Estate Supervisor

The National Trust For Scotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Trust For Scotland is seeking an experienced Estate Supervisor to lead the estate team at Mar Lodge. You will oversee maintenance across buildings, utilities, tracks, forestry and farmland infrastructure, ensuring compliance and safe operations.

Based at Mar Lodge Estate, you will work with the ecology, conservation, and visitor services teams to deliver a landscape plan and keep assets well managed, while promoting nature recovery across Scotland's largest National Nature Reserve.

Responsibilities

• Planning: Manage maintenance and compliance master sheets so that all works are planned according to priority, recorded in terms of progress and accurate costings tracked.
• Building Maintenance: Carrying out property condition/safety and fire safety checks and inspections in line with Safe Systems of Work.
• Forestry interventions: Plan felling and thinning rotation in accordance with the Mar Lodge Estate management objectives and long-term forest plan in conjunction with the ecology team.
• Infrastructure maintenance and compliance: Oversee operation and maintenance of infrastructure on the estate, including roads, bridges, private water supplies, district heat network, solar panels, sewage treatment and biomass heating system.
• Asset Control: Keep an inventory of all estate tools, plant, vehicles and equipment and ensure they are securely stored and audited periodically
• Grounds/Farmland maintenance: Work with the estate manager, conservation manager and the visitor services manager to update and deliver a landscape plan for the Mar Lodge Policies/designated landscape.
• Health and Safety: Prepare risk assessments for all activities undertaken by the estate team in accordance with Health & Safety legislation tasks.
• Advocacy: Contribute where appropriate to Trust membership recruitment.

Job description

Job Purpose

The Estate Supervisor will lead the estate team at Mar Lodge. The role will primarily involve responsibility for delivering all aspects of estate maintenance, including buildings and utilities, vehicles, tracks, forestry and farmland infrastructure. We are therefore looking for a candidate who is highly organised with general abilities who values working within a flexible and supportive team culture, and who would uphold the values of the Trust. The ideal candidate will be passionate about promoting nature recovery in the largest National Nature Reserve in Britain.

Context

Mar Lodge Estate is made up of more than 29,000 hectares of inspiring Scottish landscape: heather covered moorland, Caledonian pine forest, towering mountains and the Quoich wetlands, home to wading birds and otters. There are 15 Munros here, including 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the UK. The wild beauty of Mar Lodge Estate unfolds around our 19th century shooting lodge, which is used for both holiday accommodation and events. The beautiful ancient pinewoods that surround the Lodge are home to red squirrels and pine martens as well as birds such as the crossbill and black grouse. We have a wide range of landscape conservation projects underway, including woodland regeneration through deer reduction, footpath repair and peatland restoration.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Planning
  • Manage maintenance and compliance master sheets so that all works are planned according to priority, recorded in terms of progress and accurate costings tracked.
• Building Maintenance
  • Carrying out property condition/safety and fire safety checks and inspections in line with Safe Systems of Work.
  • Identifying, initiating and monitoring contractor repair work, both in house and by external contractors, in line with contractor management procedures, and legislation.
  • Maintaining on-line records in relation to the elements above to ensure compliance with legislation.
• Forestry interventions
  • Plan felling and thinning rotation in accordance with the Mar Lodge Estate management objectives and long-term forest plan in conjunction with the ecology team. The estate supervisor will be involved in the periodic review of the aforementioned documents.
  • Manage thinning, timber harvesting and transport operations. Manage the periodic safety inspections of trees and any subsequent necessary interventions.
• Infrastructure maintenance and compliance
  • Oversee operation and maintenance of infrastructure on the estate, including roads, bridges, private water supplies, district heat network, solar panels, sewage treatment and biomass heating system.
• Asset Control
  • Keep an inventory of all estate tools, plant, vehicles and equipment and ensure they are securely stored and audited periodically
• Grounds/Farmland maintenance
  • Work with the estate manager, conservation manager and the visitor services manager to update and deliver a landscape plan for the Mar Lodge Policies/designated landscape.
  • Provide practical support on the delivery of conservation projects, such as peatland restoration.
  • Erect and maintain fencing, manage conservation hay meadows and wetland interventions, manage hedgerows, manage formal lawns and garden shrubbery.
• Health and Safety
  • Prepare risk assessments for all activities undertaken by the estate team in accordance with Health & Safety legislation tasks. Record and report accidents, incidents and near misses as appropriate.
  • In conjunction with others (Estate Manager, VSM, NTS H&S Team), prepare Fire Risk Assessments for estate buildings. Lead on delivery of remedial actions. Other necessary H&S administration (COSHH, HAVs recording, etc).
  • In line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff/volunteers and visitors in compliance with legislation.
• Advocacy
  • Contribute where appropriate to Trust membership recruitment.