Gardener/Groundsperson at Newcastle University

Key Accountabilities

• General grounds maintenance tasks such as grass cutting, litter picking hedge trimming, weeding and planting.
• Assist in winter maintenance program by clearing snow and ice from paths and roads in winter by hand and by machine.
• Drive a range of University vehicles across multiple sites.
• Empty external litter bins when required
• Select and safely use a range of powered machinery to carry out daily tasks
• Demonstrate excellent customer service skills on a daily basis.
• Ensure of a clear understanding of general and in-house health and safety rules and regulations.
• Complete all mandatory and specialist training courses identified by the Grounds Manager to facilitate safe working to the required standards.

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Full UK drivers’ licence that allows a wide range of vehicles to be driven including vans.
• Personable with good communication skills.
• Positive attitude to delivering excellent customer service.
• Experienced user of horticultural machinery OR Willingness to learn (training available provided you have a Full UK driving licence **).
• Understanding of legislation relating to Health and Safety e.g. risk assessments and COSHH assessments.
• An understanding of plant ID knowledge. (Desirable)

Attributes and Behaviour

• Able to carry out demanding tasks, often in extremes of weather.
• Willingness to carry out paid overtime on occasion to meet business need i.e. special events or times of peak demand.
• Willingness to attend internal and externally provided courses and apply the knowledge gained at these courses.
• Plans workload and tasks in a systematic way to ensure time is used effectively.
• Uses initiative to solve problems.
• Sees other departments and colleagues as ‘customers’ and follows through on their enquires and requests delivering high quality results in a timely manner.
• Willing to help others, share workloads and get involved with team tasks.

Qualifications

• Full UK driving licence**
• Level 2 qualification in horticulture or landscape management (Desirable)
• NPTC PA1 and PA6 (Desirable)
• NPTC in Chainsaw, Maintenance and Cross Cutting (Desirable)