Coventry is a vibrant and multicultural city with a fascinating and inspiring story. It has many beautiful green spaces which are cherished and appreciated by residents and visitors alike. The Parks Service look to protect and improve the many green spaces in the city, making sure they are there for the people of the city to enjoy, both now and for many years to come.

From our 5 Green Flag Award winning parks to nature reserves and churchyards, from playing fields and allotments to woodlands, riverbanks and playgrounds, our workplaces include some of the best parts of Coventry.

The Parks Service work closely with the public and partner organisations to help to care for all our green spaces, to develop their potential for wildlife and improve their recreational and amenity value. We manage over 200 different green spaces - from tiny local green oases to the larger parks used for events including the Godiva festival and sports.

We are looking to recruit someone who can add more skills to our group of enthusiastic green professionals.

It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. 

Our Values are:

You will be joining the Parks Services Team, part of the wider Streetscene & Greenspace Service. The Parks Development Officers are key members of the service and have a multi-faceted role. They help to monitor existing features and facilities and deliver improvement projects, both on their own and as part of a team.

The PDOs are responsible for responding to planning applications on behalf of the Park Service, identifying and determining where new high-quality green spaces are needed and where facilities in existing parks and other open spaces are missing or need to be improved.

The Parks Service increasingly works with 3^rd sector organisations such as the Wildlife Trust and The Canals and River Trust and with community groups such as Friends groups and other volunteer organisations, You will need to be willing to work with these partner organisations, supporting and encouraging people to take more of a part in caring for green spaces in Coventry including seeking grants and other external funding opportunities.

Day to day duties of the PDO may include:

• Health and Safety inspections of parks and other open spaces including monitoring of maintenance standards
• Placing orders for works relating to issues in the parks especially for those parks and programmes for which you take the lead.
• Responding to enquiries from customers including residents, visitors and councillors and others
• Designing, managing and coordinating projects up to approximately £30,000 and acting as client officer for larger projects.
• Responding to planning applications on behalf of the Parks Service including helping to determine the appropriate section 106 contribution (where appropriate) and identifying any green space concerns.

You will be expected to work closely with other team members, sharing duties and showing both initiative and enthusiasm. You will need to be adaptable and combine a love for the outdoors with an ability to work with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

A Parks Development Officer for Coventry City Council requires someone with a wide range of skills. You will need to demonstrate a good breadth of knowledge of the issues affecting public open spaces combined with project management skills and experience of working with people from diverse backgrounds. You will need to be able to manage your own time, show initiative and be willing to work with colleagues and/or on your own to achieve the best possible outcomes. As a PDO you can expect to work closely with colleagues across the city council including Planning, Property, Flood Risk and Highways. Experience of work with any of these services, either within the city council or another local authority would be welcome.

You will need to be friendly, customer focussed and flexible in approach. You will need to be capable of using the most common Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Outlook, Excel and Powerpoint and ideally be familiar with other forms of software such as MapInfo and AutoCAD. You will also need a full clean UK driving licence. 

When applying for this role you will be asked to write a personal statement. When writing your personal statement please include examples of how you meet the following criteria:

• Experience in the practical management of the outdoor environment, especially with regards to either biodiversity or horticulture.
• The ability to work effectively with individuals and groups of people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds using a variety of methods including writing, email, by ‘phone and face to face.
• Good knowledge of Health and Safety issues especially relating to the management and maintenance of children’s playgrounds.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

Interview date(s): 04/08/2021

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!
There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.
We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.
As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.
Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks 

For full details on the application process please read the attached document labelled Coventry CC Application process.