Tree Trimming Crew Leader

Wright Tree Service provides vegetation management, storm restoration, and work planning services to utility companies and their communities across North America. Our operations are guided by a set of values : safety, integrity, excellence, teamwork, innovation, and family.

Safety is always our highest value. That focus is guided by our “Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper” pledge to keep both ourselves and others safe. We abide by the highest ethical standards, knowing our service is critical to utilities and their customers, and we work as a team to deliver creative solutions to our clients. Finally, we are proud of our family-founded history and have worked to retain those family values in our culture since becoming employee-owned in 2002.

Essential Functions :

• Supervises a line clearance crew and is responsible for planning daily work for crew.
• Assigns work for individual crew members and directs crew in performing work according to accepted line clearance practices. Must be capable of adjusting to field requirements and take independent action without close supervision.
• Recognizes poisonous plants and uses proper safeguard against them.
• Enforces safe work practices, as experience, judgment, company policy, and OSHA specifies and conducts safety training in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Obtains oral or written permission from property owners to trim or remove trees and apply herbicides. Arranges with customer or property owner ability to obtain access, advise them of interruption and explain the work that needs to be done. Repairs minor damages if they occur. Takes complicated situations to General Foreperson’s attention for proper handling.
• Promotes and maintains good customer and public relations through effective completion of assigned work and the appropriate behavior of employees on the crew.
• Keeps accurate records, timesheets and reports related to the performance of the crew. Furnishes supervisor and Utility representative with reports of orders completed, units of work completed, crew time and distribution, etc.
• Receives and interprets tree trimming, removal and chemical application orders initiated by General Foreperson or Utility, involving an understanding of drawings and symbols, representing types of power lines, voltages, and line equipment.
• Responsible for the conduct of safety training of assigned personnel in accordance with good safety training procedures, in addition to and in coordination with client company policies and procedures.
• Responsible for being mindful of controlling crew costs including effective use of manpower, proper work methods, amount of trimming, and operation of equipment.
• Considers inclement weather conditions and determines when to start or stop work, dependent upon its effect on employees and the nature of the work.
• Safeguards employees and public from hazards in and around work area. Cooperates with customer, police, and fire departments when blocking street or driveways. Sets up barriers, warning signs, flags, etc. to protect employees as well as the public. Trained to perform tree and bucket rescue. Follows and enforces safe work practices, rules and policies.
• Responsible for truck inspection, proper working conditions, as well as necessary repairs to tools, trucks and other work equipment. Requests major repairs or replacements when required. Maintains good housekeeping on truck and at worksite locations.
• In emergency situations, determines proper action to be taken to eliminate hazards to life and property and the trimming / removal of trees, if necessary, to expedite the restoration of service by calling out crew personnel and performing other activities connected with emergency work.
• Trims and / or removes trees by climbing with the aid of a ladder, safety belt, climbing line, powered trimmer lift truck, or works from the ground using saws / pruners. Will cut branches or trunk sections and drops or lowers them to the ground with lines.
• Uses appropriate tools, will fell trees or trimmed trunks and split them into manageable pieces.
• Sprays stumps and brush with hand-spraying equipment to prevent further growth.
• Loads and unloads trucks with logs, stumps, brush, and debris and / or feeds brush into a wood chipper.
• Repairs slight damage to lawns, fences, and walks caused by tree trimming.
• Services gasoline, air, and hand-powered tools and other equipment.
• Relays hand-signals, directs traffic, drives and operates trucks and equipment as assigned, and keeps trucks and work area clear and orderly.
• Trains new employees on proper procedures.
• Works around hazardous equipment and in close proximity to energized power lines.
• Works around excessive noise from machines, chainsaws, wood chipper and must wear proper personal protective equipment.
• Is exposed to all temperatures and weather; will be exposed to nature, i.e., irritating plants, biting or stinging insects, dust, etc.
• May work on rough terrain.
• Performs other related duties as required or assigned.

Minimum Requirements :