LEAD TREE TRIMMER

City of Columbia, South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Columbia, South Carolina is seeking a Forestry Crew Supervisor to lead pruning and removal of trees in city rights-of-way and on City property. You will supervise crew members, operate trucks and felling equipment, and ensure safety and quality standards.

This role requires physical stamina, experience with heavy machinery, and the ability to follow and enforce procedures while occasionally training staff.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Four years of relevant prior experience.
• Ability to obtain a valid South Carolina Class B Driver’s License within eight months.
• Ability to operate heavy machinery and equipment such as tree felling equipment.

Responsibilities

• Prunes or removes trees in City rights-of-way and on other properties as directed.
• Drives and operates trucks and bucket truck; OS chain saws, wood chippers, stump grinders and related tools.
• Climbs trees with ropes and saddles when necessary.
• Loads/unloads materials; cleans debris at work sites; inspects and maintains equipment.
• Supervises and coordinates work of crew; trains and assigns tasks; ensures safety and quality standards.
• Assists in supervision of forestry section and pre-employment interviews.
• Attends trainings to enhance job knowledge and skills.

Skills

Machinery operation

Leadership

Problem solving

Reading/writing comprehension

Guidance to others

Math literacy

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

This position provides leadership and participates in the work of crews engaged in trimming and removing trees in City rights-of-way and on other City properties; and performs other work as required. The incumbent works according to some procedures but decides how or when to do things; work is reviewed regularly by supervisor.

The work is considered heavy in nature and involves constantly lifting, pushing or raising objects, exerting between 50 and 75 pounds of force on a recurring basis and over 100 pounds of force on a frequent basis. The work requires the following physical abilities to perform the essential job functions: balancing, climbing, crawling, crouching, fingering, handling, hearing, kneeling, lifting, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, and walking.

Work environment may involve exposure to bright/dim light, dusts and pollen, extreme heat and/or cold, wet or humid conditions, extreme noise levels, vibration, traffic, moving machinery, electrical shock, heights; and spends time working in a physically threatening environment that requires life and death decisions.

• Prunes or removes trees in City rights-of-way and on other properties as directed;
• Drives and operates trucks and bucket truck; operates specialized tree felling equipment, small and large chain saws, wood chippers stump grinders and other tools and equipment as necessary to complete assigned duties;
• Climbs trees with ropes and saddles when necessary;
• Loads / unloads materials onto vehicles;
• Cleans and removes debris from work sites;
• Inspects equipment to ensure proper and safe working condition; reports defects or required maintenance to the supervisor;
• Performs routine maintenance and cleaning of assigned tools and equipment;
• Supervises the proper maintenance of department tools and equipment;
• Assists in supervision of subordinate team members. Supervisory duties include instructing; assigning, reviewing and planning work of others; maintaining standards; coordinating activities; acting on employee problems; and recommending employee discipline;
• Reviews the work of subordinates for completeness and accuracy; evaluates and makes recommendations as appropriate; offers training, advice and assistance as needed;
• Assists in supervision of installation, construction, maintenance and/or repair work in assigned City department / division;
• Inspects infrastructure, facilities and/or grounds for maintenance needs; initiates and assists in scheduling maintenance and repair work as necessary;
• Determines the type and quantity of equipment, materials and supplies needed for assigned projects; orders supplies and materials;
• Coordinates the use of available equipment for maximum utility and convenience;
• Assists in ensuring crew compliance with all policies and procedures and standards of quality and safety;
• Assists in supervisory of forestrysection;
• Assists in pre-employment interviews;
• Attends training as required to enhance job knowledge and skills; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• High school diploma or GED;
• Four (4) years of relevant prior experience;
• Have or be able to obtain a valid South Carolina Class “B” Driver’s License within eight (8) months from the date of hire or promotion;

• Knowledge of addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and/or calculating ratios, rates and percentages;
• Ability to compare or inspect items against a standard;
• Ability to provide information, guidance or assistance to people to directly facilitate task accomplishment; may give directions or assignments to helpers or assistants;
• Ability to lead, operate or repair complex machinery or equipment that requires extended training and experience, such as tree felling equipment, heavy equipment, power tools, etc.;
• Ability to perform skilled work involving rules/systems with almost constant problem-solving;
• Ability to read routine sentences, instructions, regulations, procedures or work orders; writing routine sentences and completing routine job forms and incident reports; speaking routine sentences using proper grammar;
• Ability to perform clerical, manual or technical tasks prescribed by standard practices but which may require computation, the use of several procedures, and the use of independent judgments with obvious choices; requires normal attention for accurate results; and
• Ability to guide others, requiring frequent decisions affecting co-workers and others who depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but with many variations from the routine.