate Customer Focus
Since the role requires excellent communication skills and a customer-focused approach, prepare examples of how you've successfully interacted with customers or resolved issues in past positions. This will show that you understand the importance of community engagement.
✨Prepare for Practical Questions
Expect questions related to health and safety practices, as well as your ability to use hand tools and machinery safely. Brush up on relevant legislation and be ready to discuss how you would handle various scenarios in the field.
