About the Role

Location: England - Aldershot, Melksham, New Forest, Petersfield, Poole, Portsmouth, Oxford, Reading, Slough, West London, Yeovil

Salary: Starting from £ 22,855 + a range of other benefits to support your family, finances and wellbeing. Salary upon finishing the Adult Learning programme circa £ 26,609 (OTE including overtime & standby up to an extra £5,000 per year).

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time

What is the Role?

Our teams are growing whilst also achieving great results, and you could be part of this exciting and challenging business that provides job security and the opportunity to develop.

SSE is currently recruiting for its 2024 Utility Arborist (Tree Cutter) Training Programme across our Distribution area of the business. This programme combines practical based learning with workplace training. On completion of the programme, you will gain national qualifications recognised in the utility and arboriculture sector.

Our Utility Arborist Teams are part of a highly skilled team that work at heights, so we are looking for people that have strong Team Player and Teamwork experience as well as experience in working at heights, with a strong ethic for Health and Safety as our company motto is “if it's not safe, we don't do it.”

During your training you will use your newly acquired knowledge and practical skills to make sure that trees and vegetation are kept away from overhead lines and equipment. Working with safety at the forefront of all activities, you will work with your team to evaluate, prepare and carry out tree cutting works on a variety of sites.

The Utility Arborist (Tree Cutter) is a field-based role which means you will be working within a team of Arborists and will be required to travel and work outside in remote locations in all weather conditions, with a requirement to undertake out of hours standby duties and short notice attendance for storm situations.

Experience of working outdoors in an Engineering or Agricultural Environment (or similar) is advantageous, however not essential. We also welcome applicants from Ex Forces personnel who are looking to establish themselves in a new career. If you have experience in one of these backgrounds, then we may be able to reduce the training period accordingly.

The programme can take 18 months depending on your programme and is centred on work-based learning, training linked directly to the job and academic study at college. By the end of the programme, you'll have gained valuable on-the job experience, learned new skills and gained an industry recognised qualification, enabling you to have the opportunity to build a rewarding and successful career in the energy sector and contributing to the delivery of NETZERO.

What do I need?

We're looking to recruit the best future talent for our sector, and we know that it's not all about qualifications. We're more interested in your innate strengths, qualities, and life experiences that you can bring to SSE.

To be considered for this role, we would love you to:

- Be able to demonstrate an ability to use your initiative and planning to make sure that you have the proper equipment for the job at hand and be resilient to the continual changes within our sector and always focussed on delivering great results.

- You'll have a thirst for knowledge and training, and be able to pick up new skills quickly, working with others within a team to achieve common goals and adjusting your behaviour to reflect the diversity of our workforce and customer base.

- Naturally, you'll have a strong focus on Health & Safety and will adhere to our company motto “if it's not safe, we don't do it.”

- For the Utility Arborist role, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you are comfortable and able to work at heights and work outside in all weather conditions, demonstrating a hands-on approach to keep the lights on for our customers.

- Holding a Drivers License and a skillset to driving off road and across country with or without a trailer, and the ability to navigate using a map should Sat Nav let you down would be a great advantage.

What's in it for you?

An excellent package with 34 days holiday entitlement, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, discounted healthcare, salary sacrifice car leasing and much more, view our full benefits package on our careers site.

As an equal opportunity employer we encourage diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We actively encourage applicants from all protected characteristics and commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required during the application, assessment and upon joining SSE. Search for 'Inclusion & Diversity at SSE' to find out more.

What happens now?

All applications should be made online, and I'll be back in touch after the vacancy closing date to let you know the outcome.

If you would like to discuss any working flexibly requirements or adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment and selection process, please contact Robert on Robert.Clark@sse.com / 01738 341105.

Before commencing your role with SSE, you'll need to complete our pre-employment screening process. This will consist of a criminality and credit check.