Local Government South East
Parks and Opens Spaces Service Manager
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Full Time
Permanent
Portsmouth
Posted 1 week ago
60906 - 68200 £ / Year
Closes: 20 July 2026
Website Portsmouth City Council
Local Government
Parks and Open Spaces Service Manager
Salary: Band 13: £60,906 – £68,200, per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Office Attendance: Required – flexible, subject to business needs. Work across the city due to the nature of the work.
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.
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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.
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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.
To apply for this job please visit searchjobs.portsmouth.gov.uk.
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