Leading Hand Horticulturist

About The Team
Open Space Maintenance's role is to provide maintenance services to ensure that parks and recreational facilities are maintained to a high standard and meet agreed levels of service with the Asset Custodians via Partnering Agreements. These maintenance operations are achieved through Area Coordinators, including the planning and implementation of maintenance programs for streetscapes, parklands, sporting fields, and roadsides. We also provide professional advice to various customers on the construction and maintenance of park infrastructure, open space areas and roadsides.

About Your New Role
We're looking for a motivated Leading Hand Horticulturist with hands-on experience in horticultural maintenance to lead a crew at the Carrara depot. If you're enthusiastic about making a real impact and excited about working in a dynamic outdoor environment, we'd love to hear from you

General Duties Of These Roles Include

• Leading and motivating a small team to conduct horticultural maintenance and improvements of parks, landscaped and recreation areas (duties include but not limited to planting, pruning, mulching, hedging, removal of green waste, weed removal/spraying, utilising leaf blowers and operating chainsaws and pole saws).
• Managing work orders and raising notifications via SAP on an iPad.
• Planning and organising your own work priorities and work of others, following designated work practices to maximise outcomes in terms of quality and productivity.
• Operating and maintaining plant and equipment.
• Participating in identified training programs to increase skills and knowledge and provide training and multi skilling of crew members for continual improvement of the section.
• Taking pride in your work, having passion for our City and constantly improving your landscaping skills with opportunities and learning new techniques and plant equipment.

The successful applicants will be appointed at the appropriate level based on qualifications, skills and experience between Level 5 and Level 7 of the Queensland Local Government Industry (Stream B) Award - Operational.

We're Looking For People Who Have

• Certificate III (or higher) in Horticulture/Conservation and Landcare Management/Arboriculture (Mandatory)
• A minimum of 2 years industry experience
• MR Driver's licence (Mandatory)
• General Construction Induction White Card (Mandatory)
• Proven supervisory skills with a strong ability to lead, manage yourself effectively, make decisions, and build and motivate teams
• High level customer service and communication skills, and a can-do attitude
• High level of motivation and adaptability, with the ability to prioritise and multitask in a dynamic environment

Be part of shaping the Gold Coast's future

The Gold Coast is inspired by lifestyle and driven by opportunity. We are the second largest Council in Australia.

Benefits
We care about being the most flexible government organisation in Australia and we have a range of benefits to help you create the right balance:

• 9-day fortnight - enjoy a long weekend every fortnight
• Access to 350+ fitness facilities through Fitness Passport for you and your family
• 4 free confidential counselling sessions a year for you or your immediate family
• A stable working environment with job security
• A professional, and inclusive work environment working with modern equipment
• Uniform, tools and PPE provided
• A work environment committed to safety as our number 1 priority
• Opportunities to work overtime to increase your take home pay
• Clear paths for career progression and advancement - whether you are interested in moving into a leadership position or upskilling with specialised training, we have plenty of opportunities for you to reach your personal and professional goals

We pride ourselves on our shared mission of being a high-performing, customer-focused organisation which delivers value-for-money services to the community. We're committed to creating a diverse workplace and inclusive culture.

How to apply

For more information, view the position brief by clicking the paperclip icon in the top right corner of this screen.

Click 'Apply' to submit your online application. Upload your Resume with a Cover Letter (of no more than 2 pages) outlining how your skills, experience and personal attributes would allow you to achieve success in this role.

Documents needs to be less than 2MB in size and PDF format is preferred. If you encounter technical issues when applying, please email

Our selection process may include a one-way video interview via Criteria, a face-to-face or virtual interview via Microsoft Teams, reference checks via Xref and additional checks including police checks, employment history checks, qualification checks, pre-employment medical reviews and drug and alcohol testing.

Contact Person

Alexandra McNulty

Contact

Closing Date

Sunday, 09 November 2025

Please note applications for all of our vacancies close at 10.00pm on the listed closing date.
The City of Gold Coast is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are committed to supporting an environment where all employees, regardless of their differences or similarities, feel valued, respected and supported. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons are encouraged to apply.