Vegetation Management Inspector - TRAQ Arborist

Sierra Forestry Consulting LLC•Redding, CA

13d•$43 - $53•Onsite

About The Position

The Vegetation Management Inspector (VMI) Series positions patrol for hazardous trees and perform identification, inspection, and evaluation of trees and brush along utility lines. The VMI submits inspection results to clients with recommendations; may plan, direct, and coordinate the activities of assigned tree clearance crews; discusses and negotiates line-clearance crew access issues; and may serve as a liaison between clients, tree crews, and client customers. The VMI Series positions are covered under International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245. All employees in this position are required to join the union.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED
Required to maintain a Class C driver's license
Must be able to meet company driver acceptability requirements
Ability to drive a 4x4 truck or SUV
One (1) year of related arboricultural experience, OR ISA Certified Arborist, OR Two-year or four-year college degree in a related field (VMI Start)
One (1) year as a Vegetation Management Inspector Start, AND One (1) year of related arboricultural experience, OR ISA Certified Arborist, OR Two-year or four-year college degree in a related field (VMI-1)
Five (5) years of experience as a tree crew climber or tree crew foreman with at least two (2) years of line clearance certification, OR Five (5) years of experience as a Vegetation Management Inspector AND ISA Certified Arborist, OR Five (5) years of experience as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF), OR Five (5) years of experience as a Utility Inspector or higher classification with at least one (1) year of vegetation management experience, OR Four (4) years of military service with honorable discharge AND at least one (1) additional year of Vegetation Management Inspection experience (Senior VMI)
OSHA 30-hour construction safety overview — must be completed within six (6) months of start date (Senior VMI)
Certified Tree Safety Professional (CTSP), or ISA Certified Arborist (CA) with Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) certificate — must be completed within six (6) months of test eligibility (Senior VMI)
911 Standby Training — must be completed within one (1) month of start date (Senior VMI)
Working knowledge of QA/QC — must be completed within one (1) month of start date (Senior VMI)

Nice To Haves

Ability to work independently
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to read and follow maps
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
Ability to identify local trees and knowledge of growth rate
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software
Ability to prioritize and organize, paying attention to detail for accuracy
Accountable: accepting personal responsibility
Ability to work additional hours and days

Responsibilities

Perform circuit patrols in accordance with the annual VM plan, VM patrol standards and processes
Identify required tree work along the existing PG&E rights-of-way; prescribe tree work to be performed; document inspections completed
Notify property owners and agencies when tree work will occur and obtain any necessary authorizations from the property owners/agencies to perform the tree work
May serve as contact for new business and re-construction work
Perform work verification inspections verifying applicable inspection and tree work completion and quality
Perform investigation and documentation of tree-related outages and attend outage meetings as requested
May be assigned a variety of VM Tags; perform tracking, field checking, prescribing of work, and notification of customers associated with non-routine locations
Assist in closing out CC&B cases in the field after fielding the case
Support emergency response, including dispatching tree crews, field checking sites, and first responder stand-by agreements
Work independently to complete tasks assigned by the supervisor
Support oversight of vegetation projects, including field operations such as tree assessment, tree trimming, and other work as required
Participate in contractor safety and tailboard meetings
Act as customer relations representative on behalf of PG&E
Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations
Complete electronic and paper-based documentation and reporting
Audit work performed by other, less experienced VMIs (Senior VMI)
Assist with training of new VMIs (Senior VMI)
Act as liaison to contractors to resolve obstacles and assist with work being performed in a safe and productive manner (Senior VMI)