Reading (On-Site)
Permanent, Full time
£37,938 to £42,708 per year
37.00
Are you a skilled and experienced Maintenance Engineer looking for a rewarding and varied role? Join us and help maintain our essential powered maintenance equipment (including strimmers, mowers, chainsaws, breakers, and ride-on machinery), supporting the services that keep our community moving.
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 will be based at our depot at 19 Bennet Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0QX
As our Maintenance Engineer, you’ll be responsible for the repair, servicing and maintenance of our extensive stock of powered equipment including mowers, strimmers, ride-on machines, and more. You’ll respond to equipment issues, manage our stock and database of tools and parts, and ensure safety and reliability across our machinery.
You’ll play a key part in improving equipment efficiencies, managing external contractors, and helping maintain a high-quality, safe working environment. There may also be occasional infrastructure repairs involving mechanical or welding work.
About the Streetscence Services Team:
The Streetscene service team is dedicated to maintaining clean, safe, and attractive public spaces across the borough. Our team is responsible for a wide range of essential services, including street cleaning, litter collection, graffiti removal, fly-tip clearance, and the maintenance of street furniture and signage.
In addition, the team looks after the borough’s green spaces by cutting grass, maintaining verges, and caring for public trees to ensure they remain healthy and safe.
Working closely with local communities and partner agencies, Streetscene plays a key role in enhancing the quality of life for residents by ensuring that our streets, parks, and open spaces are well-kept and welcoming. The team takes pride in delivering a responsive and proactive service that supports a clean and sustainable environment for all.
Key Responsibilities:
In this role, you’ll be responsible for diagnosing and repairing faults across a wide range of mechanical and electrical equipment. You’ll carry out both preventative maintenance and urgent repairs to ensure minimal downtime and maximum reliability. Alongside this, you’ll manage the inventory of tools, spare parts, and consumables, making sure stock levels support efficient maintenance operations.
You’ll also maintain accurate equipment and vibration monitoring records, liaising with manufacturers and contractors to ensure high standards and value for money. Sharing your technical knowledge will be key as you support apprentices and contribute to team development. A strong focus on health and safety is essential, with an expectation to maintain clean, secure, and compliant workspaces at all times.
Duties will include:
- Provide timely and effective responses to enquiries and complaints from managers, supervisors, and operatives.
- Manage and maintain an accurate tools and equipment database and associated service records.
- Carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and respond to equipment faults and breakdowns efficiently to minimise downtime.
- Ensure all plant and equipment is maintained to high safety and performance standards.
- Monitor and maintain equipment vibration levels in compliance with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) regulations.
- Uphold strong health and safety practices, maintaining clean and secure workspaces.
About You:
You will be a qualified Maintenance or Mechanical Engineer with experience working on a range of powered tools and machinery.
You’ll possess strong diagnostic and repair skills, a good knowledge of health and safety procedures, and the ability to manage your own workload and stock levels. Experience with data recording, contractor management, and light welding/mechanical fabrication will be advantageous.
Essential Skills and Experience:
- Recognised qualification in mechanical or electrical maintenance (e.g., NVQ, City & Guilds)
- Proven track record in maintaining and repairing a wide range of powered tools and machinery
- Strong organisational and IT skills, particularly for database and stock management
- Full UK driving licence
Desirable:
- Certification in PAT Testing and/or HAVS monitoring
- Welding or fabrication skills
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 Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
- 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 Andrew Dean – Commercial Officer - Streetscene - andrew.dean@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: Wednesday 18th June 2025
Interview Date: Week commencing 2nd June 2025
Interview Process: Formal interview, basic written and practical test
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.