Arborist

About the role

Oxford Botanic Garden is the UK’s oldest botanic garden and occupies a world-class position in terms of its history and academic location. You will work as part of a small team to maintain and develop the collection of plants grown at the arboretum. You will work closely with the Curator and Senior Arborist to maintain, develop and improve the collection, achieving high arboricultural standards. In addition to the arboricultural duties, you will contribute to some of the Arboretum’s educational activities. These responsibilities include contributing to the delivery of events, and the training and supervision of trainees and volunteers.

About You

You will be enthusiastic about contributing to the maintenance and development of the Arboretum, as well as the work of the wider team. You will have an N.D., N.V.Q., or N.C.H. in Arboriculture or a related subject, supported by proven industry experience in practical arboriculture. You will possess strong knowledge of a wide range of woody plants and demonstrate the ability to work effectively as part of a small team. You will also hold a range of relevant NPTC qualifications, including CS30.1 (Maintenance of a chainsaw), CS30.2 (Crosscut and stack using a chainsaw), CS31 (Fell and process small trees), CS38 (Tree climbing and aerial rescue), and CS39 (Use of a chainsaw from a rope and harness).

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

More information is available at  https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits

Diversity

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting evidence form using the attached template as part of your online application. The supporting evidence form lists each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description. Please explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.

We aim to provide a supportive working environment and are happy to discuss training and professional development opportunities. For enquiries relating to the job role, please contact recruitment@obg.ox.ac.uk  General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the Recruitment team within our Human Resources department (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST) on Friday 30 May 2025 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on either Thursday 26 or Friday 27 of June 2025.

Please do let us know if you require any more information. Many thanks for your assistance in advance.

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