Job description

Job responsibilities

For questions about this job, contact:

Benedict Williams Estates Officer Benedict.Williams@nhs.net 07787373816 Shortlisting Date: 04/09/2026 Interview Date: 18/09/2026

The External Environment Lead will be responsible for the on-site supervision of directly employed staff and contractors, ensuring the effective delivery of high-quality horticultural, arboriculture and environmental services across Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust sites. The successful candidate will lead the maintenance and development of landscaped areas, trees, amenity grounds and external environments while ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation, Trust policies and environmental standards.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's, Operational Maintenance Department, manages one of the largest healthcare estates in the UK and recognises the importance of providing a safe, attractive and welcoming external environment for patients, visitors and staff.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced horticultural professional with supervisory experience who is passionate about maintaining and improving external environments within a complex healthcare setting. Whether we're cleaning wards, maintaining buildings, monitoring environmental impact, providing staff childcare, delivering hot meals to patients, or patrolling our sites, we support the delivery of patient care. We are committed to creating the best place to work and being the employer of choice for estates and facilities in the region.

• Supervise directly employed staff, students, agency workers and contractors.
• Assist with recruitment, induction, training and work allocation.
• Monitor standards of work and productivity and report performance or disciplinary issues to the Estates Officer.
• Lead the maintenance of the Trust's external environment including horticultural, arboriculture and landscaping activities.
• Undertake tree maintenance operations including the safe use of chainsaws where qualified.
• Oversee pest recognition, treatment and record keeping in accordance with current legislation.
• Install and maintain irrigation systems in accordance with Legionella control requirements.
• Interpret plans, drawings and specifications and oversee their implementation.
• Utilise Estates management systems to record, update and audit maintenance activities.
• Support adverse weather operations including gritting, snow clearance and acting as secondary contact for on-call teams.
• Promote good housekeeping standards and ensure external areas remain clean, safe and welcoming.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety, COSHH, Infection Prevention and Trust policies.

Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.

Our Trust values

The Leeds Way is working together to support each other and deliver the best possible care to patients.

We are….

Responsible Open and Honest One Team Kind

Our Trust priorities

Our purpose: Excellent, safe and sustainable care for every patient every time

Our priorities:

People Improvement and Innovation Partnerships Outcomes

To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Please click apply to view applicant criteria

Desirable

• Please click apply to view applicant criteria

Experience

Essential

• Please click apply to view applicant criteria

Desirable

• Please click apply to view applicant criteria

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St James’s University Hospital

Leeds

West Yorkshire

LS9 7TF

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)