Tree Survey Officer

At Lancaster City Council we aim to have a diverse workforce that is representative of the district that we serve, and provide a working environment where each employee feels able to bring their whole self to work. We welcome applications from all sections of our community and provide several supportive and inclusive workplace networks and safe spaces for employees to feel connected. Our workplace wellbeing strategy drives our commitment to staff wellbeing initiatives and ensuring that our organisation is a great place to work for all.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Tree Survey Officer to join the Grounds Maintenance team. We require someone who is self-motivated to survey and record the all the Council's tree stock.

Candidates must have experience of:

Knowledge and identification of tree species
Pest and disease identification
Tree risk assessment
Comfortable with using computerised mapping and inventory systems.
Candidates must have the minimum of a level 3 arboricultural qualification.
You will be responsible for carrying out routine and cyclic inspections of trees under the Council's ownership, to identify defects which pose a risk to parks, open spaces and service users. The role is integral to ensuring compliance with the tree inspection policy and guidance, protecting people and assets, and defending the Council against third party claims. You will also be required to report on and assess all ash trees for ash dieback.

You must possess good communication skills, have the ability to learn quickly and undertake a range of duties with minimum of supervision.

You will need to make judgements on the risk posed by a tree and how that risk is communicated. Ensuring each tree is surveyed, logged and mapped using GIS systems. Working outdoors for long periods of time in all weather conditions is also part of the role. The role requires you to do a lot of walking and driving on a daily basis in different parts of Lancashire.

Making accurate records and working to strict guidance and timescales are also major requirements of the role. You may be required to interact with the public and help with dealing with customer queries and complaints, and also provide evidence for claim investigations.

The nature of the position means that inevitably you will be required to work in all weather conditions. Personal Protective Equipment will be provided. The successful candidate will need to be calm under pressure and be easily adaptable to changing environment while focussing on deadlines.

A full current UK driving licence is essential as this role entails travelling from site to site, surveying the councils tree stock. As a result, you will be required to sign up to the authorised external DVLA driving licence validation organisation that we use to manage and monitor our employees' driving licence data., You will identify with our organisational values of Pride, Ownership, Working Together and Ambition., Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

This post is permanent. The hours of work will be 37 hours per week, working 5 days out of 7 on a shift rota basis, however you will be required to work other shift patterns in line with the business needs, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays. You will be based at White Lund Depot.

The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced clearance with the Disclosure and Barring Service., Lancaster is a great place to work, as well as being part of something special you will also benefit from:

Generous annual leave allowance
Local Government Pension Scheme
A range of employee benefits including discounted gym membership, cycle to work scheme, the opportunity to purchase extra time off, as well as discounts on days out, activities and retail.

Lancaster City Council has unanimously declared a climate emergency and will therefore work towards reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030. As part of this role, you will be expected to participate and work towards reducing both carbon emissions and the impacts of climate change.