Grounds Operative (Horticulture)

We’re looking for a hands-on Grounds Operative to join our Grounds Team at UWE Bristol, helping to care for and maintain our beautiful outdoor spaces across campus. This is a practical, operational role where you’ll get stuck into maintaining lawns, planting areas, trees, hedges, and green spaces, ensuring our grounds are safe, well-presented, and enjoyable for staff, students, and visitors.

You’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to sustainability and biodiversity projects, supporting a greener, more vibrant campus. This role combines real horticultural skill with practical grounds maintenance.

This is a permanent, full-time role (37 hours per week), based at our lively Frenchay campus. Flexibility is required to cover open days, Welcome Weekend, or extreme weather events, which will be paid as overtime.

About you

You are practical, organised, and take pride in your work. You can plan and prioritise tasks, work independently, and pay attention to detail. You enjoy hands-on horticultural work and are comfortable operating grounds machinery safely.

A love of the environment, a commitment to sustainability, and an interest in supporting biodiversity will help you succeed in this role. We value practical experience as much as formal qualifications — if you have a passion for horticulture and grounds maintenance, you’ll fit right in.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Full current driving licence.
• RHS Level 2 in Horticulture or equivalent qualifications or significant hands-on horticultural experience.Experience using horticultural and grounds machinery, including ride-on mowers, tractors, brushcutters, hedge trimmers, and blowers.
• Strong plant knowledge and understanding of garden and grounds care.

Where is this role based?

This post is based at our lively Frenchay campus

Why UWE Bristol?

We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from right across the globe.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.

Add your individuality to ours
UWE Bristol recognises the power of a truly diverse university community.

We particularly encourage applications from global majority and female candidates as we are currently under-represented in this area, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.

As a Disability Confident employer we welcome applications from those who identify as having a disability.

Further information

If you would like to speak to us about this role, please contact Kaz Armour – Horticultural Manager on 07543 302769 or email kaz.armour-marshall@uwe.ac.uk.

Interviews are scheduled to take place at our Frenchay Campus in May.

This post is available on a job share basis for applicants wishing to work part time.

This role is based on campus for all of your time.

Right to Work in the UK

If offered a role, you will need to provide valid documentation confirming your right to work in the UK before employment begins. Guidance on acceptable documents is available via the Home Office Right to Work Checklist.

We may be able to sponsor eligible candidates for this role under the Skilled Worker visa route; however, visa sponsorship eligibility is assessed only at offer stage, being invited to interview does not indicate an offer of sponsorship.
Please review our Skilled Worker Guidance and UK Government website to assess your eligibility.

Please note that UWE Bristol does not cover any visa or health surcharge costs.

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