Parks and Greenspace Development Lead

About Us

Watford is an urban borough in South West Hertfordshire; The borough has excellent transport
links with mainline rail connections to London. Watford is the centre of a sub-region serving
around 500,000 people living within a 20-minute travelling time catchment. As part of the
London commuter belt, Watford is strongly influenced by London which brings the benefits of a
buoyant economy. Watford’s green spaces have been granted more Green Flag awards than any other
district in Hertfordshire for the eighth year running!

In total, 17 parks and open spaces in Watford were awarded Green Flag awards, recognising the
work of Watford Borough Council and Veolia to champion these areas and keep them clean and safe
for the public’s use. The awards acknowledge areas with the highest possible environmental,
maintenance and visitor standards. Cassiobury Park and Cheslyn House and Gardens were also
awarded with Green Heritage Site accreditation because of their historic features and standard
of conservation.

To provide excellent, safe and attractive green open spaces, the council’s investment into the
town’s parks, has included major projects such as the Cassiobury Park Restoration Project and
the creation of the Oxhey Activity Park – which have both been recognised for having some of
the best facilities in the country. Cassiobury Park is regularly nominated as one of the top 10
parks in the UK.

We are now looking for a Parks Development Manager to join us on a full-time basis.

The Benefits

• £53,565 – £57,858 per annum including London Weighting
• Pension scheme with generous employer contribution
• Flexible working
• Career development opportunities
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted leisure centre membership
• Employee volunteering schemes
• Access to a branded shopping discounts platform and discounted activities and days out
• 28 days’ holiday (rising to 33 with service)

This is an outstanding opportunity for a parks and greenspaces management professional with
experience of contract management and facilitating community engagement to step into an
exciting role in local government. In this highly rewarding role, you will have the opportunity
to implement our ambitious investment programme as you advocate for parks and access to green
spaces, making a positive difference to the local community.

So, if you’re looking for a highly engaging position where you will have the opportunity to
thrive, apply today.

The Role

As a Parks and Greenspace Development Lead, you will manage the planning, commissioning,
delivery and monitoring of the Parks, Open Spaces and Cemetery Service for Watford Borough
Council.

Managing the Parks and Cemetery team as well as external contractors, you’ll oversee contracts
and lead client public consultations to ensure the delivery of strategies, projects and
services.

Monitoring financial performance across all contract areas, you’ll submit bids, prepare annual
budgets and identify opportunities for external funding and income generation.

You’ll continually monitor internal and external factors, such as legislative changes and
national policies, to mitigate their effect on service delivery and provide timely advice.

About You

To be considered as a Parks and Greenspace Development Lead, you will need:

• Experience of management in one or more of the following service areas: parks and open
  spaces, landscape/environmental management, cultural services, and leisure services
• Experience of contract management
• Experience of managing large and complex budgets
• Experience of developing and facilitating community engagement across audiences
• An understanding of contract and procurement legislation
• A strong understanding of commercial and community business needs
• Knowledge of asset management for amenities and buildings
• Excellent project management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• A degree or equivalent relevant experience in Parks, Leisure, Environmental, Culture or
  Heritage Management

The closing date for this role is the 22nd Feb 2024.

Other organisations may call this role Development Manager, Site Manager, Parks Manager or
Project Development Manager.

So, if you’d like to join us as a Parks and Greenspace Development Lead, please apply via the
button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by
Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.