Woodlands & Countryside Manager 

Sussex/Surrey

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Background and Company Information

Glendale is a company with a turnover of £67 million, providing 'green services' across the UK. Its operations encompass grounds management, landscaping, countryside and estates management, horticulture, and arboriculture.

Glendale, founded in 1989, has a long and successful history of delivering green services to both local authorities and private sector clients. The company is renowned for its high-quality service provision, offering a wide range of green services including grounds maintenance, countryside and estate management, landscaping, tree services, and arboriculture.

Glendale anticipates further sales growth to £72 million in 2026. While public sector contracts remain our core business, private sector engagements are significantly contributing to our overall revenue. The Glendale brand is robust, with the majority of our income derived from grounds management and countryside activities via long-term contracts with public sector clients. Our current objective is to expand our order book to £250 million.   

Glendale is a carbon-neutral business dedicated to environmental improvement through its operations. We strive not only to maintain but also to enhance the planet, offering a comprehensive suite of professional landscape services. Our expertise ranges from maintaining local parks and open spaces to high standards, ensuring tree safety through our arboricultural teams, preserving mature trees with our Civic Tree business, and promoting sustainable design via our landscape architecture practice.

Clients from our Sussex base include Mid Sussex DC, Surrey Heath BC, Surrey CC, Elmbridge BC and Surrey Wildlife Trust, as well as numerous town and parish councils. 

With a current turnover of c£250,000 p.a. and operating with a small team of direct labour, supported by a select group of subcontractors, the office is shared with other Glendale services, including grounds maintenance, arboriculture, countryside rangers and PRoW maintenance teams. The overall Glendale business in Sussex is c£3m p.a.

Glendale has an established woodland and countryside management business across the South, and this exciting role will spearhead our planned entry into countryside management in the area, with full access and opportunity to deliver services for clients across the Southern Home Counties. 

The new role will link our business, connecting 6 other Arbor, Woodland & Countryside Managers based in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Weymouth and Guildford and offer unrivalled delivery to clients along the South Coast.

Services offered include woodland management & planting, invasive weed control, fencing, PRoW maintenance, furniture and signpost installation, scrub clearance and vegetation management, tree planting and habitat creation. 

Role Objectives

The woodlands & countryside manager is a pivotal position for the business, offering overall management of all areas of the business activities, including tenders and quotes pipelines, financial performance of all contracts and operational oversight regarding productivity, profitability, safety and quality.

The role of the woodlands & countryside manager can never be defined fully, but in all matters, they must demonstrate professionalism, leadership and command respect within the business and the sector.  All decisions must be communicated clearly both to those responsible to the post holder and to those persons the post holder reports to.

The woodlands & countryside manager must be prepared to take the initiative and continually improve operational activity, requiring ambition and a high level of commitment.  A manager in Glendale is critical to decision-making processes within the business and must gain the trust and loyalty of all stakeholders in the company, whilst taking full responsibility for the operational and financial performance of the office.

Job Description

The woodlands & countryside manager’s key responsibilities will be to:

• To provide the leadership required to meet company and client objectives, directing the commercial activity of the contracts under their control to secure a level of financial performance that is at least as good as budgeted. Securing new business, sales and pricing work will be a key priority.

• To monitor and control the financial performance of the contracts under their control through the company’s financial and reporting procedures, and to assist the General Manager in the setting of budgets.

• To contribute fully to the effective running of the contract and wider Glendale business, working with the General Manager to build and maintain a sound and effective organisational structure, recruiting, training and motivating staff/sub-contractors in accordance with the company’s policies and procedures.

• To build, develop and maintain good working relationships with the company’s clients and customers, safeguarding the company’s image and credibility.

• To prioritise safety by monitoring health, safety and welfare within their area of operational responsibility, and to actively participate in the maintenance and improvement of the company’s and offices overall health, safety and welfare culture.

• To ensure the maintenance of quality standards, in particular the application of the company’s Quality Management Systems for ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001 and clients processes.

The woodlands & countryside manager will focus day to day on the following tasks:

Overseeing the effective commercial running of contracts under their control, evaluating the productivity of the workforce, vehicle & machinery maintenance, product and services and other requirements to ensure maximum efficiency.

Financial reporting, including supporting the General Manager in:

• the submission of considered and reasoned forecasts of sales, costs and profits

• the review of management accounts and the production of accurate monthly forecasts

• the review of stock levels and the value of work-in-progress

Monitoring the effective organisational structure within the contract area, including recruiting, developing and motivating staff through effective employee management.

Complying with all Quality and Environmental Management System procedures

Monitoring the company’s Health, Safety and Welfare policy and associated procedures

Liaising with client officer(s) and customer(s) to:

• agree and plan forward programmes of work

• inspect and certify completed work

• agree the value of work and the invoice sums due

• agree payment dates

• monitor payments as received

Keep abreast of current industry best practice through publications, meetings, networking and wider relationships

To manage lead generation and business development in the local area with the support of the General Manager and Regional team, meet with prospective clients, price works and oversee marketing where required.

Any other duties that may arise relevant to the role

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Knowledge, Experience and Skills

The successful candidate shall have a track record as a Manager or Supervisor in a small/medium-sized enterprise, preferably in the land management sector (Rural Land & Business Management, Forestry, Countryside Management). The candidate should have a management or supervisory background or experience that shows evidence of the successful creation of strong customer care and planned service delivery through direct labour teams.

Qualifications

A nationally recognised academic qualification to at least NVQ Level 3 or equivalent, for example:

• the National Certificate (BTEC or EdExcel) ~ NVQ Level 3 ~, or

• the Advanced National Certificate, or

• the National Diploma

A full, clean driving licence is an essential requirement for this role.

Specific skills including;

• Good financial and medium-term planning skills, as well as clear-sighted operational management awareness

• Good accounting, IT (Google) and written skills and the ability to produce professional reports and documents

• Demonstrable range of people management skills

• Strong Health & Safety culture and awareness

Personal

Among the personal characteristics sought will be:

• An enthusiasm and passion for the environment and delivering a technically competent and professional service, maintaining and expanding the company’s reputation locally.

• A completer/finisher with excellent attention to detail.

• An entrepreneurial approach, enthusiastic about sales and opportunities, with energy and ideas for increasing sales.

• The credibility derived from a professional attitude, work ethic and commitment, which will gain acceptance from peers, clients and staff

• A person with flexibility in style and thinking, with an open, approachable personality

• Strong relationship-building skills coupled with excellent communication skills. 

• A motivated approach with presence and stature, who is organised

• Good presentation skills

• A clear identification with the requirements of a customer and the ability to identify opportunities for the company

• Currently, or committed to, living within 45 minutes drive of Haywards Heath 

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The Conditions

TITLE Woodland & Countryside Manager  

REPORTING TO Phil Coxill - General Manager

LOCATION Haywards Heath

GRADE Contract Manager

REMUNERATION Up to £40,000 depending on skills, experience &

qualifications - Further details on the benefits available at 

www.glendale-services.co.careers/uk/

CAR Company vehicle provided or car allowance

PENSION The Company provides the National Employment

Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme. Eligible

employees will be automatically enrolled into NEST 3

months after joining the Company. For further

information please contact the HR department

HOLIDAYS 22 days + Bank Holidays

NOTICE PERIOD 2 months