Parks & Events Technician
£22,956 - £24,999
Permanent 36 hours per week
Team: Parks & Open Spaces

Location: Civic Offices
Job reference: PCI0000112

We are seeking a committed professional who wants to work in a busy parks and open spaces management team and who will enjoy using their skills to make a difference to the lives of the residents of Bexley. If you think you have what it takes to join a team that deals with a wide range of issues when managing 623Ha of Bexley’s 106 parks and open spaces, 4 cemeteries and 35 allotments then we would like to hear from you.  This is a varied technical role that would suit someone that can handle an eclectic mix of topics. Someone that is self-motivated and cares about open spaces and the role they have in supporting the lives of the community.

Main responsibilities of post holder:

• Work within and contribute to the success of a team that manages contractors’ works and liaises with the public to manage the Council’s parks and open spaces, cemeteries and allotments; including providing specialist information and guidance to the public and support to colleagues in the provision of such services.

• Under the direction of the Allotment and Open Spaces Manager provide a service to event organisers for parks by giving advice, booking events, appraisal of Risk Assessments, accurate record keeping and coordinating the restoration of grounds after any event in a park or open space, including meeting event organisers on site.

• Carry out a range of technical on site horticultural, landscape and cemetery duties in support of all colleagues, including assisting in the monitoring of contractors, supervising minor projects and writing reports in support of other colleagues.

• Provide support for the Parks and Cemeteries Development Officer in their work with volunteers and Friends Groups in parks and open spaces.

Your duties will include:

• Supporting the provision of the parks and open space services as the point of contact for phone and written resident enquiries.

• Work with and support colleagues to provide effective parks management services.

• Occasionally, when required, visit sites to confirm the status of works and issues, and report back to colleagues accordingly, including providing photographic and measurement information.
• Be point of contact for events and photography licensing for the parks and open spaces booking service, processing requests for events from organisers, meeting organisers, checking Risk Assessments, raising invoices and processing payments, providing advice and plans, dealing with refunds and reinstatement of grounds after events.
• Proactively support & develop Park Friends Groups and volunteering opportunities within parks, be able to organise and agree work programmes as well as writing and or checking Risk Assessments

• Promote and let Park Concession contracts as well as visiting and monitoring concession compliance.

Background and personality:

• The Council is looking for a person who has a broad range of previous experience working within a local authority open spaces service environment.
• They will have a broad range of horticultural and park’s events management knowledge.
• They will be good at dealing with a wide range of disparate parks and open spaces and event management enquiries from residents.
• Can liaise with colleagues and contractors carrying out works and projects in parks and open spaces.
• They will be confident dealing directly with residents and members of Friends Groups to help solve any issues they may have.
• Have an ability to handle a varied workload, and plan and prioritise their work as a member of a busy team.
• Have good interpersonal communication and literacy skills.

 Requirements:

• Evidence of qualifications that demonstrate literacy, numeracy and an adequate educational standard for the varied role.
• Recognised qualifications and/or proven experience in supporting the management of parks and open spaces and park’s events.

What we offer:

• Career Average Revalued Earnings Pension Scheme
• Performance Related Pay
• 23 days Annual Leave (rising to 27 after 5 years’ service) plus Bank Holiday Entitlement
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme
• An excellent working environment at our fantastic new offices
• Opportunities for flexible working with excellent ICT facilities
• MyChoice Staff Benefit Scheme – Includes Childcare Vouchers, Cycle to Work Scheme, access to high street shopping vouchers and online discount codes.

About us:

Bexley is an outer London Borough with the best of both worlds, located between the hustle and bustle of London and the Garden of England, Kent. Within the borough we have award winning parks, open spaces and listed heritage sites.

To find out more about this post please contact Jan Williams on 0203 045 3690

Your Application:

• Closing Date for your application: Tuesday 17^th July 2018
• Please visit https://jobs.bexley.gov.uk/wrlive to find out more and apply.  CVs will not be accepted unless they are submitted with a completed application form.
• Anticipated Interview date: week commencing 30^th  July

This post is considered by the authority to be a customer-facing position; as such it falls within scope of the Code of Practice on English language requirement for public sector workers. The council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the JD/Person Specification. These will be applied during the recruitment/selection and probationary stages.

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