Landscape Lead

Job description

Main purpose of r ole

The main purpose of the role is to lead the landscape team and to organise, supervise and implement day-to-day landscape tasks primarily focused on Eaton Park but also in the estate villages and properties. The tasks include mowing and strimming during the spring, summer and early autumn, together with general lan dscape tasks such as clearing leaves , maintaining tree guards and generally keeping the park and villages tidy . During the winter months, the l andscape team will help with forestry planting. If time allows, the team will help with interrow mowing of young forestry plantations. Support will also be given to the Deer Keeper for routine deer park tasks such as fence checks.

The re are currently two experienced operators in the landscape team and the new Landscape Lead will increase the number to three. The team has a pivotal role looking after one of the most important parts of the estate and interacting with many other teams such as G ar dens, Building Services and Estate M anagement.

The Landscape Lead will be responsible for operational health and safety which includes risk assessment, maintenance of machinery and supervision of staff and contractors. The role will be outdoors approximately four days a week with one office day to keep records up to date.

The Landscape Lead will report to the Head of Forestry who will provide direction, support and feedback through regular meetings and take responsibility for strategic and long-term planning and monitor tasks and their quality.

The Landscape Lead has a key role in improving standards, efficiency and safety and for suggesting, developing and implementing new ideas and ways of working.

Key r esponsibilities

• The L andscape Lead o rganises the work of the Eaton landscape team and contractors to maintain the landscape of Eaton Park and the surrounding area and villages . They ensure that the team is correctly resourced day to day and that they understand what work is required of them. Contractors are used when required to support the team.
• The Landscape Lead takes an active role in the landscape team. These duties include management of formal grass areas, management of the streets in the estate villages and the maintenance of grounds associated with selected properties .
• During the summer, if time allows, the Landscape Lead will work with the Lead Forester and help with interrow mowing of young plantations. During quieter periods, they will organise the landscape team to help with tree planting.
• The L andscape Lead will wo r k with the Deer Keeper and assist with fence inspections and deer feeding .
• Work with the Head of Forestry to develop team ethic and spirit. Undertake annual Performance Development Reviews with the Eaton team and give constructive feedback to individuals and the team on a regular basis on good and poor performance . Work with the t eam to raise standards.
• Ensure that time and cost details of key jobs are recorded in a format that can be used by the H ead of Forestry to manage resources .
• Contribute to the annual budgeting round.
• C omply with c ompany policy and best practise in security, legal and regu latory compliance.
• E nsure H&S responsibilities are fulfilled:

• Have responsibility for your personal safety and be accountable for staff under your authority, including others who may be affected by the organisation's activities.
• Ensure all employees and contractors are suitably trained/competent to carry out the prescribed tasks and that the necessary licenses/certificates of competence are in force and appropriate . Ensuring that significant risks and relevant Grosven or procedures are communicated.
• Specific responsibility for selecting competent contractors following the Grosvenor contractor selection process and departmental guidance.
• Plan enough time for work to be done in a healthy and safe way.
• Ensure risk as sessments are up to date and that team members understand them and have signed to say that they understand them.
• Ensure that all machinery is formally inspected annually.
• Ensure that daily machine checks and maintenance are done.
• Ensure compliance with the FACT H&S SOP.

• C omplete any other dutie s as required from time to time .

Essential skills and attributes

• It is essential that the Landscape Lead is able to balance their day-to-day practical tasks such as mowing with office-based tasks . This requires good organisational skills and discipline.
• Able to demonstrate a sound understanding of landscape tasks, in particular, the time required to complete tasks.
• Experience of undertaking landscape operations . It is essential that the Landscape Lead understands the logistics of landscape operations and is therefore able to use their knowledge to organise and direct operations.
• The ability to talk to the team and contractors to provide clear objectives to explain what is required of them. The ability to listen to others and accept feedback positively and constructively. The ability to update the Head of Forest r y accurately and in a timely fashion. Able to share knowledge by communicating with focus, simplicity and clarity. Able to differentiate fact from opinion.
• Leads the team with an open and honest style using good communication and motivation skills. Has integrity and takes responsibility.
• Sound problem s olving skills and the ability to work on your own initiative. The ability to i dentify and recognise problems and to unpick them and develop sensible and robust solutions.
• The ability to look critically and constructively at the work of the team and at the estate environment and to understand what quality looks like.
• The ability to organise you r own work and in particular to keep accurate records and paperwork.
• Able and willing to develop by keeping up to date with specialist knowledge and t he ability to adapt to c hange by being able to deal with uncertainty, accepting new ideas and
  driving & communicating change .

Additional information

• Occasional weekend work to assist with events.

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