Senior/Principal Arboriculturist

Following its recent acquisition by SLR, Wardell Armstrong forms part of a leading global environmental and sustainability consultancy working on projects across the world from over 100 offices. Starting as a UK business in 1994, SLR now operates as a global company with more than 3,500 people, delivering client-focused solutions across Europe, North America, Pacific Asia, and Africa. Throughout this time SLR has strived to grow both organically and through welcoming other like-minded businesses, such as Wardell Armstrong, into its “One Team” of talented consultants. In doing so, its core objective is to assist clients and colleagues alike in “Making Sustainability Happen”.

The Opportunity:

Due to business growth, we have a new vacancy for an experienced Arboricultural Consultant, reporting to our Stoke office. The role can be based from one of the following locations: Stoke-On-Trent, Birmingham, London, Bolton, Cardiff, Bristol, or Bury St Edmunds, and includes hybrid home/office working.

We will also consider applications from BS 5837 survey experienced arboriculturists for a shorter fixed term and/or sub-contracting to assist with large scale project work within Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire.

Main Duties:

• BS 5837 surveys and preparing Technical Notes, Constraints & Opportunities reports, Impact Assessments, Method statements, and management plans.
• Undertaking site supervision works.
• Safety/risk surveys and preparing associated reports.
• Providing arboricultural advice to clients and attending client meetings.
• Assisting with preparing fee proposals and tenders.
• Assisting with quality assurance of reports and plans.

We primarily undertake BS 5837 work, which has resulted in interesting and stimulating work: specifying and managing mature tree translocations; the supervision of tree protection measures; the installation of no-dig roads; and undertaking airspade root investigation supervision. We also undertake tree safety/risk management consultancy work, from inspections of a single tree through to large scale surveys and the production of tree risk management strategies. We have a team of five Arboriculturists based over four of our offices and undertake work over the whole of the UK.

Qualifications:

• A minimum qualification in arboriculture and/or urban forestry to Level 4 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).
• Good tree and shrub and pest and disease identification skills.
• Good understanding of tree biology, tree biomechanics, and decay fungi and how these affect risk and lifespan.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Experience of BS 5837 survey and reporting work, including the use of surveying equipment and software.

Desirable Requirements:

• LANTRA Professional Tree Inspection qualification.
• Trained in the use of tree risk management systems such as QTRA or VALID.
• Knowledge and/or experience of woodland management.
• Technical or Professional membership of the Arboricultural Association or be a member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters or be willing to work towards these.

Career Progression:

We offer excellent career prospects in a supportive working environment with no restrictions on how far you can progress. We encourage all of our employees to contribute to their professional institution and offer a financial award for chartership.

Amongst other benefits, WA also provides a bespoke training and mentoring programme for all grades, tailored to suit an individual’s needs. Training is provided internally as well as from external sources where needed.

We offer:

• Membership of the Firm's Group Personal Pension Plan, with Employer's contribution of up to 5%.
• Payment of relevant professional subscriptions.
• 24 days annual leave per year.
• Membership to the Firm's Private Health Care Scheme.
• Critical Illness cover up to £40,000.
• Inclusion in the Firm's Life Assurance Policy given as 3 times annual salary.
• Mobile Phone with inclusive tariff including personal usage and Laptop.
• Flexitime Working Schedule.
• Part-time working hours considered.
• Hybrid home/office working.
• Long service awards.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Travel Loans.
• Recruitment Bounty Scheme.