Arborist Tech I

City and County of Denver; Denver, Northern (CO, KY); Hybrid; USD 53,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

A pension and 457B plan

PTO and holidays

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Wellness day and volunteer day

Job summary

City and County of Denver’s Denver Parks and Recreation is hiring an Arborist Technician I to support urban forestry. The role covers pruning, planting, pest/disease identification, and basic maintenance using ropes, saddles, and a range of equipment.

Safety, accuracy, and community interaction are essential as you work in the Greater Denver area. Applicants should have a high school diploma or GED, six months of tree-care experience, and a valid CDL-B with EHAP and First Aid/CPR by probation

Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from high school or GED or equivalent.
• Six (6) months of experience in tree identification, pruning, and removal.
• Valid driver’s license and CDL Class B with endorsements by end of probation.
• EHAP, First Aid/CPR by end of probation; ISA Tree Worker Climber or Aerial Lift cert within 18 months.

Responsibilities

• prune dead, diseased, or damaged limbs using rope, saddle, and hand tools.
• perform plant health care, insect and disease identification, and treatments.
• operate heavy equipment (aerial tower, trucks, loaders, chippers) safely.
• maintain records, take samples for lab analysis, and prepare reports.
• observe safety rules and manage traffic control around work areas.

Skills

Tree identification

Pruning & removals

Rope & saddle work

Aerial lift operations

Microsoft Excel

Public interaction

Safety protocols

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Tree Keeper

Aerial lift equipment

Chainsaw

Rigging gear

Heavy equipment operation

Job description

## Arborist Tech IApply: Greater Denver Area: Full time: Posted Yesterday: End Date: October 28, 2026 (13 days left to apply): R0083463# About Our JobWith competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. **What We Offer** The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The hiring range for this position is $25.30 - $29.00/hour. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:* A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service* 457B Retirement Plan* 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 wellness day and 1 volunteer day per year* Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date**Location**In this position you can expect to work in-person, five days a week, starting at our Forestry Headquarters (945 S. Huron St., Denver, CO 80223). This position will work Monday-Friday, 6:30AM – 3:00PM.## **Who We Are & What You’ll Do** Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) recognizes the importance of diversity in the representation of our organization to best serve our customers and community. To that end, DPR is committed to:* Examining department policies and processes that value diverse perspectives and eliminate barriers to inclusion* Identifying where inequities exist and implementing strategies to ensure equitable outcomes* Strengthening diversity in Parks and Recreation services by transforming policies to institutionalize equity* Reinvesting in resources aimed at ensuring DPR is an equitable and just organizationDenver Parks and Recreation is seeking an Arborist Technician I to perform general forestry work to support Denver’s urban forest. This includes tree climbing, pruning, planting, transplanting, watering, fertilizing, tree removal, insect/disease identification, pesticide application, and inventory. Job duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:· Prune dead, diseased, or broken limbs from trees utilizing rope and saddle, chain, hand saw, and other related equipment involved in large tree care (more than 70’) and small tree maintenance· Perform plant health care duties as assigned· Perform duties related to tree maintenance including insect and disease identification and control, removals, pruning, planting, stumping, cabling/bracing, watering/fertilizing, and pesticide application· Observe and follow safety rules and regulations· Inspect and identify tree diseases and insects of the area distinguishing between biotic and abiotic conditions such as beneficial insects and environmental stress which is frequent in the Denver area· Operate a wide variety of heavy mechanized equipment in pruning and removing trees and shrubbery, including a mobile aerial tower unit, log loader trucks, tandem trucks, crane trucks, water trucks, trash trucks, front end loaders, skid steers, tractors, stump grinders and chippers· Ensure proper preparation and application of pesticides with high velocity spray and soil injection equipment· Place and remove barricade, cones, and other traffic control and safety devices in and around work area. May act as a traffic safety flagger position to temporarily control vehicular and pedestrian traffic in and around the work area· Maintain records and prepare daily activity reports· Take samples from diseased or insect infested trees for laboratory analysis· Perform preventative maintenance and basic repair on equipment· Perform snow removal operations as needed**What You’ll Bring** We are looking for an up-and-coming professional arborist with enthusiasm and passion for arboriculture and tree maintenance who is eager to learn and develop their skills. The ideal candidate will be adept at ensuring safety and resourcefulness and will have strong skills for interacting positively with the public. Additionally, our ideal candidate will have:**Our ideal candidate will have:*** Experience with Tree Keeper (tree inventory program) and Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook* Experience with rope and saddle, aerial lift apparatus, technical rigging, advanced pruning, and removals **Required Minimum Qualifications** · Education: Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET or TASC Certificate· Experience: Six (6) months of experience in tree identification, diagnosis, and management of abiotic and biotic plant stresses and tree pruning and removing techniques utilizing rope and saddle, chainsaw, handsaw, and other related equipment involved in tree maintenance· Licensures/Certification(s): This job requires driving. Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Requires the following licenses or certifications by the end of the probation period:· Valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) \"B\" with appropriate endorsements· Emergency Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) certification· First Aid/CPR certification International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist or Aerial Lift Specialist certification is required within 18 months of hire. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment· Equivalency: A combination of appropriate education and experience may be substituted for the minimum education and experience requirements**Application Deadline** This position is expected to stay open until Tuesday, October 27th . Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than 11:59 p.m. on 10/27/2026.