Team Manager - Arboriculture and Grounds

This is a senior, visible role where you’ll lead Dorset Council’s Arboriculture and Grounds service, shaping how we manage trees and green spaces across the county while balancing statutory duties with income-generating work for both internal and external customers, and having real influence on safety, quality, and long-term service development.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll act as Dorset Council’s expert in arboriculture, providing authoritative advice on tree-related matters, including acting as an expert witness and presenting evidence at public enquiries when required.

You’ll lead and manage teams across Grounds and Arboriculture, supporting the Service Manager with strategic planning, service development and delivery, and working proactively with elected members, partners, communities and other stakeholders.

You’ll be responsible for

• driving performance against national, corporate and service indicators
• preparing business cases, equality impact assessments and committee reports
• managing budgets and income streams, delivering efficiencies, overseeing commissioning and procurement activity
• leading business reviews and plans
• ensuring robust health and safety arrangements,
• and representing the council at meetings, events and with the media as needed.

About you

• You’ll be a recognised arboriculture professional with the confidence to act as the council’s technical authority
• lead multidisciplinary teams, manage budgets and performance
• influence senior stakeholders
• balance operational delivery with strategic thinking
• while maintaining high standards of safety, governance and public accountability.

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.