Grounds Operational Contracts Manager

Posted 09 March 2026
Salary £50,197.16 Per annum
LocationMedway
Job Type Full Time
Business Area Medway Norse
Reference056564

Job description

Grounds Operational Contracts Manager

Medway 

£50,197.16 Per annum

37 Hours per week

Medway Norse is one of the biggest joint ventures within Norse Group, partnering with Medway Council to deliver a growing number of frontline public services to residents, such as Grounds Maintenance, Building Maintenance, transport, etc.

Assist the Operations Manager in delivering all aspects of the Grounds Contract to ensure an effective service to the Client, as well as this you will be required to support the Contract Manager with the day-to-day operation of the Contract.

Main Responsibilities: 

  • Leading and managing the Greenspaces Operational services, ensuring productivity, quality standards and statutory requirements are achieved.
  • Overseeing the end-to-end contract delivery and implementation, working alongside Senior Management to drive the process improvement and business change associated client contract requirements.
  • Monitoring financial metrics, ensuring budget variance is understood with responsibility to identify early any risks.
  • Implementing direct dynamic changes where there is a performance shortfall in service
  • Providing direct line management of the supervisors to ensure delivery of the service to the required standard.
  • Planning the annual Traffic Management Program for grounds works in the high-speed road Network in collaboration with tree and waste cleansing crews and Medway councils nominated external highways contractor.
  • Leading on contract compliance and KPI reporting, ensuring the supervisors / team leaders and workshop fitter complete service reporting to agreed timescales.
  • Accountable for all investigations and completion of associated reports - such as accident / Insurance & corporate complaints, ensuring investigations and disciplinary meetings are held as required.
  • Ensuring safe systems of work are in place at all sites, communicating all changes to health and safety procedures, policies, working practice, and legislation to all staff.
  • Ensuring staff development and skills are retained and meet the required standards, in line with the Skills Matrix.
  • Managing delivery of service budgets including any forecasting and reporting and proactively take corrective action where required. *
  • Managing a wide range of stakeholders with effective communication and relationship management skills.
  • Ensuring project risks and issues are appropriately recorded, reported and managed.
  • Supporting and actioning any internal or external audits to achieve a pass rate.
  • Developing and delivering the service business plan, Quality and Performance targets and Performance Review Reports.
  • Ensure regular contract reporting and KPIs to the Senior Management Team and the client.

Candidate Requirements: 

  • OSH Managing Safely Certificate (or equivalent)
  • Level 5 Management qualification or equivalent (Desirable, alternatively this can be completed within an agreed timescale)
  • Degree level qualification in Turf Care, Horticulture or an equivalent greenspaces or ground discipline (Desirable)
  • Knowledge of relevant Health & Safety requirements in a ground’s maintenance / greenspace service delivery environment, including COSHH regulations
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Tools, in particular Word, Excel and Outlook
  • Proven competence in the use of GIS mapping and asset management equipment (Desirable)
  • First Aid Certificate
  • Experience managing the operational delivery of a greenspaces service (or similar service discipline)
  • Proven line management experience
  • Experience managing contracted services to a high standard
  • Ability to define written and verbal instructions clearly and concisely to be easily followed and understood by operational teams
  • Ability to lead the delivery of a high level of service within a management role

Our Offer:

  • 25 days annual leave
  • The opportunity to obtain Higher education/qualifications
  • Fantastic induction programme, with further training available both in-house and professional
  • Excellent support through a hands-on, approachable management team and other colleagues
  • Flexible & hybrid working arrangements to ensure a work life balance
  • The opportunity to develop within a national company, with a clear career progression route
  • Norse Group Sickness Scheme

An enhanced DBS check will be required for our successful candidate, payment will be met by the employer

We are committed to employment practices and behaviours which encourage diversity, promote equality of treatment and eliminate unlawful and or unfair discrimination.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications. If you have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful and will not be progressed to the next stage