Grounds Maintenance Operative

• Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
• Address: Chilton Depot, Alexandra Road, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2XH
• Salary: £28,608 - £32,046 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 40 hours per week (37 hours plus 3 hours contractual hours overtime)
• Contract: Permanent

This role is open to full time, part time, and job share applications, all of which will be assessed equally.

Join our team

We are looking for a Grounds Maintenance Operative to join our Grounds Maintenance Crew within the Public Realm team.

If you share our values and you are motivated to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities, we would love to hear from you.

About the role

The Public Realm Team are responsible for the day-to-day management of the district councils’ countryside sites and open spaces. These include informal recreational sites, local nature reserves, parks and smaller picnic areas.

This role will be based at our Sudbury depot and will play a key part in keeping the joint district and our public open spaces clean, tidy and welcoming.

As a Grounds Maintenance Operative, you will be responsible for delivering a range of grounds maintenance services of a practical and physically demanding nature across council owned parks, play areas, open spaces and communal areas.

The work will include use of specialised vehicles, machinery and equipment.

Duties also include litter picking, clearing fly-tipped waste, and other general cleansing tasks.

This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week, worked over five days (Monday - Friday).

The position operates on an annualised hours basis, with working hours varying between the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasons.

About you

We are looking for someone with experience in grounds maintenance who is passionate about the environment and eager to contribute to making local areas cleaner, greener, and more welcoming for residents and visitors alike.

You will enjoy working outdoors, whether independently or as part of a team.

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:

• experience in grounds maintenance and proficiency in a range of related tasks, or transferable skills that suit the role
• ability to operate grounds maintenance equipment, safely and effectively
• good communication skills, with the ability to engage positively with the public, colleagues, and supervisors, and a commitment to good customer care
• a proactive and flexible attitude, including a willingness to undertake cleansing tasks to meet operational and seasonal service demands
• awareness of Health and Safety at Work Act, practice and responsibility
• basic computer literacy, including the ability to use email and mobile devices
• ability to maintain accurate records of work completed
• you must hold a full driving licence and hold the relevant qualification to tow a trailer.

We welcome applications both from candidates who meet the qualifications and experience outlined in the person specification as well as those with some relevant experience and a strong desire to learn and grow within the role.

About us

At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils we are passionate about building communities that people want to live, work, visit and invest in.

We serve around 200,000 residents across our two districts and are well known for our collaboration and partnership working across public, private and voluntary sectors.

We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work, with:

• 60 conservation areas
• two National Landscapes
• many picturesque market towns.

It is no surprise we are ranked among the top 50 places to live in the UK (United Kingdom).

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous leave entitlement (26 days a year, rising to 31 days after 5 years)
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs
• Private Health Care Options
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Paid volunteering days
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (business needs permitting)
• Great learning and development opportunities.

For more information, visit our Employee Benefits page.

Our ways of working

We believe work is what we do, not just where we go.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, providing opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible services for our residents.

For more information

For an informal discussion please contact the Public Realm team via email on [email protected]

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification (pdf) before applying for this job opportunity.

Closing date: 5.00pm, 25 October 2026

How to apply

Please ensure your:

• application form is fully completed, including employment and education history
• supporting statement clearly addresses how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification
• We will also accept CVs and supporting statements by post. These should be sent for the attention of Mike Hooper, Operations Officer to the following address: Chilton Depot, Alexandra Road, Sudbury, CO10 2XH. Please mark the envelope private and confidential.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

How to apply

Step 1 - read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification (JD and PS).

Step 2 - complete the Supporting Statement template

Step 3 - complete the online application and upload your statement.

Your statement needs to indicate how you meet the criteria in the ‘Person specification ’ section of the (JD and PS)

Your statement should:

• Be no more than 2 sides of A4
• use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted)
• be uploaded on your online application, as without this, your interest will not be progressed.