Firewood Operator

Reporting to

Rural Estates Head Forester

Department

Grosvenor TimberWorks (“GTW”)

Primary location

The Airfield, Eaton Park, Chester

Other locations

Grosvenor Timberworks, Hatton Heath Mill, Chester

Main purpose of role

Operate the firewood processor to produce cut-to-length split firewood of the correct quality and quantity. Also use a chainsaw and splitter as necessary to deal with timber that cannot be processed by the firewood processor. Monitor the on-line order system, checking the inbox daily, responding to customer queries and scheduling deliveries. Deliver firewood of the correct quality and quantity to customers on time.

Use the kindling machine to produce kindling. Liaise with the Sawmill to ensure there is adequate sawn timber for kindling.

Assist with the operational aspects of the estate’s biomass boilers, undertaking weekly checks and topping up fuel as required.

Help in the sawmill as required, particularly delivering timber to customers.

Key responsibilities
- Operate the firewood processor and ancillary equipment to optimise the production of firewood, maintain outputs and comply with all health and safety requirements.
- Use a chainsaw and automated log splitter to process timber that cannot be processed by the firewood processor. In particular, a certain amount of tree surgery arisings are produced each year and these need processing into firewood.
- Plan firewood production so that the firewood store is full of the agreed annual volume in time to allow it to air dry ready for the winter season.
- Assess round timber volumes and liaise with forestry colleagues to ensure there is at least two years supply of round timber in the storage areas.
- Monitor the online ordering system, checking the inbox for orders and responding to queries. Plan deliveries to meet the delivery deadlines. Contact customers to let them know when their order will be delivered. Update the online system when orders are complete.
- Arrange holiday cover with other team members to ensure the inbox is monitored when you are away.
- Assist with the wider operation of GTW e.g. loading and unloading vehicles, moving and sorting timber, delivering timber to customers, as and when required by the manager.
- Check the biomass boilers regularly (e.g. on Monday mornings) and empty the ash bins.
- Top up boilers with biomass woodchip to ensure they do not run out.
- Maintain high standards of workmanship, to minimise wastage of materials, and to work collaboratively and safely with other team members and contractors. Keep your work area tidy. Keep the area around the firewood store tidy, ensuring that there isn’t a build up of timber which is sub-optimal for the firewood processor.

All Team members also have the following responsibilities:

- To continuously develop and improve
- To comply with company policy and best practise in security, legal and regulatory compliance
- To carry out duties, within the relevant legislation at all times and be familiar with the terms of all current legislation relevant to the role
- To ensure H&S responsibilities are fulfilled, including:

- To have responsibility for personal safety and the safety of others
- To ensure that all H&S responsibilities are fulfilled and that safety and welfare is maintained
- To plan enough time for work to be done in a healthy and safe way
- To assume delegated authority to take aversive/proactive action where appropriate to prevent a potential situation escalating to an accident or health and safety failure
- To complete any other duties as required from time to time

Essential skills and attributes:

- The ability to work alone and use your own initiative.
- Sound work ethic, hardworking, fit and agile and the ability to focus on outputs.
- An aptitude for operating machinery including tractors and loaders. Training will be given but you must be able to demonstrate that you will quickly become proficient in the operation of the machines you use.
- Able to maintain equipment and look after it so that it performs at its optimum.
- Sound problem solving skills and the ability to work on own initiative. The ability to identify and recognise problems and to unpick them and develop sensible and robust solutions.
- The ability to organise your own work.
- The ability to adapt to change by being able to deal with uncertainty, accepting new ideas and
driving & communicating change.

All employees must uphold the shared values of Grosvenor:

- Integrity, be honest, fair and open
- Trust, be loyal, reliable and deliver on commitments
- Respect, be inclusive, straightforward, collaborative, caring and thoughtful

Key performance indicators
- The correct quantity and quality of firewood produced to agreed time target and as per agreed costs.
- The amount of timber which is sub-optimal for the firewood processor lying around the airfield (no sub-optimal timber lying around = excellent).
- Highlight in a timely fashion any issues with stocks of firewoo