Vegetation Operative
JRH Contracting | Based from Ingatestone, Essex | Working across Essex & the South East
£35,000–£40,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications
Full-time | Permanent | Immediate start
Monday to Friday | Approximately 80% night work / 20% day work
Typical night shift: 6:30pm-4:30am | Typical day shift: 7:30am-4:30pm
Highways | A-roads | Motorway Vegetation Maintenance
Full UK driving licence and own transport to the yard required
Are you an experienced vegetation operative with current industry tickets and a background in grounds maintenance, highways, arboriculture or vegetation management?
JRH Contracting is looking for an experienced Vegetation Operative to join its growing team, carrying out vegetation management across highways, A-roads and motorways throughout Essex and the South East.
This is a varied, hands-on role covering grass cutting, brushcutter work, site clearance, tree work and the operation of professional grounds maintenance machinery. The majority of the work is carried out at night, with approximately an 80/20 split between night and day work.
We are looking for someone who already understands this type of environment and holds relevant Lantra or NPTC certificates for equipment such as chainsaws, woodchippers, ride-on mowers or brushcutters. Tractor experience would be useful, but the priority is finding someone with strong practical vegetation management experience and the right current qualifications.
About JRH Contracting
JRH Contracting is a growing vegetation management business delivering work throughout Essex and the South East.
The company carries out a broad range of vegetation and highways maintenance work, including grass cutting, site clearance, tree planting, brushcutter work, tree felling and machinery-based vegetation management.
Much of the work takes place on the high-speed road network, requiring a strong approach to safety, teamwork and professional standards.
As the business continues to grow, JRH Contracting is looking for an experienced operative who can become a reliable part of the team and contribute across a varied programme of highways vegetation work.
The role
As a Vegetation Operative, you will carry out a mixture of vegetation management and grounds maintenance work, predominantly across highways, A-roads and motorways.
Your work will include grass cutting, brushcutter operations, site clearance, tree planting and tree work, alongside the use of machinery and other professional vegetation management equipment.
Depending on your experience and qualifications, you may also operate ride-on mowers, woodchippers, chainsaws, tractors with flail mowers, robotic mowers and diggers.
This is a physical outdoor role that can involve working on highway embankments, roadside verges and uneven ground in varying weather conditions.
What you’ll be doing
- Carrying out grass cutting and vegetation management across highways, A-roads and motorways
- Using brushcutters and other professional vegetation management equipment
- Operating ride-on mowers where trained and competent
- Using chainsaws and woodchippers where appropriately qualified
- Carrying out site clearance and vegetation clearance
- Supporting tree planting and tree work
- Assisting with tree felling where trained and competent
- Operating tractors with flail mowers where experienced
- Using other machinery including robotic mowers and diggers where appropriately experienced
- Working safely on highway verges, embankments and uneven terrain
- Looking after tools, machinery, equipment and PPE
- Following highways, site-specific and company health and safety procedures
- Working closely with colleagues to complete projects safely and efficiently
What we’re looking for
- Previous experience within vegetation management, highways maintenance, grounds maintenance, arboriculture, forestry, landscaping or a closely related industry
- Relevant Lantra or NPTC certificates applicable to the work
- Current or recently refreshed qualifications for equipment such as chainsaws, woodchippers, ride-on mowers or brushcutters
- Certificates should generally be less than five years old or have been refreshed within the last five years
- Comfortable carrying out physical outdoor work
- Able to work safely on highway embankments and uneven ground
- Comfortable working predominantly during night shifts
- Strong awareness of health and safety
- Reliable, hardworking and able to work effectively as part of a team
- Full UK driving licence
- Own transport to travel to and from the JRH Contracting yard
Some ticket refresher training can be considered for the right candidate, but applicants should already hold a good core of relevant and reasonably current qualifications.
Desirable experience and qualifications
- Tractor operating experience
- SSSTS qualification
- Previous Team Leader or supervisory experience
- In-date CSCS card
- In-date Highways Passport
- Previous experience working on the high-speed road network
- Additional relevant vegetation management or machinery certificates
Tractor experience would be beneficial but is not essential and sits below practical vegetation management experience and relevant current tickets in terms of priority.
Working hours
This is a full-time, permanent position, working Monday to Friday.
The role is approximately:
80% night work / 20% day work
Typical hours are:
Night shifts: 6:30pm–4:30am
Day shifts: 7:30am–4:30pm
Working hours can vary slightly depending on the available working window and the requirements of individual projects.
All shifts start and finish at the JRH Contracting yard in Ingatestone, so candidates must have their own reliable transport to get there.
Public transport access to the yard is very limited, with the nearest bus stop approximately one mile away and no suitable footpath for the journey.
Training and support
JRH Contracting is happy to invest in the right person and can arrange refresher training for a small number of relevant certificates where appropriate.
However, this position is aimed at someone who already has meaningful industry experience and a solid base of relevant Lantra or NPTC qualifications.
All required PPE will be provided.
There will also be opportunities to broaden your skills and gain additional experience across machinery operation and highways vegetation management.
Salary and benefits
- £35,000–£40,000 per year
- Potential flexibility at the top end for an exceptional candidate with extensive current tickets, Team Leader experience and tractor experience
- Full-time, permanent employment
- Immediate start
- Monday-to-Friday working pattern
- Formal training and selected ticket refreshers where appropriate
- All required PPE provided
- Varied highways vegetation management work
- Opportunity to operate a range of specialist machinery
- Opportunity to develop additional skills and industry competencies
- Long-term opportunity within a growing vegetation management business
Apply today
If you already have experience within vegetation management, highways, grounds maintenance or a similar practical outdoor environment, hold relevant current industry tickets and are comfortable with predominantly night-time working, JRH Contracting would like to hear from you.
This is an opportunity to join a growing business carrying out varied vegetation management work across some of the South East’s major road networks, with the chance to build on your existing skills and qualifications.
By applying for this vacancy, you acknowledge and agree that your personal details may be shared with the end employer, who may contact you directly regarding this position.
Your details will also be securely stored within the Chappell Enterprises UK (CEUK) recruitment database, and we may contact you from time to time regarding other relevant employment opportunities.
We respect your privacy and will never share your personal information with any other third parties for their own recruitment purposes without your permission.
You retain the right to request the removal of your personal information from our recruitment database at any time, subject to any applicable legal retention requirements.
