Urban Arborist - Birmingham

Job Summary

The City of Birmingham Urban Arborists supervise and oversee crews involved in tree care operations such as planting, trimming, insect and disease control, and removal of tree limbs and debris. Urban Arborists also ensure the safety of the crew, equipment, public and private property. An employee in this job class plans and carries out successive steps and resolves problems and deviations in accordance with instructions, policies, and accepted practice.

Urban Arborists receive work orders verbally and by standard work orders from their supervisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines on work assignments and assist other employees with unusual situations that do not have clear precedents.

The City of Birmingham provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is $21.70 - $33.66.

12/31/2026

Grade 20

Full time

• Must have experience using chainsaws to trim/remove trees.
• Experience operating an aerial lift (bucket truck) in order to cut/trim trees.
• Class A Commercial Driver's License.
• Must obtain an Arborist Certification from the International Society of Arboriculture within one year of employment.*
• Note:
  
  The International Society of Arboriculture requires one of the following to be eligible to test for the Arborist Certification:
• Three or more years of full-time, eligible arboricultural work experience.
• Associate’s degree in arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture or forestry with 2 years of arboricultural work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture or forestry with 1 year of arboricultural work experience.

• Completed coursework in Horticulture or Urban Forestry.
• Experience supervising tree crews, debris removal crews, stump grinding crews, etc.

• Contributes to the community by planting trees using various hand tools, providing education to local schools, and preparing information about the importance of planting trees to pass on knowledge and importance of trees.
• Guides a crew of workers in the removal of trees and limbs by making recommendations for how to approach each job and overseeing work in order to ensure safety regulations are followed.
• Examines and maintains all equipment by visually inspecting saws, ropes, climbing gear, and trucks for damage and performing general maintenance such as cleaning, sharpening, and checking fluid levels to ensure that the equipment is ready and safe for use.
• Conducts tree removal and trimming at city or county property in a safe manner using a bucket truck, climbing gear, and various saws in order to clear roads and sidewalks that may be blocked by fallen trees, or to prevent hazardous or dead trees from falling and damaging property.
• Prioritizes the work to be done for the day by examining work orders, estimating the time requirements to complete the work, planning the route to be taken, and driving to each job site as well as adjusting the workload due to factors such as manpower changes, and special/urgent work orders that may arrive.
• Directs the worksite cleanup when a job is complete or before leaving the site by removing debris from work site or piling debris to be removed from the work site using hand tools and knuckle boom loader in order to clear roadways and sidewalks and eliminate danger to the public.

Job involves significant and concerted physical exertion required for regular prolonged periods of carrying, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, or walking. Involves lifting of items or objects weighing up to 50 lbs.

Work is performed primarily outdoors in all types of weather. Work involves operating heavy equipment used in the removal of trees. Work is conducted at heights up to 75 feet.

The Person nel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and…