Building jobs in Newton Abbot

About Earth Wrights

At Earth Wrights, we believe great things happen when passionate people come together around a shared purpose. For over 30 years, we have designed and built inspiring natural play spaces that connect children with nature, spark imaginations, and bring communities together.

Based out of our woodland workshop in Dartington, Devon, we combine skilled craftsmanship, sustainable materials, and a love of the outdoors to build bespoke, lasting play environments. We work as a collaborative, supportive crew, looking out for each other on site and continually improving how we work using Lean and 5S principles.

Overview of the Role

As a Landscape Constructor, you will be an essential, hands-on member of our build team, turning natural play designs into physical reality. You will split your time roughly 50% on site building outdoor landscapes and installing play structures, and 50% at our Dartington workshop preparing timber components, assembling structures, and loading materials.

This role is centered on the physical craft of shaping landscapes: forming contours and mounds, laying paths, installing timber edging, planting trees, and erecting unique wooden play equipment.

What This Role Is (and Isn't):

• It is: Creative, physical landscape construction, earth sculpting, path-laying, planting, and natural timber structure assembly.
• It is not: Routine domestic garden maintenance (lawn mowing/hedge cutting), deep sewer civils, or road tarmac/highway kerbing.

Key Responsibilities1. Landscape Construction & Ground Shaping (On Site)

• Earth Shaping & Mounding: Dig, grade, mound, and sculpt ground contours to match technical layout drawings and play specifications.
• Hard Landscaping: Construct pedestrian pathways, install timber borders and retainers, place natural boulders, and construct sandpits.
• Soft Landscaping: Prepare topsoil, lay turf, plant trees, shrubs, and sensory planting schemes that integrate naturally with play equipment.
• Surfacing Preparation: Assist with drainage layers, stone sub-bases, and ground prep ready for impact-absorbing play surfacing (e.g., bonded rubber mulch, grass mats, woodchip, or sand).
• Plant Operation: Safely operate site machinery where certified (e.g., 360 mini-excavators, site dumpers, telehandlers, or loaders) under the direction of the Site Supervisor.

2. Play Equipment Assembly & Workshop Preparation

• Workshop Timber Prep: Measure, cut, sand, and pre-assemble timber components and play features in our Dartington workshop.
• On-Site Installation: Erect wooden play equipment, decks, posts, and boundary fencing safely and accurately.
• Site Setup & 5S: Assist with loading tools, plant, and bespoke timber structures into vehicles; maintain a clean, tidy, and safe workshop using 5S standards.

3. Safety, Quality & Teamwork

• Health & Safety: Follow site-specific Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS), wear appropriate PPE, and maintain vigilance around live excavations and moving machinery.
• Quality Standards: Maintain high craftsmanship, ensuring installations are structurally sound, free of sharp edges or entrapment hazards, and aligned with RoSPA safety principles.
• Crew Collaboration: Work constructively alongside our Site Supervisors, operatives, and specialist subcontractors, maintaining a supportive, respectful team atmosphere.

RequirementsEssential

• Practical Experience: Minimum 2–3 years’ hands-on experience in hard/soft landscaping, landscape construction, or related site trades.
• Soft Landscaping & Horticulture: Strong practical experience in plant identification, soil care, turfing, and executing soft planting schemes.
• Ground Skills: Proven competency in ground preparation, setting out levels, path construction, and mounding.
• Physical Capability: Comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions, carrying out demanding physical tasks with pride in the finished product.
• Team Player: Clear communicator who works well in a collaborative, non-hierarchical crew environment.
• Licence & Travel Flexibility: Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel nationally with regular overnight stays during installation weeks (accommodation and meal allowances fully paid).

Desirable (Higher starting pay available for these skills)

• Machine Tickets: NPORS or CPCS tickets for 360 excavator, forward-tipping dumper, telehandler, or loader.
• Carpentry/Timber Skills: Experience in outdoor carpentry, fencing, decking, or timber framing.
• Health & Safety Tickets: CSCS card, emergency first aid at work, or SSSTS.

Career Growth & Progression

For motivated candidates, this position provides a direct pathway into a Site Supervisor role. Earth Wrights provides ongoing internal mentoring and funded qualifications—including plant tickets, RoSPA operational play safety awareness, advanced carpentry skills, and SSSTS certifications.

Reports to: Site Supervisor / Project Delivery Manager (PDM)

Compensation: £28,700 to £32,000 per year (£13.00 to £14.50/hr), with rates up to £16.00/hr (£35,360/year) for multi-ticketed machine operators or highly skilled timber craftspeople. Based on a 42.5 hour working week.

Additional Benefits: Fully covered company transport, individual hotel accommodation, and daily subsistence meal allowances during away-build weeks; 28 days paid holiday; workplace pension; funded training and ticket upgrades.

Location: Dartington, Devon (Regular travel and overnight stays required for site installations)

Position Type: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £28,700.00-£32,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person