Assistant Groundsperson

Job Description

Number of Positions: 2

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract – Full Time

Working Hours: 39 hours per week, Monday to Thursday 7 00 and Friday 7 00.

Location: Edinburgh

Closing Date: 17/03/2026

Region / Division: ESMS

The Role

Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools is seeking two motivated and meticulous Assistant Grounds Person to join our dedicated Grounds Team in the Estates Department on a temporary basis, from April 2026 to 25 September 2026. The role is full time, working 39 hours per week, from 7:00 to 16:00 Monday to Thursday and 7:00 to 15:00 on Fridays. Remuneration will be dependent on skills and experience, ranging from £25,318 to £26,090. Both positions will be based across all three sites, including the Queensferry Road site, Ravelston site and Inverleith.

Our schools are renowned for high quality sporting facilities and beautifully landscaped campuses. The post holder will ensure the School’s rugby, hockey, football, athletics and cricket natural grass surfaces are maintained to a high standard, care for extensive horticulture collections, and carry out general maintenance to ensure tidiness of the schools, including litter, playgrounds, footpaths and roads during harsh weather.

Successful candidates must have experience using pedestrian, petrol engine rotary and cylinder mowers; petrol engine hedge trimmers and strimmers. Experience with amenity range diesel tractors equipped with trailed gang mowers, rotary mowers, turf aerators, sand spreaders, trailers and drag brushes is required. Qualifications in NC Horticulture, City and Guilds Horticulture Level 2-3, NVQ/SVC Level 2-3 in Greenkeeping/Sports turf maintenance or equivalent experience is desirable, but not essential; on the job training will be provided.

Qualifications and Experience

No formal qualifications are mandatory, but relevant experience and a desire to learn are expected.

Benefits

Staff are offered a range of benefits, including a generous holiday allowance, enhanced sick pay, family friendly policies, use of the schools’ swimming pool and fitness room outside school hours, and membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme with discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations.

• Fee remission from Nursery to S6
• Free school lunches
• Free Sports’ Club membership, including access to pool and fitness suites
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave
• Membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme, including a range of discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations
• Employee Assistance Service
• Cycle to work scheme
• Car leasing salary sacrifice scheme
• Annual professional review process
• Regular salary reviews
• Funding towards professional qualifications

Values

We are looking for individuals who can embody and promote ESMS values of Kindness, Confidence, Resilience, Integrity, and Curiosity while role modeling behaviours in line with our school pillars of Ambition, Innovation, and Community.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

ESMS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and Disclosure Scotland.

All staff working at ESMS have direct access to young people; therefore all posts within the school are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Additional Information

ESMS is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. The successful candidate will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.