Technical Officer

Job title: Technical Officer (Forestry)

**Salary**: £25,584 - £27,269 (B3)

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Farnley Hall/Hybrid

As a Technical Officer within the Urban Forestry Service you’ll have a vital role in supporting a specialist team of arboricultural (tree) officers in day to day service delivery and during busy periods such as adverse weather events.

Although you do not need to be formally qualified, you will be able to demonstrate significant skills and experience in customer service, helping resolve customer queries, data input, responding to correspondence, financial awareness and raising orders.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our

**council values**

and

**ambitions**


**About you**:
As a Technical Officer, you will bring to the role:

- Drive, energy, resilience, and self-management skills as well as integrity, openness and awareness of others in delivering the service.
- Experience of supporting a multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed service team.
- Ability to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to help improve service delivery
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate to form positive relationships with a variety of stakeholders.

**About the role**:
The Council’s Urban Forestry Service is responsible for surveying council trees on behalf of a range of stakeholders (highways, parks, housing), undertaking pruning works and removal of dangerous or damaged trees. During periods of adverse weather the team respond to a high volume of emergencies across the city.

As a Technical officer within the team, you will have an essential role in supporting the team in managing enquiries and organising tree maintenance works, ensuring that the city is able to keep moving safely and that we meet our duty of care.

You will be required to keep accurate detailed records and occasionally deal with upset and distressed customers in a positive manner.

**What we offer you**:
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
- a range of
**staff benefits**

to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

**How to apply**:
**Read our guidance**


We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

**Skilled Worker visa**

on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

**Job Description**:
**Job purpose**:To support the Forestry (Arboricultural) Section in day to day service delivery, during busy periods of inclement weather and the continued development and improvement of the service through helping manage essential back office information and customer queries, working with partner external contractors and liaising with customers.

**Responsibilities**:

- Support the Forestry team with management of incoming correspondence and developing technical standard responses.
- To assist in the continued development of online services and encouraging customer self-service.
- Utilise the sections asset management system to; log, search, and respond to a range of general enquiries and complaints as required.
- Assist in the regular production of operational supporting plans, and spreadsheets for external partners and support larger tender documents with officers.
- Assist officers with the sending and monitoring of formal ‘tree work notices’.
- Flexible and adaptable to change and support the team with live communications when severe weather incidents occur.
- Procure goods and service as required, create purchase orders, re-charges and invoices using the councils’ financial software/processes.
- Support officers managing the statutory consultation processes under Environment Act 2021 on street tree removal.
- Support the development of reporting processes and for monthly and annual reports.
- Work in accordance with Leeds core values.
- Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
- Actively seek help and advice when unsure.
- Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
- Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data