Street Cleaning Operative

Overview

East Staffordshire Borough Council is recruiting a Street Cleaning Operative (Barrows/Labourer) to support the upkeep of the Borough’s highways, footpaths, public open spaces and wider communities. This front-line role helps maintain a clean, safe and welcoming environment across East Staffordshire.

The position is graded at Grade 3 with a salary of £24,796 to £25,989 per year.

About the service

The Council is committed to keeping the Borough attractive for residents, workers and visitors. As the Principal Litter Authority, the Street Cleaning team carries out essential cleansing work using manual methods, practical tools and digital recording devices to manage litter, detritus, dog fouling, fly tipping, leaves, weeds and other environmental issues.

What the role involves

You will work outdoors as part of the Environment team, carrying out manual street cleansing across public highways, open spaces and other public realm locations. The job is hands-on and varied, with a strong focus on helping the Borough look its best day to day.

Key duties

• Remove litter, detritus, leaves, weeds, dog fouling, dead animals and fly tipping from streets and public areas.
• Empty, check and maintain street litter bins.
• Collect bulky waste where needed.
• Sort recyclable materials as required.
• Report defects, incidents and health and safety concerns without delay.
• Use handheld devices to log cleanliness standards, bin capacity and other service data.

What the Council is looking for

The ideal candidate will be reliable, enthusiastic and proud of delivering a high standard of public service. You should work well with others, communicate clearly and present yourself in a polite, approachable and customer-focused way, as this is a highly visible role representing the Council.

You must be willing to work outside in all weather conditions, walk long distances, carry out manual handling safely, wear the correct uniform and PPE, and follow all health and safety rules. A positive can-do approach, the ability to use your own initiative and the confidence to stay calm under pressure are all important.

Experience and skills

Experience in street cleansing, waste services or another practical outdoor setting would be helpful, although a willingness to learn and work safely is equally valued. Knowledge of manual handling, manual sweeping, bin lift or compaction equipment, reversing assistant duties and handheld data devices would also be an advantage.

Working pattern

This is a 37-hour-per-week role. Usual hours are Monday to Thursday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Friday from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm, with a half-hour unpaid break each day.

There may be a requirement to work overtime on Public and Bank Holidays, and on some weekends, to help maintain an effective public service.

Application information

Applicants must submit a written statement of no more than 1,000 words explaining how they meet the person specification for the role.

If you would like an informal discussion about the opportunity, you can contact Peter Clark, Operations and Fleet Manager, by email at [email protected] or by phone on 01283 508016.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 12 July 2026.

Additional notes

The Council welcomes applications from people of all ages, sexes, genders, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, and it is a Disability Confident Leader.

The organisation currently does not hold a sponsorship licence, so it cannot issue Certificates of Sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application.

If you have any family or close personal relationship with any Member or Officer of East Staffordshire Borough Council, this must be declared when completing the application form.

Full details of the role are set out in the Job Description and Person Specification.

An attached document is referenced for the role: 240605 JD Street Cleaning Operative WA0607.docx.

Contract note

This is a full-time, on-site position.