Job title: Landscape Architect
Salary/Grade: Career Grade 4/5
Service: Programme Management & Delivery Team
Reports to: Senior Landscape Architect
Manages/Supervises: N/A
Job purpose
To be responsible for delivering a series of capital budget, Section 106 funded, community focussed, public open space, public realm and cycle path improvement projects across the Braintree District.
Principal Accountabilities
- To prepare project briefs for landscape and environmental improvements to public open spaces funded by Section 106 agreements in line with the Open Spaces Action Plan and the Council’s Landscape Works Programme
- To design and implement schemes from beginning to end to include: community and stakeholder consultation; preparation of detailed designs; specifications; working drawings; bills of quantities, risk assessments and other documentation necessary to implement projects
- To project manage public realm, landscape and environmental improvement projects through selection, appointment and management of external contractors, landscape architects, artists and specialist consultants as required
- To work with the Council’s Procurement department to run tender procedures; initiate and manage contracts
- To provide advice on design, health and safety, technical, professional and contractual matters, relating to the programme of works
- To liaise with the Marketing Department to raise the profile of the landscape improvements and encourage community involvement
Corporate Accountabilities
- To take responsibility for maintaining own health and attendance.
- To support, contribute and comply with quality and governance procedures as directed by management
- To apply and actively promote the principles of the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy in all areas of employment and service delivery
- Any other associated duties detailed by Head of Service or his representative
- To advise Line manager if, at any time, the above duties and responsibilities cannot be performed
- Any other duties as required to support the business, including maintaining business
continuity and during civil emergencies - To apply and actively promote the principles of the Council’s Safeguarding Procedure in all areas of employment and service delivery
Skills, Knowledge and Experience
(Tested at application and interview stage)
Experience and Qualifications
- Chartered Landscape Architect or working towards qualification (Essential)
- Demonstrable experience of programme/ project management of the delivery of landscape and environmental improvement projects (Essential)
- Demonstrable experience of design ability from concepts to working drawings (Essential)
- Demonstrable track record of successful tender processes and contract management (Essential)
- Training in relevant Health & Safety, Planning and Environmental Legislation (Essential)
- Formal project management training (Desirable)
- Experience of public open space landscape design schemes. (Desirable)
- Experience of working with local community groups. (Desirable)
Skills and Knowledge and Other Conditions
- Knowledge of ecological principles
- Full driving licence
- You will need to be able to organise and attend community/stakeholder consultation events or community volunteer events in the evening and at weekends as required.
Competencies
(Tested at interview stage)
Communicating Effectively
Demonstrate the effective use of the range of communication methods available: written, spoken, electronic, and use these methods in appropriate ways suitable to the context and situation
- Present spoken communication in a polite, friendly and respectful manner seeking to ensure mutual understanding
- Listen well and seek clarification and understanding, avoiding jumping to conclusions or making assumptions
- Present information and ideas in a clear and understandable way which avoids jargon
- Seek to understand the communication needs of colleagues and customers, being mindful of equality issues and the diverse needs of the range of people we work with
- Choose the most appropriate method of communication for the situation, seeking to avoid using one fixed style or approach
Performing Efficiently and Effectively
Promote good performance, developing clear, structured and efficient ways of managing workload and delivering results. Staff should challenge themselves and others to perform well, and to adhere to the Council’s performance management systems
- Ensure that all work carried out by you is in line with business and service plans and supports the overall aims and ambition of the Council
- Plan your workload effectively, reporting achievements and problems to appropriate managers and project leaders
- See tasks and objectives through to completion
- Approach challenges with drive and enthusiasm
- Strive for continuous improvement in your work and manage your learning and development to enable you to perform to the best of your ability
- Create novel solutions to improve services and ways of working and challenge conventional practices
- Seek out income generating opportunities and efficiencies and aim to provide more for less to achieve the best possible value and high standards of service delivery
- Be enthusiastic about the Council’s services and look for opportunities to promote and sell them
- Treat the Council’s money as if it were your own
Using and Managing Resources Efficiently and Effectively
Demonstrate the effective and efficient use of the full range of resources used in and by the Council including time, finances, staffing, equipment, information, materials, buildings, etc.
- Take responsibility for managing your time, seeking efficient ways to carry out your work, maximising your output and minimising wastage
- Use and acquire materials effectively and efficiently minimising wastage, recycling where possible, and striving for cost effectiveness
- Seek out ways to improve the use of resources
Engaging with the Customer
Understand the needs and requirements of their customers, to provide excellent customer service, and to involve customers in the improvement of services
- Provide a helpful and friendly service to customers, both internally and externally
- Take responsibility for following up on enquiries and solving customer issues
- Make efforts to fully understand the customer’s needs and avoid assuming that “we know best”
- Ensure that you have a full understanding of the needs and requirements of the customer
- Seek feedback from internal and external customers on the effectiveness and efficiency of the service you provide
Working Well Together
Actively foster good working relationships with colleagues and customers in order to collectively achieve the Council’s direction and ambition
- Co-operate and work well with colleagues at all levels of the organisation, seeking collective responsibility for the achievement of goals
- Demonstrate consideration and respect for other’s feelings and opinions and avoid judging and making assumptions
- Maintain positive working relationships with external contacts in order to maintain the reputation of the Council
- Seek to actively solve problems and avoid passing the issue on to others or leaving the problem unresolved
- Demonstrate self-awareness of your style of working and develop flexibility and adaptability in order to work well with others
Other conditions
- This position does not require a DBS check
- This position is not politically restricted
Job profile updated
October 2026
Values and behaviours
Our values and behaviours are an integral part of who we are; they are the guiding principles that should inform how we work together, support each other and make decisions.
Our organisation thrives on the dedication and passion of its people and it’s important that we embody these values and behaviours and they become a part of our organisational DNA.
Our vision
We will be ambitious, support each other and work together in new ways to achieve outstanding results
Our core values
We value everyone
- We respect, recognise and support our people, residents and businesses
- We listen to each other, understand and treat everyone fairly
- We care about our people and appreciate the unique qualities in us all
We work together
- We respect, recognise and support our people, residents and businesses
- We work as one team, recognising everyone's contribution
- We build strong relationships and partnerships to deliver better outcomes
We are flexible
- We embrace change and new ways of working
- We are adaptable, open to new ideas and focus on solutions
- We aim to constantly improve, and we are not afraid to challenge the status quo