HES/23/111b Ground Maintenance Operator

Thank you for your interest in the post of Grounds Maintenance Operator with Historic Environment Scotland based at Antonine Wall Depot. This is a permanent and pensionable appointment.

You will be responsible for the conservation and maintenance of the Antonine Wall and potentially other Historic Scotland monuments within the South Region with specific focus on carrying out grounds maintenance duties in the West Lothian region.

The Antonine Wall Depot Monument Conservation Unit (MCU) currently consists of an 8-person team all of which carry out grounds maintenance to a variety of locations. The unit is headed by a Works Manager who has line management responsibilities for the whole team. The MCU is responsible for the grounds maintenance to Properties in Care along the length of the Antonine Wall and to 6 outlying monuments in West Lothian.

The Antonine Wall MCU are also deployed throughout the South of Scotland as and when required where grounds maintenance or clearance work is required. You will be expected to work at any location as directed by the Works Manager. Although the depot is situated in Falkirk, official transport is provided to and from the various sites along the length of the Antonine Wall. Individuals are however expected to make their own way to the Antonine Wall Depot.

You will be part of the Grounds Maintenance team, responsible for the grass and garden maintenance, upkeep and presentation of the above monuments on a rotational basis.

The post involves general grass maintenance and gardening duties within the grounds maintenance team. You will be expected to work under the instruction of the Works Manager and their assistant of the Antonine Wall MCU.

You will be required to comply with and promote HES Health and Safety Policies.

From time to time you will be required to attend training courses identified to assist the work, or to comply with health and safety legislation (this may require overnight stays away from home).

Some generic objectives for the Ground Maintenance Operator post are:

• Grass cutting and strimming at various sites using numerous types of machinery
• Garden maintenance
• Minor maintenance of plant and equipment
• Hedge maintenance
• Fencing repairs
• Minor drainage works
• Tree works
• Dry stone wall repairs
• Planting & weeding
• Litter removal
• Carry out maintenance works e.g. painting etc. throughout the area

Working Hours

The normal weekly hours of work will vary according to the working season in the working year. The working year will cover the calendar year 1 April to 31 March.

Currently the working year is divided into 2 working seasons namely a longer working hours season (summer) and a shorter working hours season (winter). The length of each working season will be fixed by local management after discussion with the MCU and not later than 1 April of that working year.

The normal working week for the long season will cover a 5 day working week, Monday to Friday inclusive. The normal working week in the short season will also be agreed between MCU and local management and will normally include a 4 day week (within Monday to Thursday of that week).

You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the requirements and qualifications as part of the selection process.

Essential requirements:

• Demonstrable experience of carrying out grounds maintenance in estates, local authority environment or Historic landscape management
• Knowledge of the following: Health and Safety at Work Act, Risk Assessments, Method Statements
• Competent in the use of various grass cutting machinery e.g. strimmers, flail mowers, ride on mowers, cylinder mowers, hedge trimmers etc.
• Competent knowledge of estate management e.g. fencing, drainage, dry stone walling, use of pesticides etc.

Desirable requirements:

• Knowledge of the following: Chain Saw use, use of herbicides, COSHH

Qualifications & Professional Memberships:

• Health & Safety at Work (Responsibilities & Practise) (essential)
• Full current UK driving license (desirable)
• LANTRA Chainsaw (desirable)
• Safe use of pesticides (desirable)
• All-terrain Vehicles (desirable)
• With D1+E Entitlement (desirable)
• HGV Class 1 Licence (desirable)

We welcome applications from all nationalities, assuming that they have the right to work in the UK: applying for a job with us could open the door to a unique work environment. It will give you job satisfaction and excellent development opportunities, plus a competitive salary, 25 days paid holidays (rising to 30 days after 3 years’ service) and 11.5 public holidays a year – pro rata for part time staff.

In addition we offer a great benefits package to our employees which includes:

• flexible working hours (where appropriate)
• special leave
• maternity/paternity leave
• adoption leave
• reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
• support for further education and personal development
• study leave for work related courses
• access to a learning resource centre

Health and welfare

We offer you access to:

• our Employee Assistance Programme – for confidential advice and counselling
• an occupational sick pay scheme
• discounts at some local authority leisure facilities
• access to a free Headspace membership
• interest free loans for bicycles and annual travel passes (see ‘season ticket’ below)
• reasonable adjustments when needed, as part of our Equalities policy

Staff discounts

You will receive:

• free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)
• free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties
• 20% off purchases in our retail outlets

Season tickets

You can receive an advance to help with the cost of buying an annual season ticket for travel between home and work. The advance is then repaid from your salary over the life of the season ticket. Available to all permanent and fixed-term staff.

Job contact :

Name :
alan.reardon@hes.scot
Email :
alan.reardon@hes.scot

Recruitment team

Email :
CDsouthadmin@hes.scot