Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values we strive to have a workforce that reflects our local communities and welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds, applicants who have a disability and applicants who are from the LGBTQ+ community to apply for our senior leadership roles. 

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

About the team we are recruiting to

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

In Coventry, we cherish and value our award-winning parks and green spaces. We know that they contribute significantly to the health, well-being, and quality of life of people and are vital to helping protect our environment and wildlife.

The Parks and Open Spaces Team are a passionate, hardworking team responsible for the provision and development of safe, accessible and attractive parks and open spaces and the management, planning and maintenance of the Council's trees and urban forest. They work hard to ensure our parks are a welcoming place for all of our residents and visitors to enjoy today and for many years to come.

What is the job role?

The Parks and Open Space Officers (POSO) are key members of the service and have a multi-faceted role.

Reporting to the Assistant Parks & Open spaces Manager, the successful applicant will join a small team who are responsible for the care of Coventry’s green spaces, monitoring their condition and identifying opportunities for improvements.

The POSOs help improve the city’s parks by developing and delivering projects to protect and improve the city’s green spaces. This includes working closely with different service areas within the city council and with external partners to ensure that parks and other open spaces are part of the city’s wider development. By assessing planning applications which may affect or include green spaces in the city, the POSOs identify opportunities where the city’s biodiversity and amenity facilities can be improved and, through work with planners, developers and other colleagues, help to secure funding or to create new features in green spaces as appropriate.

POSOs also work with other stakeholders to develop parks and woodlands including liaising with local resident groups and responding to enquiries from visitors, utilities and other users of parks to ensure Coventry’s parks and other open spaces continue to be a credit to the city.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a suitably qualified and experienced green space professional who is knowledgeable about the care and development of parks and other open spaces. With an understanding of the principles of project management, especially in relation to parks, woodlands or similar environments, your track record will evidence experience in delivering practical and sustainable improvements which meet the needs of park visitors.

Our workforce data shows that people from minority and ethnic backgrounds are under-represented in green space management and we encourage applicants from these backgrounds to apply.

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview dates: 10th and 11th October 2024.

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies

Coventry City Council