Skilled Operative
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.
The Streetpride Service is Coventry City Councils Street Cleansing and Grounds Maintenance Service. It has a responsibility and statutory duty to keep the City Clean, Green and attractive for all.
Keeping the City clean and green is a huge challenge and not one we can do on our own. The service is delivered by a flexible locally committed workforce who work well with the different residents, communities and partners ensuring a One Coventry approach by enabling people to do more for themselves.
The service operates out of 2 strategically based sites in the North and the South of the City and provides a cleansing service 7 days per week for 52 weeks of the year.
We currently clean 10’000 miles or road network each year and empty over 3’000 street litter bins each week.
The service is also responsible for delivering the Grounds Maintenance works across all our Parks and Open Spaces including our 5 Green Flag Parks and cuts approximately 6 million square metres of grass every 20 working days. That is the equivalent of cutting one thousand football pitches.
What is the job role?
We are looking for a Skilled Operative to join one of our Area Based Grounds Maintenance Teams. The teams undertake a variety of different tasks including:
- Grass cutting, including manual and ride-on mowing
- Hedge Cutting and Shrub pruning
- Shrub planting and maintenance
- Minor Tree works
- Weed control/Invasive weed management
- Litter picking and Bin emptying.
Who are we looking for?
The successful candidate will:
- Be reliable and committed
- Have a professional attitude and be willing to take on the tasks and duties within the remit of the role and service area
- Have experience in leading, directing and motivating a team to deliver the highest possible service standards
- Have good knowledge and experience of horticultural operations.
- Experience in undertaking chemical control, applying herbicides under approved procedures and Health and Safety guidelines; and providing direct supervision to lower-graded staff engaged in basic chemical control.
- Have the experience of operating various powered hand tools such as hedge cutters, and pedestrian mowers and the ability to provide informal training on the use of the equipment when required.
- Have good knowledge and experience of ensuring Health and safety in the workplace (incl. PPE)
- Be physically fit and able to undertake a range of various labouring tasks involving bending, pulling and lifting in all weathers.
- Possess a customer-focused approach and are able to remain respectful, calm, and polite in environments where they may experience challenging behaviours or situations when assisting the general public and customers by responding to minor queries and complaints
- Confident to take appropriate action to avoid formal complaints.
- You will need a minimum of a Category B manual and full valid driving licence to undertake this role.
For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'
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.
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
