FORESTRY & ESTATE WORKER

Permanent, full time vacancy
Starting Salary: £23,177
Location: Glensaugh

The Vacancy
The James Hutton Institute is Scotland’s leading Institute for research on plants and their interactions with land, water and the environment. We are looking for a Forestry & Estate Worker to carry out forestry and estate maintenance work at our Glensaugh Farm.

Main Purpose of the Job
• Carry out forestry & estate maintenance work.
• Provide occasional support with livestock work and experimental projects.
• Maintain existing woodland, plant new woodland and maintain the infrastructure of the estate.
• The post holder will be given responsibility for certain areas within the business when they have been trained and have demonstrated competence.

Main duties of the postholder
• Carry out all jobs connected with the management of Glensaugh’s woodlands, to include ground preparation, planting, pesticides application, pruning, cleaning, thinning and felling of trees.
• Carry out estate maintenance work, including repairs to fences, walls and water supplies.
• Liaise with and supervise forestry contractors.
• Cut and process firewood.
• Assist with heather burning.
• Assist with occasional livestock work (e.g. livestock feeding at lambing time).
• Assist with the setting up and dismantling of experimental projects.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential
• A willingness to live on site and become part of the Glensaugh community. Accommodation is provided.
• Nat 5 (or equivalent qualifications).
• Experience in planting, fencing & operating tractors.
• Chainsaw operator; felling.
• An enthusiasm for forestry work and a willingness to acquire appropriate skills.

Desirable
• HNC/HND in forestry or environmental management.
• Experience in pruning, thinning & firewood processing.
• Chainsaw operator; windblow.
• PA1/ 6.
• Basic livestock knowledge.

Benefits offered
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - A confidential service available to support employees and their families with work or personal problems. Providing access to professional counsellors, psychologists, and work-life consultants available to help and support individuals in tackling all types of problems.

Annual Leave – Generous entitlement up to 40.5 days a year, with carry over possible and guaranteed time-off for Christmas.

Pension - Employer Contribution of 15% in a Personal Pension Plan and employee contribution flexibility.

Self-managed hours and Flexible Working – option to manage and spread your working time in line with organisational needs to create a healthy work life balance.

Our Commitment to Equality & Diversity
We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.

The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Bronze Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.

The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.

The Company
The James Hutton Institute combines strengths in crops, soils and land use and environmental research, and makes a major contribution to the understanding of key global issues, such as food, energy and environmental security, and developing and promoting effective technological and management solutions to these.

James Hutton (1726 – 1797) was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, an eighteenth century golden age of intellectual and scientific achievements centred on Edinburgh. He is internationally regarded as the founder of modern geology and one of the first scientists to describe the Earth as a living system. His thinking on natural selection influenced Charles Darwin in developing his theory of evolution.

Our Values
We respect and value our people and the people we engage with
We want to make a difference
We strive to be excellent in everything we do
We lead by example
We foster creativity and innovation