Parks and Open Spaces Service Manager

Job Introduction

Are you passionate about creating vibrant, sustainable green spaces that enhance the lives of residents and visitors? Portsmouth City Council is seeking an innovative and driven Parks & Open Spaces Service Manager to lead the delivery of our parks and open spaces service. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of over 100 green spaces across the city including parks, playgrounds, sports pitches, countryside areas and allotments across the city, ensuring they remain safe, accessible, and inspiring for generations to come.

Your new role

At Portsmouth City Council, we’re committed to creating a greener, healthier, and more connected city. This role offers the chance to make a tangible impact on the environment and community, leading projects that support sustainability, biodiversity, and active lifestyles. You’ll be part of a forward-thinking team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

As Parks & Open Spaces Service Manager, you will provide strategic leadership for Portsmouth’s parks, open spaces, countryside areas, play facilities, allotments, arboriculture services and cemeteries, helping to deliver the city’s Parks and Open Spaces Strategy and wider council priorities including supporting the service with workstreams related to the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation.

Reporting to the Director of Culture, Leisure and Regulatory Services, you will lead a diverse team of more than 40 staff overseeing the management, maintenance and improvement of the city’s parks and open spaces. You will be a key member of the directorate management team, providing expert advice on parks and open spaces matters, deputising for the Director when required. You will oversee major capital projects, manage an annual budget of approximately £2.4 million, and drive service improvement, sustainability and innovation across the service.

Working collaboratively with residents, councillors, community groups, partners and colleagues across the council, you will build strong relationships that support effective service delivery and positive outcomes for the city. You will also champion biodiversity, climate resilience and community engagement, while ensuring services are delivered safely, efficiently and in compliance with statutory requirements.

Who is the person summary:

You will have a professional qualification and/or extensive experience in parks and open spaces management, with an understanding of both operational and strategic challenges. You will have experience of managing horticulture, open spaces, heritage assets, nature conservation and habitat management, ideally gained within a local government environment. A highly effective communicator, you will be able to build positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, translating complex legislation, policy and best practice into clear and practical guidance for colleagues, senior leaders, elected members, contractors and external partners.

You will have the ability to motivate, develop and inspire a diverse team across multiple sites while fostering a positive, collaborative and solution-focused culture. You will have experience in contract management, procurement and the delivery of complex services, alongside specialist knowledge of the planning, development and management of outdoor recreational facilities, including play and splash parks. The role requires someone who can confidently manage competing priorities, resolve challenges constructively and deliver high-profile projects and services on time and within budget. A sound understanding of relevant legislation, council policies and procedures, including health and safety, finance, HR, procurement, planning and environmental requirements, is required, as is a full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work-related travel.

For full details, please review 'who is the person' on the job profile.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Additional Information

Please ensure that you read the job profile for full details on the post. Office attendance is required - this remains flexible, subject to business needs. You will be required to work across the city due to nature of the work

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page: Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact [email protected] or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.