Tree Climber II / Treecrew Foreman

The City of Wilmington, a leading Delaware employer, provides the City's sanitation, recycling, street cleaning, water, and transportation services through the Department of Public Works. The Department provides a wide array of services, including once-a-week recycling and once-a-week residential solid waste collection, treatment and distribution of high-quality drinking water, collection, and treatment of sewage, stormwater management, sweeping of all City streets, street paving and repairs, maintenance of traffic signs and signals, line striping, rodent control, snow removal, and maintenance of the City fleet and City properties. The Tree Climber II/Tree Crew Foreman reports to the City Forester. Additional responsibilities include:

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsible for leading and supervising a team of tree crew workers, overseeing daily operations, ensuring safety compliance, assigning tasks, and managing the quality of tree trimming, removal, and maintenance work in the City of Wilmington while adhering to the policies and procedures in place. Work is directly supervised by the City Forester.

• Performs work aloft climbing in trees (climbing and in lift truck); utilizes specialized tree climbing techniques to prune, remove, and perform general maintenance duties as assigned on park and street trees.
• Report and inventory hand-tool allotments.
• Tree-related emergency storm response (clears fallen and storm-damaged trees and brush from City and State right-of-way, roads, trails, bike paths, creeks, and buildings).
• Assists with public outreach and education programs, Arbor Day programs, and Green Jobs programming, and works with school-aged children and adult volunteer groups.
• Trains subordinates and evaluates the performance of employees daily to ensure workplace and public safety, the efficiency of job site performance, and completion of tasks as assigned.
• Respond promptly to constituent and inter-departmental tree-related requests.
• Must be able to work on-call in a rotational basis.
• Performs all related work as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Graduation from high school or GED equivalency with at least 2 years of tree climbing experience, some supervisory experience, or any equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Knowledge: Knowledge of tree climbing techniques and the capability to practice the procedures required to safely complete daily general tree care and removal. Those practices include and are not limited to the following: Some experience operating up-to-date and industry-standard arborist climbing and rigging gear and equipment; working aloft in trees should happen 3/week and have a duration of 1- 4 hours daily.
• Skills: Skills in operating a commercial vehicle (Aerial Lift Truck and Chipper); operating and maintaining Chainsaws and small engine equipment; operating and maintaining landscaping hand tools; operating a backhoe and/or skid loader; operating and inspecting Woodchippers; operating and inspecting Tree Stump Grinders.
• Abilities: Ability to use an iPad, Android Tablet, or Laptop to input tree-related measurement data, check and respond to emails and city works requests.
• Licenses: Possess and maintain a CDL Class "B" driver's license with a good driving record.

CANDIDATE EVALUATION

Evaluation for this position includes a review of the application materials, certification of qualified applicants, and a panel interview (in-person or virtual).

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

All selected applicants must pass a criminal background investigation and have a pre-employment physical.

• Physical Requirements: Ability to lift or move up to 50 pounds independently; up to 100 pounds with assistance.
• Vision: Requires the ability to see close vision and adjust focus as necessary.
• Working Conditions: Work is performed near moving mechanical parts and outdoors in all weather conditions, including precarious situations. The noise level is typically loud.
• Location and Schedule: This position may require weekend work, nights, or being on-call as part of the regular job responsibilities. Primary work locations may include city/county buildings, treatment plants, and public safety facilities. Work involves travel between sites as necessary. Work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, based on business needs.

TOTAL COMPENSATION

Compensation encompasses both salary administration and a comprehensive benefit package:

• Salary Administration: New employees are hired at the starting salary up to the median salary/step four based on qualifications and internal equity within the classification. Merit increases are given after a satisfactory performance review.
• Benefits: A comprehensive benefits package is available from day one. Visit the website www.WilmingtonDE.gov/Benefits for details.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

• Open Competitive: This position is open to all applicants who meet the qualifications both internally and externally.
• To apply online, visit our website at: www.WilmingtonDE.gov. Computers are available for interested candidates in the Department of Human Resources, City/County Building, 800 N. French St, 4th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Contact Human Resources at ... to schedule computer use.
• Equal Opportunity Employer.
• City code provides a preference for eligible current city employees, veterans, and current city residents.

The City of Wilmington is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Delaware Persons with Disabilities Employment Protections Act, it is the policy of the City to provide reasonable accommodation when requested without causing an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Human Resources at ....