Arboriculturist
About Network Rail
At Network Rail, our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We're an organisation where people matter. Watch our video to find out more!
Scotland's Railway is part of this large family and it covers a large geographical area from the Borders to Thurso at the far tip of the North East of Scotland, accounting for almost 20 per cent of the UK rail network. We provide rapid access along busy commuter routes to our seven cities, servicing the varied needs of our business and leisure commuter services, including cross border services and rural services. We have up to 50 freight services operating every day and we are steadily building capacity for this to grow. Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users, drives us every day and we're empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues and protecting safety and wellbeing.
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We want to help deliver a railway which is safe, reliable, affordable and that provides great customer service to everyone. For more information about Network Rail click here
Brief Description
To provide technical arboricultural expertise at locations right across Scotland's railway. This will include completion of cyclical tree condition inspection surveys and tree work prescriptions, post incident investigations, participation in stakeholder engagement, site meetings, and input to tree management strategies and specifications.
About the role (External)
Here are some of the duties your role will include: -
• Work as part of a team of Arboriculturists to undertake a range of railway tree and vegetation management surveys and projects.
• Undertake and complete cyclical arboricultural tree condition surveys, inspections and site activities.
Apply knowledge of arboriculture, tree defects, pathogens and diseases, and implement appropriate mitigation via effective tree work prescriptions.
• Collate, write up and review survey results, data, images and mapping notes.
Update the Network Rail Scotland tree condition survey / database, Ash Dieback Action Plan and autumn season risk assessments.
• Compile tree and vegetation management scoping documents in line with relevant Network Rail and industry standards, in a format suitable for the Contracts & Procurement tendering purposes.
• Provide arboricultural advice and guidance to railway managers, engineers, operations, seasonal teams and planners.
• Liaise with supply chain partners and internal delivery teams on tree specific work prescriptions, site checks, arboricultural best practice and safe tree work practices.
• Collaborate with the Ecology team on project surveys and agree appropriate tree and site specific prescriptions or strategies to comply with current legislation and best practice.
• Propose innovations to yield site safety, efficiency and train service performance improvements.
• Attend meetings and develop effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, statutory bodies, local authorities, lineside neighbours and members of the public.
If you could deliver the above key accountabilities, hold an industry recognised tree condition inspection competency, plus have demonstrable experience of undertaking tree condition surveys and provision of arboricultural advice, ideally for or within a large organisation, Local Authority or linear infrastructure operator, we would like to hear from you!
What you will bring to the role:
Essential
• Knowledge of rail maintenance delivery process and techniques for vegetation removal
• Good interpersonal, influencing, communication and organisation skills.
• Comprehensive field experience
• A relevant qualification in arboriculture i.e., National Certificate of Arboriculture or Royal Forestry Society Diploma or Level 3 City & Guilds
• In-depth experience of Arboricultural practice within the railway environment is essential.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the identification and implications of structural weakness, decay, pest diseases and the effects of tree root systems on rail infrastructure and adjoining land
• Task orientated team player.
Desirable
• Knowledge of operational railway environment
• Knowledge of ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard
• Membership of relevant professional body
• Experience attending client meetings and working with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Full UK driving licence.
• A good working knowledge of Network Rail IT systems and mapping tools
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