Grounds Team Leader / Head Gardener in Canterbury

Monday – Friday. 40 hours per week £36,000 - £45,000 per annum + Expenses / business mileage + Company performance bonus + Benefits Based at Barham Crematorium + regular travel to Charing Crematorium and Herne Bay Crematorium (travel time /commute factored into working hours) Permanent.

Have you always wanted to use your experience as a Ground Team Leader / Head Gardener in a role where you can truly make a difference every day? If so, we would love to hear from you! This role will be based at Barham or Charing Cemetery & Crematorium with regular travel to the other Barham, Charing and Herne Bay to shape the grounds plans across the division. Like many of our colleagues, you might not have considered our industry before, however, with ongoing career development and a genuine opportunity to make a difference, you will find this one of the most varied and rewarding opportunities you could ever imagine.

The role involves working at our memorial gardens, crematorium grounds and cemeteries, requiring a level of care and respect not found in a generic job. We offer families a sense of comfort by ensuring that we provide a beautiful setting in which they have time to reflect and remember their loved ones in a way that is uniquely personal to them.

As part of our busy central grounds team, you will work closely with colleagues and Crematorium Managers on the plan for the gardens and grounds across the sites that you are responsible for. You will be able to use your creativity to shape this plan and ensure that we are championing biodiversity and working towards fulfilling our ESG strategy. You will also have managerial responsibility for the Gardening staff on the sites that you have responsibility for, ensuring that they continue to develop their skills and passing on your wisdom.

You will be responsible for overseeing all grounds maintenance activity including:

• Scheduled memorial garden expansions and natural burial growth plans at Herne Bay and Charing.
• Developing and managing your direct reports.
• Plan, supervise and undertake the full range of grounds duties including lawn maintenance, hedge trimming, leaf clearance, weed control, pruning, mulching, planting, gritting & snow clearance, clearing of debris and surface water drains.
• Assisting with interments / preparation of burial plots if required.
• Memorial fixing.
• Oversee the onsite waste management of refuse, recycling and green waste.
• General crematorium grounds duties including memorial cleaning and the preparation of ashes plots.
• At the request of the Head of Grounds, occasionally work at any Westerleigh Group site to support absences and provide expertise.
• Deliver in-house training to grounds staff at other sites as instructed by the Head of Grounds.
• Undertake the full suite of grounds related H&S compliance including RA, COSHH, HAVs, and recording machinery operator hours.
• Supervise grounds contractors.
• Undertake daily machinery checks and record operator hours.
• Health and Safety compliance.

Performance Measures:

• Ensure grounds Service Level Agreements and Grounds Management Plans are adhered to as set by the Head of Grounds.
• Manage a grounds budget within agreed authorisation levels.
• Demonstrate our values and behaviours and lead a grounds team built on integrity.
• Positively engage with internal and external audiences at all opportunities.
• Provide technical grounds expertise to the Site Managers.
• Manage absence and work schedules with the Grounds Coordinator.
• Ensure full compliance with all Policies & Procedures.
• Schedule workplans to maximise safety and efficiency whilst minimising disruption.

There is the opportunity for personal development and training on areas that you need to be upskilled in or have an interest in.

About you:

• Previous Team Leader / Managerial experience in a role that involves gardening e.g.: Gardening Team Leader, Grounds Team Leader, Head Gardener, Groundsperson, Grounds Maintenance, horticulture etc.
• A sound understanding of cyclical grounds maintenance.
• A practical knowledge of plants and trees and a willingness to develop further horticultural skills.
• Level 3 Horticultural qualification or equivalent.
• Good basic knowledge of grounds H&S including RA, COSHH, PPE, HAVs etc.
• Must be willing to undertake further training including grave digging (if applicable to the site), PA1, PA6 spraying, trailer licence.

We are looking for someone who is a real team player with the desire to make a difference every day. Organised with excellent attention to detail. You will need to hold a full driving licence to be able to operate some of the machinery we use (e.g. ride on mower) as well as travel to other local sites when needed.

Desirable experience:

• Digger, Dumper, Tractor, Manitou licence.
• Basic machinery servicing.
• Grave Digging.
• ICCM / COTs / LANTRA, IOSH Managing Safely, PA1 & PA6 Spraying certificates.

What We Offer:

If you would like to join the Westerleigh team, you can be sure of a warm welcome, ongoing training and development and a sense of pride by truly making a difference every day to the families we serve. No two days are the same and many of our Managers have developed their careers within the business. The values we champion are Safety First, Exceptional Care, Uniquely Personal and One Team.

In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for the following benefits:

• Company performance bonus up to 5%.
• £500 salary increase (pro rata) if FBCA Accredited cremator training completed.
• Additional £500 increase (pro rata) on completion of memorial fixing training.
• 25 days holiday.
• Life Assurance.
• Access to a wide range of retail discounts and wellbeing support.
• Ongoing learning & development.
• Pension scheme.
• Employee Assistance / Occupational health support Program.
• Mindfulness App.
• The benefit we hope you’ll never need: Free Cremation benefit for Immediate family.
• Mental Health Ambassadors.
• Bereavement Leave.
• Enhanced maternity & paternity pay.
• Recognition scheme.
• Free Flu jab.
• Smart uniform and PPE provided.
• Free parking.

What next?

Start a rewarding career with us by applying today. We generally advertise vacancies for a minimum of 1 week before reviewing applications. We reserve the right to close the application window sooner if a significant number of applications are received. If you’re not contacted, please assume you have been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, feedback is not always possible due to the volume of applications we receive.