Waste Driver

Job Description

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Working within Lewisham’s Public Realm service means you will be in the forefront of supporting waste and street cleansing services to Lewisham’s 300,000 residents. Put your HGV skills to work for your community! Join your local council as a professional driver and enjoy steady hours, local routes, and the pride of keeping essential services moving. With great benefits, job security, and a supportive team, it’s more than just a job, it’s a career with purpose. Apply now and drive the difference.

What’s the role?

As an HGV Driver in the Street Environmental Service team, you’ll play a key role in maintaining a clean and safe environment for residents. You’ll operate heavy goods vehicles to collect household, commercial and cleansing waste, working closely with loaders and other team members to ensure timely and efficient service delivery.

Your key responsibilities will be to safely operate HGV vehicles on designated collection routes while working collaboratively with loaders to ensure daily rounds are completed efficiently. You will carry out routine vehicle checks, promptly report any defects, and maintain full compliance with health and safety regulations and council policies. You will also engage respectfully with members of the public when required, representing the service with professionalism at all times.

What’s in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

What we’re looking for

You will have an eye for accuracy and can ensure quality and consistency of published digital content within the Council’s content management system. You will be keen to get involved in content creation, including directing messaging, editorial and tone of voice. Liaising and supporting service-based content editors to ensure webpages are accurate, kept up to date and serve our residents well, will be what you excel at, as well as having great people skills and experience of supporting and working alongside a diverse range of people.

We value individuals who are consistently reliable and punctual, bring a positive and supportive attitude to their team, and demonstrate strong attention to detail when carrying out vehicle checks and reporting issues. A firm commitment to maintaining high health and safety standards is also essential to ensuring the quality and safety of our service.

Location

Whilst the service is primarily based in Wearside Service Depot, we you may be required to work from other sites dependent on service requirements.

Special conditions

• A valid HGV Class 2 (Category C) licence.
• Driver CPC and digital tachograph card.
• A strong understanding of road safety and vehicle operation.
• The ability to work early mornings, in all weather conditions, and as part of a team.

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Michael Bryan - Service Group Manager - michael.bryan@lewisham.gov.uk

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£37,509 to £38,637 per annum (SC6)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email JobsAndSkills@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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