Lead people. Improve places. Help Maidstone’s green spaces thrive.

Are you an inspiring operational leader who can bring out the best in people while raising standards across a high-profile frontline service? This is an opportunity to shape how Maidstone’s green spaces are maintained and improved, embedding a strong safety culture, modernising ways of working and helping our teams deliver places that residents and visitors can enjoy and be proud of.

About the Role:

As Green Spaces Operations Manager, you will lead the operational team responsible for maintaining and improving green spaces across the borough. Working closely with the Green Spaces Manager and three Team Leaders, you will turn corporate priorities, park management plans and the Council’s Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plans into visible, practical results.

At the heart of the role is people leadership. You will empower Team Leaders to take ownership, set clear standards and support their teams, while creating a culture in which health, safety and welfare are core values. You will champion learning, accountability and innovation so the service continues to improve.

This role is based at Parkwood Depot, Bircholt Road, Maidstone on a full-time permanent basis working 37 hours per week.

About Maidstone Borough Council:

Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy. We continue to build on our strengths - assets, knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans.

We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support, training, and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.

At Maidstone Borough Council we recognise the importance of flexible working and the benefits this can bring to both our staff and the Council. We know that by offering employees a range of flexible working opportunities we can positively impact their wellbeing and engagement, and drive productivity in return. As such we have developed a highly flexible hybrid working policy, alongside our flexi time and flexible working policies, enabling staff to shape their working patterns around building a greater work life balance.

Our Offer:

A range of benefits including:

Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
Free parking
Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
Annual flu vaccine
Cycle to work scheme
Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
A professional fee payment, if required for the role

About You:

You will be a confident, visible and proactive manager who combines operational grip with a genuine commitment to people, customer service and continuous improvement. You will be comfortable making decisions, addressing poor practice constructively and leading teams through change.

You will have:

NVQ Level 4 or BTEC in an applied subject, a Level 5 management qualification, and GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent)
RPII play-area inspection, risk assessment and IOSH Managing Safely qualifications.
Experience of managing frontline operational teams in a service-delivery environment, with strong attention to health and safety.
Experience of cultural and organisational change, including staff engagement, consultation and employee-relations matters.
Excellent communication, customer-service, organisation and problem-solving skills, with the resilience to work to challenging deadlines.
Confidence using Microsoft Office; GIS knowledge and tree-inspection training would be advantageous

Selection Process:

Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.

Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Andrew Jesson, Green Spaces Manager on 01622 602711.

Interview Date: Week commencing 2 November 2026