Tree Officer

North Northamptonshire Council; Kettering; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme with life cover

Flexible working arrangements

Generous leave entitlement

Employee benefits scheme

Job summary

North Northamptonshire Council is recruiting an Arboricultural Officer to provide expert advice on trees, landscapes and environmental matters across North Northamptonshire. The role involves managing Tree Preservation Orders, assessing planning applications, and carrying out site inspections to protect and enhance the local environment.

The post offers a challenging, rewarding career with opportunities for professional development and cross-team collaboration in a high-growth area.

Qualifications

• Arboriculture qualification at Level 4 or equivalent.
• Thorough understanding of Tree Preservation Order and related legislation.
• Knowledge of landscape principles, practice and law.
• Ability to provide technical arboricultural advice to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional arboricultural advice to support planning decisions.
• Manage Tree Preservation Orders and assess works to protected trees.
• Undertake tree inspections, site visits and condition assessments.
• Investigate tree-related complaints and support environmental projects.
• Contribute to policy development and planning guidance.
• Collaborate with residents, developers and parish councils to protect the environment.

Skills

Arboriculture

Tree Preservation Orders

Site inspections

Planning advice

Education

QCF Diploma in Arboriculture (Level 4)

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Outlook

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Kettering

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28days, rising to 33days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About the role

Protecting our natural environment and shaping greener communities.

North Northamptonshire Council is a productof local government reorganisation which took place across Northamptonshire in 2021. We have brought together the four former district and borough and county Local Planning Authority planning functions and are working through a transformation programme to create a single high-performing planning service for North Northamptonshire.

North Northamptonshire is a high-growth area offering an exciting opportunity for professional development. We are delivering multiple sustainable urban extensions in differing phases of development, plus smaller scales of development across the majority of our towns and villages; we also contain a wealth of large commercial and industrial developments with pressure for more proposals on the forecast. We are also tasked with protecting and enhancing our high-quality rural and urban environments within over 100 attractive towns and villages and beautiful countryside passed by the Nene river.

This is a role that can offer a breadth of opportunities to utilise your knowledge and experience, and develop your career, in a job that is both challenging and rewarding.

We are seeking a dedicated Arboricultural Officer to provide expert advice on trees, landscapes and environmental matters across North Northamptonshire. This varied role involves managing Tree Preservation Orders, advising on planning and other applications, undertaking site inspections, supporting environmental projects and helping to develop policies that protect and enhance our natural and built environment.

What will you be doing?

We are looking for an Arboricultural officer to provide expert advice on trees, landscapes and environmental matters across North Northamptonshire. The role includes managing Tree Preservation Orders, assessing tree work applications, undertaking site inspections, investigating complaints, and supporting planning policies and environmental projects that help protect and enhance our natural environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide professional arboricultural advice to support planning and development decisions.
• Manage Tree Preservation Orders and assess applications for works to protected trees.
• Undertake tree inspections, site visits and condition assessments.
• Investigate tree-related complaints, including High Hedges and unauthorised works.
• Support environmental projects, placemaking initiatives and Rights of Way matters.
• Represent the Council on tree and landscape matters at appeals and hearings.
• Contribute to the development of policies, strategies and planning guidance.
• Work collaboratively with residents, developers, parish councils and other stakeholders to protect and enhance the local environment.

About you

• Hold an arboriculture qualification eg. QCF Diploma at level 4 in Arboriculture – or equivalent.
• Thorough understanding of Tree Preservation Order, Conservation Area, High Hedge Legislation and associated tree and landscape legislation and procedures.
• Detailed knowledge of tree and landscape principles, practice and law.
• Providing technical advice to a range of audiences on trees and landscape principles, practice and law.
• Working with a range of bodies to promote trees and landscape maintenance and care.
• Preparation of tree and landscape policy and related publications including guidance notes and SPDs.
• Experience of using computer databases, and Microsoft packages such as PowerPoint, Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Ability to make decisions using own initiative and take responsibility for actions that will impact on the activities of others.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to work under pressure, balance competing workloads and handle complex/difficult situations
• Full driving licence/access to own transport.
• Enthusiastic, Adaptable and flexible.
• Able to work as part of a team and with members of other professions and customers within and outside of the Council and also work using own initiative.
• The ability to carry out site visits or investigations on a variety of outdoor locations including domestic properties, overgrown land, and building sites.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)