Arboriculture Service Lead

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 5,500 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

West Midlands Pension Fund

30 days annual leave

My Rewards Scheme

Health and wellbeing support

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking an experienced Arboriculture Service Lead to shape the future of Birmingham’s trees, woodlands and green spaces. In this strategic leadership role, you’ll lead the Tree Management Service, oversee major contracts and budgets, and drive delivery of the Urban Forest Master Plan.

This permanent role offers a grade 6 salary (£54,495–£64,811) and a 36.5-hour week, with opportunities to influence sustainability, biodiversity and community wellbeing across the city.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in arboriculture, forestry, or environmental management.
• Strong leadership, project management, and financial management skills.
• Experience managing contracts and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of legislation, urban forestry, and environmental sustainability.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Birmingham’s Tree Management Service and specialist teams.
• Drive city-wide arboriculture and woodland management programmes.
• Deliver the Urban Forest Master Plan and sustainability objectives.
• Manage contracts, budgets, and key stakeholder relationships.
• Use data and GIS insights to support decision-making and service improvement.
• Champion community engagement and promote the benefits of urban forestry.

Skills

Arboriculture experience

Leadership

Project management

Contract management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Job description

Permanent

Grade 6 - £54,495 - £64,811

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review

Working 36.5 hours per week

We’re looking for an experienced and passionate Arboriculture Service Lead to shape the future of Birmingham’s trees, woodlands, and green spaces. In this strategic leadership role, you’ll lead the Tree Management Service, oversee major contracts and budgets, and drive delivery of the city’s ambitious Urban Forest Master Plan.

This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on Birmingham’s green infrastructure, supporting environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and community wellbeing across the city.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Birmingham’s Tree Management Service and specialist teams.
• Drive city-wide arboriculture and woodland management programmes.
• Deliver the Urban Forest Master Plan and sustainability objectives.
• Manage contracts, budgets, and key stakeholder relationships.
• Use data and GIS insights to support decision-making and service improvement.
• Champion community engagement and promote the benefits of urban forestry.

What You’ll Need

We’re looking for a commercially minded leader with experience in:

• Significant experience in arboriculture, forestry, or environmental management.
• Strong leadership, project management, and financial management skills.
• Experience managing contracts and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, urban forestry, and environmental sustainability.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.

Join us and play a leading role in protecting, enhancing, and growing Birmingham’s urban forest for future generations. You’ll have the opportunity to make a visible impact on the city’s environment, biodiversity, and communities while being part of a supportive and inclusive organisation committed to helping people thrive.

What We Offer In Return

• Membership of West Midlands Pension Fund – with generous employer contributions
• Enhanced Holiday Entitlement – 30 days, increasing with length of service
• My Rewards Scheme – access to over 800 brands providing discounts and savings
• Health and wellbeing support – independent and confidential employee assistance and counselling

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Birmingham City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our citizens and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. You can view our Corporate Safeguarding Policy | Birmingham City Council here.

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.