Head of Parks and Open Spaces
Salary: Up to £79,807 plus generous pension and benefits
Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 8th February
Southend-on-Sea is an ambitious, growing city – vibrant, diverse, and proud of its stunning coastline, green spaces, and thriving communities. At the heart of this is our award-winning Parks and Open Spaces service, which frequently attract Green Flag awards. We are now looking for an exceptional leader to take this success to the next level.
As Head of Parks and Open Spaces, you will have the opportunity to strategically shape service delivery for the city, influencing how green spaces are managed and enhanced through innovative approaches and future-focused planning. This is a role that goes beyond operational excellence – it’s about creating a sustainable legacy for future generations, embedding climate resilience, biodiversity, and community wellbeing at the core of everything we do.
You will lead a large and diverse portfolio, including parks, allotments, cemeteries, tree management, outdoor sports facilities, and Southend’s own nursery. With responsibility for significant budgets and a workforce of around 150 FTE, you will ensure services are safe, legal, and compliant while driving continuous improvement and innovation.
This is a pivotal moment for Southend. With devolution and regional collaboration shaping the future of local government, you will play a key role in forging partnerships across Essex and beyond, influencing policy and delivery models that benefit residents, business and visitors alike. Your ability to build alliances, mentor teams, and proactively engage with elected Members will be critical to success.
We are looking for a progressive, visionary leader with deep expertise in parks and open spaces, strong commercial acumen, and a proven track record of delivering high-quality, customer-focused services. You will combine strategic thinking with operational credibility, and you will be passionate about sustainability, innovation, and community impact.
If you are ready to take on a role where your leadership will shape the future of one of the UK’s most exciting cities – and influence the wider regional agenda – we would love to hear from you.
For an informal discussion, please contact Simon Winspear at our recruitment partners, Hays Executive, on 07525 466 357.
Southend-on-Sea City Council is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and particularly encourage applications from female leaders and individuals from multi-ethnic backgrounds, who are currently under-represented at senior levels within our organisation.