Grounds & Landscaping Specialist At International Facilities Services Limited - Ifs
International Facilities Services Limited - IFS
full-time
Job Summary
The Grounds & Landscaping Specialist will oversee the grounds and landscaping team, ensuring high standards of planting, plant health, irrigation, and general grounds upkeep across the site.
The role combines hands-on horticultural and equipment expertise with team leadership scheduling preventive and corrective maintenance, ensuring safety compliance, and liaising with the wider Facilities Management team.
The ideal candidate is equally comfortable operating grounds equipment personally and directing a team to a consistent, high standard.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and oversee the grounds and landscaping team (gardeners and equipment operatives), allocating daily tasks and ensuring consistent coverage across all zones.
Plan and schedule preventive and corrective grounds maintenance: mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilising, and pest/weed control.
Oversee plant health across lawns, beds, hedges, and ornamental planting; diagnose and address disease, pest, or irrigation issues.
Operate and provide hands-on guidance on ride-on mowers, push-behind mowers, brush cutters, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, and fertiliser spreaders.
Ensure correct use, upkeep, and basic maintenance of all grounds equipment and tools; manage equipment logs and report faults promptly.
Oversee irrigation scheduling and water use efficiency across landscaped areas.
Ensure safety compliance across the grounds team, including safe operation of powered equipment (mowers, trimmers, chainsaws) and correct use of PPE.
Maintain accurate maintenance records, task schedules, and defect reports using the facility's CMMS/CAFM platform.
Liaise with the FM site lead and wider engineering team on scheduling, resourcing, and any cross-functional grounds-related issues.
Support event-based grounds preparation and turnaround for high-footfall periods.
Train, mentor, and performance-manage grounds team members, supporting their development in horticultural and equipment skills.
Requirements & Qualifications
OND / HND or relevant certification in Horticulture, Landscape Management, Agricultural Science, or a related discipline (strong hands-on experience will also be considered).
Minimum of 5 years' experience in grounds/landscaping management, including demonstrable team-lead or supervisory experience.
Hands-on, practical experience operating grounds equipment ride-on mowers, brush cutters, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, fertiliser spreaders.
Sound knowledge of planting, irrigation, plant health, and pest/weed control practices suited to the local climate.
Comfortable working with a CMMS/CAFM system for logging maintenance activity and scheduling tasks.
Strong organisational and people-management skills, with the ability to plan work across a team and maintain consistent standards.
Safety-conscious, with sound knowledge of safe equipment operation and PPE requirements.
Willingness to work flexible shifts, including weekends, based on operational and event schedules.
Physically fit and able to work outdoors in all weather conditions.