Natural Area Practitioner (Urban Forestry)

Employment Status
Union - CUPE Local 402 - Temporary Full-Time.
Scope
The City of Surrey's Urban Forestry - Natural Areas team has a unique full-time temporary job opportunity for someone who is interested in applying their varied experience and skills to meet the challenges of assisting in the management of over 1,600 hectares of forest, shrubland, and grassland.
Responsibilities
In this position, you will be:

• Field based with limited office work. • Supervising and training junior staff. • Working on a team or alone; • Completing a variety of manual and semi-skilled tasks including but not limited to:
• Invasive plant removal. • Planting maintenance (weeding/brushing/mulching). • Planting native trees and shrubs. • Refuse and yard waste removal. • Trail surface repairs and edge vegetation pruning. • Tree debris clean-up. • Inventorying assets.
• Responding to service requests from the public. • Preparing reports and maintaining records. • Completing heavy physical work in all weather conditions, requiring sufficient physical strength, stamina and coordination. • Completing other related duties as required.

The successful applicant is able to work independently as well as in a team environment and must be physically able to carry out the duties as required; is a logical and analytical thinker in problem-solving situations; has superior public relations, interpersonal, communication, organizational and leadership skills. As well, the successful applicant should have considerable knowledge of the principles, practices, standards and guidelines used in urban park Natural Area management.

Qualifications
Applicants will meet the following requirements:

• A valid, unrestricted Class 5 BC Driver's license with a safe driving record; • Experience supervising staff and strong leadership skills; • Experience performing manual labour; • Experience with power tools (brush saw, hedge trimmer, backpack blowers) and hand tools (shovels, picks, hand snips, loppers, hand saws); • Demonstrated ability to identify native and invasive plants; • Strong public relations, communication and interpersonal skills; • Strong organizational, time management, record-keeping and computer skills; • B.C. Pesticide Applicator's Certificate, Landscape-Integrated Pest Management category - to be obtained before the completion of probation period.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Applicants must have:
Completion of Grade 12, supplemented by successful completion of five additional relevant courses from an approved post-secondary education institution in any of the following course areas:

• Biology • Urban land management • Ecology • Conservation • Wildlife management

Plus a minimum of 2 years of recent experience in the management of Natural Areas.
OR
Completion of Grade 12 and a Technical Certificate Program (one year full-time) from an approved post-secondary institution, supplemented by 18 months of recent experience in the management of Natural Areas.
OR
Completion of Grade 12 and completion of a diploma program from an approved post-secondary institution, with a minimum of 6 months recent experience in the management of Natural Areas.
Applicants under consideration will be required to consent to a Police Information Check/Vulnerable Sector Check
Other Information
Pay Grade: Schedule "C"
Hourly Rate: $37.11
Conditions of Employment
Applicants under consideration will be required to consent to a Police Information Check/Vulnerable Sector Check and submittal of a safe Drivers abstract. Successful applicants must provide proof of qualifications.
Closing Date
This job will be posted until February 19, 2024.
Our Values
Integrity - Service - Teamwork - Innovation - Community

Category

Engineering