Package: Competitive Salary + Benefits
Role ID: 18834

Are you ready to be part of the future? At QinetiQ, we’re not just imagining tomorrowm we’re creating it. From cutting-edge defence technology to ground-breaking innovations, our mission is to empower and protect lives.

Join us as a Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Operative at our MoD Eskmeals site, where you’ll play a key role in keeping our facilities operating safely, efficiently and to the highest standards.

The Role

As a Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Operative, you’ll make a real difference by ensuring our site always looks its best and remains safe for all who work and visit. The role is approximately 80% grounds maintenance and 20% cleaning, offering a great variety of work across the site.

Day-to-day, you’ll take pride in maintaining the grounds and outdoor spaces, carrying out scheduled maintenance tasks, and ensuring buildings and communal areas remain clean and functional. You’ll be part of a supportive team, but also trusted to work autonomously, managing your own workload and taking ownership of your areas of responsibility.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Delivering general grounds maintenance services across the site
• Supporting specialist grounds activities including grass cutting, spraying and tree management
• Operating and maintaining grounds equipment such as ride-on mowers
• Carrying out cleaning duties across offices, workshops, accommodation and shared spaces
• Ensuring the safe use and storage of tools, materials and cleaning substances
• Completing site records, basic administration tasks and reporting issues promptly

Essential experience of the Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Operative:

• Proven experience in a grounds maintenance role
• Ability to work safely at height and use associated access equipment
• General administration skills with basic computer literacy (Microsoft Office or similar)
• Strong awareness of health, safety and environmental standards
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills
• A proactive and flexible approach to work

Experience or tickets for ride-on mowers or spraying would be beneficial but are not essential, training can be provided for the right candidate.

Essential qualifications for the Grounds Maintenance & Cleaning Operative:

• Full UK driving licence
• Manual handling awareness and appreciation of associated risks
• Ability to safely deploy equipment and cleaning materials

We value difference and we don’t have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, if you can demonstrate the right level of experience and a willingness to learn, we’d love to hear from you.

This role is full-time and permanent, based at MoD Eskmeals. Working hours: Monday to Thursday, 07:30–16:30; Friday, 07:30–12:00

MoD Eskmeals
Our Eskmeals facility in Cumbria plays an important role in defence research and testing, with extensive outdoor ranges and specialised environments supporting UK Defence programmes. You’ll be joining a skilled and dedicated team working to maintain a safe, clean and efficient site that supports critical national capability.

Why Join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

As a QinetiQ employee, you’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experiences collaborate openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through teamwork, shared perspectives and innovative thinking, you’ll help us discover new ways of solving complex problems, all in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential.

Visit our website to learn more about life at QinetiQ: www.qinetiq.com/en/careers/life-at-qinetiq

Our Benefits

• Matched contribution pension scheme with life assurance
• Generous holiday allowance with the option to purchase additional days
• Options to join Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Employee discount portal – from travel insurance and cinema tickets to restaurants and retail
• We proudly support the Armed Forces community as a Gold Award holder in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme
• Volunteering opportunities to support charities and local communities

Our Recruitment Process

We aim to make our recruitment process as inclusive as possible, ensuring everyone feels valued and supported. If you have a disability or health condition that may affect your performance in any assessment, please let your recruiter know so we can make reasonable adjustments.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.

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