Lead Forester

Job description

The main purpose of the role is to lead a two-person forestry team and to organise, supervise and implement day-to-day forestry tasks such as harvesting, planting and maintenance. The Lead Forester will deal with operational health and safety which includes risk assessment, maintenance of machinery and supervision of staff and contractors. The role will be outdoors approximately four days a week with one office day to keep records up to date.

The Lead Forester will report to the Head of Forestry who will provide direction, support and feedback through regular meetings and take responsibility for strategic and long-term planning and monitor tasks and their quality.

The Lead Forester has a key role in improving standards, efficiency and safety and for suggesting, developing and implementing new ideas and ways of working.

Key r esponsibilities

The Lead Forester o rganises the work of the Eaton forestry team and contractors to deliver annual work programme identified primarily in the woodland management pl an, operational plans and grant schemes. They will ensure that the team is correctly resourced day to day and the team understand what work is required of them. Contractors are used when required to support the team.

The Lead Forester has a key leadership role and will also be part of a team which delivers the practical management and maintenance of Eaton' s trees, woodland and landscape. These duties include felling and extraction of timber to meet the annual harvesting programme. Other key forestry work areas are building forest roads, planting and mechanical drainage.

Work with the Head of Forestry to develop team ethic and spirit. Undertake annual Performance Development Reviews with the Eaton team and give constructive feedback to individuals and the team on a regular basis on good and poor performance . Work with the t eam to raise standards.

Ensure that time and cost details of key jobs are recorded in a format that can be used by the H ead of Forestry to manage resources .

Contribute to the annual budgeting round.

C omply with c ompany policy and best practice in security, legal and regu latory compliance.

E nsure H&S responsibilities are fulfilled:

• Ha ve responsibility for your personal safety and be accountable for staff under your authority, including others who may be affected by the organisation ' s activities.
• Ensure all employees and contractors are suitably trained/competent to carry out the prescribed tasks and that the necessary licenses/certificates of competence are in force and appropriate . Ensuring that significant risks and relevant Grosven or procedures are communicated.
• Specific responsibility for selecting competent contractors following the Grosvenor contractor selection process and departmental guidance.
• Plan enough time for work to be done in a healthy and safe way.

C omplete any other dutie s as required from time to time .

Essential skills and attributes

It is essential that the Lead Forester is able to balance their day-to-day practical tasks such as timber harvesting with office - based tasks . This requires good organisational skills and discipline.

A forestry based qualification or evidence of forestry based learning . It is essential that the Lead Forester understands the principles of good forest management so that they can conv ey these to the team and contractors .

Experience of undertaking forestry operations . It is essential that the Lead Forester understands the logistics of forestry operations and is therefore able to use their knowledge to organise and direct operations. Experience using forestry machinery and equipment such as excavators, forwarders, winches and chainsaws.

The ability to talk to the team and contractors to provide clear objectives to explain what is required of them. The ability to listen to others and accept feedback positively and constructively. The ability to update the Head of Forest r y accurately and in a timely fashion. Able to share knowledge by communicating with focus, simplicity and clarity. Able to differentiate fact from opinion.

Leads the team with an open and honest style using good communication and motivation skills. Has integrity and takes responsibility.

Sound problem s olving skills and the ability to work on your own initiative. The ability to i dentify and recognise problems and to unpick them and develop sensible and robust solutions.

The ability to look critically and constructively at the work of the team and at the estate environment and to understand what quality looks like.

The ability to organise you r own work and in particular to keep accurate records and paperwork.

Able and willing to develop by keeping up to date with specialist knowledge and t he ability to adapt to c hange by being able to deal with uncertainty, accepting new ideas and driving & communicating change .

Additional information

The work of the Grosvenor Estate Forestry Team is expanding and increasing with renewed focus on woodland management, arboriculture , conservation and timber processing. The post is an essential part of future business development.

The Lead Forester will be housed for betterment of duties and will be on the call out rota approximately one week in e ight .

Occasional weekend work to assist with events.

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