About the job
Some key information
- This role offers hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home or from our office in Yeovil
- 30 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays)
- Progression/development opportunities
- Permanent contract, 37 hours per week
What will I be doing?
Acting as Tree Officer, within the Placemaking & Projects Team comprising; Landscape, Trees, Design & Heritage and working closely with colleagues in the Development Management, Forward Plans and Enforcement teams, as well as other environmental specialists, your main duties are:
- To provide arboricultural advice to the Development Management team and other internal and external customers working within appropriate timescales
- To review, interpret and advise on specialist arboricultural reports, guidance, planning policy and legislation
- To maintain and seek to advance knowledge, competency and best practice across a range of arboricultural matters
- To work with other teams across the council to address the council’s recently declared Climate and Ecological Emergency.
The team currently has a busy workload dealing with an area benefiting from a rich pool of landscape assets including in excess of 2,000 Tree Preservation Orders and 181 conservation areas.
The area is varied in character and stretches from the Exmoor National Park and the Bristol Channel to the border of Devon and Dorset, Mendip Hills and the National Landscape of Cranborne Chase.
What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?
To be successful in this role, you’ll ideally have;
- Comprehensive working knowledge of arboricultural theory and practice including tree identification, tree biology, pathology, biomechanics, physiology and trees in relation to the law.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to provide expert advice to colleagues, stakeholders, other agencies and members of the public on all arboricultural matters.
- The skills to work individually, with others and as part of a wider team.
- Experience developing tree survey and inspection methodology, and monitoring outcomes.
- Experience managing tree stocks and the assessment of trees and prescribing appropriate arboriculture management.
- Understanding of the current issues and biological threats facing trees.
- Experience of serving and assessing requests for Tree Preservation Orders, dealing with Notifications for dead and dangerous trees and hedgerow removal, as well as planning consultations for trees on development sites.
- Good working knowledge of local and national guidance including industry best practice publications and current relevant British Standards.
You’ll need to be enthusiastic, knowledgeable, collaborative and customer focused, in line with our high standards within the section and the Council.
What's in it for me?
We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset. We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:
- We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
- Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
- Staff discounts in gyms.
- Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
- Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
- A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
- My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more…
Anything else I should know?
The salary for the role is Grade 10, ranging from £34,834 to £39,186 per annum.
For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Fiona Webb via email at fiona.webb@somerset.gov.uk
When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment. If you have everything you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Closing date: 18 September, 2024
Job Role Description
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