Grounds Maintenance Team Leader

Interim Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Services Manager Location: Manchester / Greater Manchester Contract: Interim Sector: Social Housing Start: ASAP We are working with a well-established housing provider in Greater Manchester to recruit an experienced Interim Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Services Manager to oversee the delivery of grounds maintenance, environmental and communal cleaning services across its housing portfolio.

This is a hands-on service management role, responsible for ensuring estates and communal areas are clean, safe, well maintained and provide an environment that residents can be proud of. We are looking for someone with previous experience managing grounds maintenance, cleaning or environmental services, ideally within a housing association, local authority or similar public-facing environment.

The role You will take responsibility for the day-to-day management and performance of the service, including: Leading and managing operational grounds maintenance and cleaning teams across multiple locations. Managing supervisors, team leaders and frontline operatives, ensuring teams are appropriately resourced and deployed.

Overseeing grounds maintenance programmes including grass cutting, hedge and shrub maintenance, weed control, planting and general estate maintenance. Managing communal and estate cleaning services, ensuring agreed standards and frequencies are consistently achieved.

Setting clear performance expectations and managing staff performance, attendance, absence, conduct and development. Planning workloads, rotas and resources to ensure an efficient and responsive service. Carrying out regular estate and site inspections and addressing areas where standards fall below expectations.

Monitoring service KPIs, productivity, customer satisfaction and overall service performance. Managing contractors and suppliers where services are externally provided. Ensuring machinery, vehicles, equipment and materials are appropriately managed and maintained.

Managing health and safety across operational activities, including risk assessments, safe systems of work, COSHH and appropriate use of PPE. Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, organisational policies and environmental requirements.

Responding effectively to resident enquiries, complaints and service issues. Working closely with housing, neighbourhood and property teams to improve estate standards and the overall customer experience. Supporting service improvements and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, quality and value for money.

What we're looking for You will need proven operational management experience within grounds maintenance, estate services, environmental services or cleaning, ideally within social housing or a similar environment. You should have experience managing frontline teams and supervisors and be confident dealing with performance, staffing, health and safety, service standards and customer issues.

A relevant qualification in horticulture, ground maintenance, environmental services, facilities management or a related discipline would be advantageous. A recognised health and safety qualification such as IOSH Managing Safely would also be beneficial.

Knowledge of COSHH, risk assessments and safe working practices within an operational environment is important, alongside a full UK driving licence due to the nature of the role. Why work within social housing? This is an opportunity to manage a highly visible frontline service where the quality of delivery has a direct impact on residents and communities.

Rather than simply maintaining outdoor spaces and communal areas, you will be helping to create cleaner, safer and better places for people to live. You'll work alongside housing, neighbourhood, asset and customer teams and have the opportunity to make a tangible difference to estate standards and the resident experience across Greater Manchester.

If you have strong grounds maintenance or environmental services experience and are available for an interim opportunity, we'd be keen to hear from you. Please contact MK Consult for a confidential conversation or apply with your CV.

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