Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is passionate about providing high-quality services to our communities, residents and businesses. This means we must employ and retain the most talented and dedicated people.
Situated within the heart of the Cambridge-Peterborough Growth Area, Huntingdonshire is a beautiful district that boasts thriving market towns and many attractive villages, each with its own identity. We are an innovative and forward-thinking local authority whose residents are at the heart of our decision-making.
At HDC we want to employ staff who embody our icare values (Inspiring, Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful, Enterprising), all of which support our ultimate purpose of putting our customers first.
Job details
We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate with a degree (or similar in Arboriculture or related subject) and a passion for protecting and enhancing tree populations.
With demonstrable knowledge of and experience in providing advice on tree matters, the Arboricultural Officer will help to create, protect and enhance the district's environment through the provision of specialist technical advice.
You will have relevant experience of providing specialist arboricultural advice in relation to all scales of development proposals and will work alongside a range of planning professionals and other specialists as part of a busy and supportive team. The ability to effectively negotiate with applicants is key and you will have experience of working with a range of external stakeholders.
This role will require you to have an in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation surrounding protected trees, planning and associated environmental matters and be able to effectively apply this to a range of situations.
You will be confident at interpretating and explaining complex arboricultural matters and using your experience to effectively represent the organisation at formal hearings, inquiries and provide support to the council's Enforcement Team during investigations.
We are looking for an individual with experience of tree assessment and surveying, who can review technical arboricultural information and make accurate judgements in relation to tree management in a range of situations.
Managing arboricultural projects will form part of the role and you will be lead on a range of actions agreed under the council's Tree Strategy, along with providing updates on the progress of tasks and explaining any proposed changes to Authority Members and senior officers. An in-depth understanding of the making and management of protected trees is essential and you will have experience of assessing applications and notifications for tree works, as well as ensuring replanting is undertaken.
As a customer facing service, you will need to have the confidence, skill and expertise to liaise with a range of parties, groups and individuals. You must be able to communicate effectively and clearly, both verbally and in writing with applicants, colleagues, Authority Members and local communities on tree related matters.
The ability to organise your workload and work independently in the face of competing priorities is an essential requirement, together with well developed IT and record-keeping skills.
This role will require you to be present at site visits and you must be comfortable working in various locations as well as being partly office-based. You must possess a valid UK driving licence.
An offer of employment is conditional upon having the right to work in the UK. Huntingdonshire District Council does not hold a Sponsorship Licence and are unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or take over sponsorship for any role.
View the job description [PDF, 0.7MB].
Apply
The closing date is 9am 29 October 2024 and interviews will be held the week commencing 7 October 2024.
However, this is a rolling campaign and we'll be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and will close the advert early should we receive suitable applications, so please don't delay in applying!
For many of our roles (and where it is possible) we are currently working remotely and anticipate in the future returning to a hybrid office model on a flexible basis. This will still include work-from-home and flexi-time opportunities to provide a good work-life balance whilst ensuring that teams benefit from in-person interaction. Candidates should therefore be within commutable distance of our offices in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire or able to attend meetings as required if further afield.
Should you have any additional questions regarding submitting an application, please contact the Recruitment Team at recruitment@huntingdonshire.gov.uk.
Please note that the official closing date is as above, and will be the correct date. Some third-party websites may have different dates. Please refer to the HDC website for the official closing date to ensure you do not miss out on applying.
Working for the council
As an employer who values diversity of thought, we seek to employ candidates from a range of backgrounds in order to make our organisation more innovative. We are seeking candidates who are looking for their next career opportunity and are supportive employers, enabling our staff to work in an environment that produces high standards of work in an employee-led environment.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our recruitment and along with our values we are committed to creating an inclusive working environment, where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community and we offer a range of benefits, including flexitime, to encourage a work-life balance.
View our benefits.