Grounds Team Leader

Salary range:  Grade 6 (£36,693 - £37,794 p.a. plus fantastic benefits
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week 
Location: Croydon

Are you an experienced team leader with practical grounds maintenance or cemetery experience? Croydon Council is looking for a Grounds Team Leader to support the delivery of high-quality Bereavement Services across the borough.

You will lead and coordinate a team of four Grounds Operatives, overseeing day-to-day activities including grave preparation, burials, cemetery maintenance and memorial safety inspections and repairs.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading, supporting and deploying a team of Grounds Operatives.
• Ideally be a qualified grave digger and be ICCM qualified.
• Coordinating the memorial safety inspection and repair programme.
• Overseeing grave digging, burials and assisting with exhumations.
• Ensuring cemeteries are well maintained and present a safe, welcoming environment.
• Ensuring all work is carried out in line with health and safety requirements and relevant procedures.
• Liaising sensitively with bereaved families, funeral directors, contractors and members of the public.

What we're looking for:

You'll have experience of leading a team, ideally within a cemetery, crematorium or similar grounds-based environment. You'll also have practical experience of manual work, using hand and power tools, and a good understanding of health and safety.

You'll need:

• A full UK driving licence and experience of driving larger vehicles, including those with trailers.
• To be qualified in the use of 360 diggers, 180 JCB digger and a 1 tonne dumper.
• Good communication, organisational and IT skills.
• The ability to work flexibly, use your initiative and manage changing priorities.
• A sensitive and professional approach when dealing with bereaved families and members of the public.

Experience operating excavators and undertaking memorial repairs would be an advantage. You'll also need to be willing to undertake any relevant training required for the role.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to play an important role in delivering a professional, safe and compassionate Bereavement Service, while leading a dedicated operational team.

If you're practical, organised and confident leading others, we'd love to hear from you.