Arborist

• Provides highly skilled labor required to select, cultivate, install, maintain and replace trees, shrubs, and other plantings and flora on campus grounds.

Major Duties

• Collaborates with the Manager and Assistant Managers of Landscape Services to plan and develop specifications for lawns, trees and shrubs; to plan the cultivation of specified trees, shrubs, vines and other root stock in the nursery; to schedule transplanting of stock from the nursery to landscape sites; and to plan and coordinate other activities required to develop, install and maintain trees and other stock for campus grounds.

• Prunes and cares for plantings, including deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs of all types; and evaluates plantings to determine which trees and shrubs require rehabilitative care, removal and/or replacement.

• Maintains plantings, applying nutrients to root zones; applying other fertilizers; watering plantings and applying pesticides, fungicides and other horticultural chemicals and compounds.

• Develops irrigation schedules for campus plantings.

• Oversees, and guides M-3.5 Equipment Operator I on projects.

• Develops spraying schedules for all campus and nursery grounds.

• Diagnoses insect and disease problems, and selects the appropriate pesticide, fungicide or other treatment chemical for application to control or eliminate the problem.

• Schedules preventative spraying during dormant periods.

• Uses light and heavy equipment.

• May be utilized for snow removal operations, operating heavy and/or light equipment, and may also assist in hand shoveling snow.

• Fastens attachments to trucks and tractors with wedge-pin and other hitches.

• Uses hand and power sprayers to apply pesticides, weed killers, fungicides and other horticultural chemicals and compounds.

• Utilizes chain saws, tree saws, and other devices to trim plant materials, and employs tree augers, shovels and other equipment and tools.

• Performs minor service, repair and maintenance work for assigned equipment.

• Performs appropriate operational checks of all vehicles and equipment before, during and after each use.

• Determines inventory requirements for supplies and materials, and notifies supervisory personnel when (re)ordering is necessary.

• This position performs additional duties as requested by supervisory personnel.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.

• Must be able to read and comprehend written instructions and safety regulations governing the performance of job duties, and must possess good mathematical and writing skills for mixing pesticides and other chemicals and maintaining records documenting the use thereof.

• Thorough working knowledge of the flora found on campus and the growth behavior of, and the pathogens common to those flora.

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in the care and maintenance of plants, trees and shrubs native to southwestern lower Michigan.

• Possession of a valid Michigan commercial driver's license (CDL) with endorsement "B", air brakes.

• Must possess, or obtain within ninety days of the date of hire, a Michigan Department of Agriculture Commercial Applicator's license, with turf (category 3a), ornamental (category 3b), and right-of-way (category 6) endorsements.

• Possess and maintain ISA (International Society of Arbor culture) certification.

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job utilizing tools of the trade.

• Must complete a physical examination administered by the employer's designated physician.

Desired Qualifications

• Formal education, with an associates or bachelors degree in forestry, horticulture or a related field.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Bid Procedures

All University employees represented by AFSCME Local 1668, and non-AFSCME regular and temporary University employees, who have the present ability or required qualifications to satisfactorily perform the required work, may exercise bidding privileges on this position.

• Current AFSCME employees must complete the on-line WMU - AFSCME (bid) Sheet only.

• Non-AFSCME University employees must submit an on-line WMU - Internal Application only.

• Temporary University employees must submit an on-line WMU - Application only.

Additional Position Information

• Application credentials will be accepted until the position is filled.

• Western Michigan University offers generous benefits to its employees including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, retirement, and tuition discount for the employee and tuition remission for eligible dependents. To access information about the specific benefits available for this position, go to: https://wmich.edu/hr/enrollment-afscme

• Above is a summary of the description for the position of Arborist. A complete description for this position may be reviewed upon request in the department of Human Resources, Room 1300, Seibert Administration Building or online at: https://wmich.edu/hr/descriptions-afscme

• This is a first (1st) shift position. The regular work hours for this position are 6:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. The regular work days are Monday through Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off.

Physical requirements and working conditions

• Must wear MIOSHA approved safety shoes at all times and must wear a hard hat and safety glasses when operating equipment and hand-held power tools as required by MIOSHA rules.

• Must wear a pesticide suit and respirator as legally required by label when applying certain pesticides and other chemicals.

• Ear plugs are required when operating equipment producing noise levels exceeding MIOSHA standards.

• Other protective gear must be worn when appropriate.

• Must wear no loose-fitting clothing which might become entangled in equipment, posing a hazard to incumbent's safety.