Salary: £29,064 - £34,434 per annum
Grade: G-H
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 37 hours (annualised)
Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Join Our Team as an Arborist: progress your tree climbing journey!
Are you passionate about trees and woodlands? Do you aspire to be part of a dynamic team committed to excellence in tree and woodland management?
North Yorkshire Council, the largest and newest local authority in England, is seeking dedicated and professional individuals to join our friendly Tree & Woodland Team. We are seeking an Arborist, to work within a small arboricultural team. The role involves executing all aspects of tree work according to best practices, with a strong focus on maintaining high standards and ensuring safe working procedures.
NYC Tree & Woodland Team are responsible for maintaining trees in parks, public open spaces, including those within Council-owned housing in North Yorkshire, Highways, Property and closed churchyards. Our duties also encompass managing all arboricultural services, which includes protected trees, tree asset management, tree operations, woodland creation, and urban tree planting.
The Role
This role offers progression through a career scheme, requiring specific knowledge, experience, training, and qualifications for advancement between grades. As an entry level grade, you will be responsible for a variety of arboricultural tasks including tree climbing and performing tree pruning, dismantling, and felling operations, including ground-based arboricultural duties, ensuring all work is carried out safely and efficiently. You will use chainsaws, hand tools, stump grinders, woodchippers, and climbing equipment safely. Additionally, you will perform routine maintenance on Council supplied arboricultural equipment and complete tasks according to risk assessments, following guidance from the Lead Arborist. Reporting tree defects to the Lead Arborist and recording information in tree management software will also be part of your responsibilities.
Working across several Council service areas, covering the Western area of North Yorkshire, you can expect a variety of work types and locations.
Top level grade’s additional accountabilities, include planning work with the Lead Arborist according to operational requirements, providing constructive feedback to tree assessors and the tree asset team leader, and assisting tree assessors with aerial tree assessments. You will also handle on-the-ground customer service to resolve complaints, disruptions, conflicts, breakdowns, and on-site problems.
Vacancy Hours: 37
Annualised hours: Summer hours Monday to Thursday 7.30am-4.30pm - Friday 7.30am-4.00pm /
Winter hours Tuesday to Friday 8am-4pm / Mondays off
Weekend Working: When required
What you will bring?
Entry level grade - You will hold the following qualifications:
- City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Manually Fed Wood-chipper,
- City & Guilds Level 2 Certificates of Competence in Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting,
- Felling Small Trees up to 380mm,
- Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue,
- Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness.
- Additionally, you must have a full driving licence with B+E.
Top level grade - You will also need
- City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate of Competence in Aerial Tree Rigging
- City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Award in the Safe Use of a Chainsaw from a Mobile Elevated Work Platform.
Working for us
When you join us, you are entitled to our outstanding benefits and wellbeing plan as part of your position.
Our holiday entitlement starts at 28 days rising to 34 days (pro-rata) per year with continued service, plus public holidays.
Pension: for your retirement with our generous local government pension scheme.
Fitness & Rewards: Fitness discounts with various Gyms across the county. Stay on top of your game and £££.
Lifestyle Savings: explore a huge range of discounts to help you money across hundreds of the UK’s favourite high-street and online retailers. Plus lots more.
Our full range of benefits can be found in the Total Rewards Brochure below.
Contact and Apply
If you are interested in learning more about our opportunity, please contact Alec Poulton-White, Tree Operations Team Leader on 07525988007 or email [email protected] for an informal conversation.
Please let us know your motivation for applying for this position, how you meet the criteria and what you feel you could bring to the role in the supporting evidence section of the application form.
For more details see attached Job Description below.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Key Dates
Closing date: 15th October 2026
Interview date: 22nd October 2026
Venue for Interview: Harrogate Civic Centre
The interview process will also include a practical tree climbing assessment.
Key Documents
Job Description.pdf
Total Rewards Brochure
An enhanced DBS is required for this role which we will provide.
It is a criminal offence for people who are barred from working in Regulated Activity (under the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act 2006) to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with adults at risk.
NYC are committed to directly recruiting staff and will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers in respect of our vacancies.
We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to this commitment.
