Tractor Driver

Do you have a passion for working outdoors, operating machinery, and making a difference in your local community? Join our dedicated Streetscene team at Reading Borough Council as a Tractor Driver and help maintain our parks and open spaces to the highest standards.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the Role:
The role is full time (37 hours per week) and will require you to start at 7.00am and will be working Monday to Friday only.

As a Tractor Driver, you'll play a key role in maintaining Reading’s parks and open spaces. You'll operate a variety of machinery including tractors with gang mowers and flails, as well as ride-on, pedestrian, and handheld tools. Your work will help ensure that our green spaces remain safe, clean, and enjoyable for residents and visitors alike.

In addition to grounds maintenance tasks such as mowing, sports pitch upkeep, and allotment work, you’ll also support general park care.

Providing excellent customer service is also an important part of the role. You’ll be a visible and helpful presence in our parks, offering assistance and information to the public, resolving minor issues on-site, and helping to uphold safety and byelaw standards with professionalism and tact.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in tractor driving and using powered/non-powered equipment
• Competence with machinery including mowers, chainsaws, and power tools
• Practical understanding of vehicle maintenance
• Good communication skills and a team player attitude
• Physically capable and willing to work in all weather conditions

Essential Qualifications:

• NPTC or Lantra Certificate in Tractor Driving and Related Operations
• NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture (or equivalent)
• Full UK or EU Driving Licence

Ideally the successful candidates will have a proven track record of outside working in a demanding environment with an understanding of general vehicle maintenance.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do.

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the 19 Bennet Road depot
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact Chris Camfield – Streetscene Services Manager - chris.camfield@reading.gov.uk

Interview Date: Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Interview Date: TBC

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.