facilities maintenance supervisor

Job Title: Grounds / External Facilities Supervisor Location: Kemsley, Sittingbourne/, Kent Salary / Rate: £15.80 per hour Contract Type: Full-time / Permanent (subject to probation) Working Hours: Monday–Friday (times to suit site operations); occasional weekends or early starts/late finishes as required About Us Our Client is responsible for maintaining the high-standard external environment. As a critical part of our commitment to safety, cleanliness, and operational efficiency, we look for reliable, hands-on staff to ensure our grounds, yard, loading areas, car parks, access routes, and external welfare zones are maintained, safe, clean, and presentable always. Role Purpose The Grounds / External Facilities Supervisor will oversee and coordinate all external site-upkeep and grounds-maintenance activities at the mill. This role ensures that outside areas — including loading yards, hard-standing, parking areas, walkways, external waste zones and site perimeter — are kept clean, safe, and well-maintained. The Supervisor will lead a small external crew, plan and allocate daily tasks, monitor quality, manage waste & cleaning supplies, ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards, and liaise with site management regarding maintenance or repair needs. Key Responsibilities * Supervise, coordinate and allocate daily tasks for the grounds/ external-facilities team: litter picking, external sweeping, pressure-washing yards/hard standing, cleaning car parks & walkways, waste removal, bin emptying, external site tidying. * Ensure all external site areas — entrances, loading zones, storage yards, parking areas, walkways, perimeter fences — are maintained to a high standard of cleanliness and safety. Report hazards, damage or maintenance needs immediately to Site Manager. * Operate and maintain grounds-maintenance equipment and cleaning tools (e.g. sweepers, pressure washers, waste-handling equipment), ensuring safe usage and storage. * Manage inventory of cleaning and maintenance supplies; monitor usage and reorder as needed to ensure continuous operation. * Carry out regular inspections and quality-control checks of external areas, ensuring the site meets safety, hygiene, and presentation standards. * Provide leadership and guidance to external-facilities staff, including training where necessary, fostering a strong health & safety culture, and ensuring staff adhere to site policies and procedures. * Maintain accurate records of tasks completed, waste disposal logs, maintenance reports and any incidents — and report to the Site Manager as required. * Work flexibly according to site needs, including early mornings, late finishes or weekends if required (e.g. after deliveries, external clean-ups or seasonal maintenance). Person Specification Essential: * Previous experience working in grounds maintenance, external site cleaning or industrial site upkeep. * Experience supervising or leading a small team — assigning tasks, monitoring performance, ensuring compliance with standards. * Physically fit and capable of performing outdoor manual tasks reliably, including handling cleaning tools, waste, and maintenance equipment. * Good understanding of health, safety, and environmental regulations as applied to external site maintenance and waste management. * Strong organisational and record-keeping skills: able to keep logs for maintenance, waste, inspections, and cleaning schedules. * Reliable, responsible, with good communication skills — able to liaise with management, maintenance teams, contractors, and ensure consistent team performance. Desirable: * Previous experience in an industrial or manufacturing-site environment. * Experience with waste management or external-site maintenance protocols. * Basic driving licence (if site transport or moving between different external areas is needed). * Ability to assist with minor external maintenance tasks (e.g. fencing, signage repair, external structure upkeep). What We Offer * Hourly pay at £15.80 per hour * Stable, permanent employment at a major industrial facility * Opportunity to work outdoors on a large site, leading a small team and taking responsibility for site presentation and safety * Varied role — no two days the same (external maintenance, cleaning, inspections, equipment use, teamwork, coordination) * Potential for overtime when needed (after deliveries, seasonal work, external clean-ups) * Training and supervision responsibility — good role for someone with leadership experience