Job Description

About The Role
Shape Manchester's Green Future
This is your chance to make a lasting impact. Manchester City Council is looking for an inspiring Strategic Lead for Parks & Grounds Maintenance - a role at the heart of creating a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable city.
Why This Role Matters
Our parks and green spaces are the lifeblood of Manchester - 143 parks, 1.3 million trees, and iconic destinations like Heaton Park and Wythenshawe Park. They're where communities connect, nature thrives, and climate resilience begins. We need a visionary leader to protect and enhance these spaces for generations to come.
What You'll Do
You will work at a senior level across the Council and with partner organisations to develop innovative approaches, create commercial opportunities, and deliver long-term strategies aligned with the Our Manchester Strategy and other key strategies.

• Lead with purpose: Shape bold strategies and investment plans that transform services and deliver outstanding experiences for Manchester's communities.
• Drive innovation: Champion new delivery models, unlock commercial opportunities, and lead the charge for sustainability and climate action.
• Oversee major budgets and investments: Oversee a 10m annual revenue budget, a 7m capital investment programme, and income targets of 2.4m+.
• Protect vital assets: Safeguard Manchester's parks, woodlands, heritage buildings, and green infrastructure - ensuring they thrive for future generations
• Deliver lasting impact: Balance investment and operational priorities with climate goals, ensuring every decision supports our zero-carbon aim while ensuring safety and service excellence.
• Inspire and empower teams: Lead service managers and motivate teams to achieve continuous improvement and deliver exceptional results.
• Champion high standards: Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and health & safety, setting the benchmark for quality and accountability.

This is more than a job - it's a chance to shape the future of Manchester's green spaces and leave a legacy for the city.
For an informal discussion, please contact Heather Coates via email at Heather.Coates@manchester.gov.uk to arrange a convenient time.
Interviews will be conducted in-person on Wednesday 25th February 2026
About the Candidate
We're looking for a proven leader who brings:

• Strategic vision and commercial acumen to optimise performance, drive revenue, and deliver value for money.
• Strong financial expertise, including experience managing complex budgets and achieving financial targets.
• Inspirational leadership with the ability to motivate large teams, lead change, and foster continuous improvement.
• Business planning skills to develop and implement strategies, performance frameworks, and income generation initiatives.
• Commercial mindset to identify new opportunities and maximise income streams.
• Commitment to compliance, ensuring adherence to legislation, health & safety, and customer care standards.
• Outstanding communication and political awareness, with the ability to influence and build effective partnerships at all levels.
• Innovation, exploring smart city solutions for green space management.
• A strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and Our Manchester Behaviours

You will hold a degree (or equivalent qualification) and bring at least five years of experience leading large-scale operations in parks, environmental services, or related fields.
About Us
We're the local council for one of the UK's most vibrant and diverse cities.
Working for Manchester isn't just a job - it's an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it's strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you'll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.
is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city - a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We 'own it' and we're not afraid to try new things
• We're proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension - You'll be enrolled in the UK's largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council
At Manchester City Council, we're dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.
Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our

can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our . This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.
Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long-term condition

When You Join Us
We're a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email specialist.recruitment@manchester.gov.uk
What we will need from you if you're successful
In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.
Pre-Employment Checks
If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you've applied for. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work: You'll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK. Please note, visa sponsorship is not guaranteed for this role.
• References: We'll require references from your current and previous employer(s).
• Proof of Qualifications: Evidence of qualifications relevant to the role will be required.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check: A criminal record check may be necessary, depending on the role.
• Proof of Manchester Residency: For some roles, you may need to demonstrate that you reside within the boundaries of Manchester City Council.
• Police Vetting: Some roles may require police vetting to ensure suitability for accessing sensitive law enforcement systems or information.
• Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Clearance: BPSS clearance is primarily used for roles that involve access to government data, systems, or assets. It ensures that individuals meet basic security requirements and can be trusted with sensitive information
• Driving Licence: If the role requires driving, we'll need evidence of your valid driving licence.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.
Other relevant information
We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we'll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.
For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year.

Skills Required