Trainee Machine Operator

About the Job

As H&M Trainee Machine Operator you will help deliver the district’s business plan by efficiently using purpose-built forestry machines and working as part of a dedicated team to plan and carry out the extraction of timber to roadside, whilst minimising the impact on the forest environment.

You will work closely with the North England FE Fleet direct production team and management, to plan operations, ensure that forest machines reach and maintain effective utilisation levels, meet district targets for outputs and specifications, and ensure all health and safety issues are addressed.

The successful candidate would initially be on a 2-year fixed probation period, with promotion to follow if/when we deemed them suitable and up to the task required in accordance with our expectations during regular performance reviews, which will take place throughout the 2 year period. Please note, if the successful candidate is to leave during the 2-year probation period, you would be required to reimburse us fully for the costs incurred during the probation process for training, equipment etc.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

The successful candidate will have Forestry England, North Forest District, Eals Burn, Bellingham, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 2HP as the reporting office, but will be working remotely anywhere within Kielder Main Block. They will work as part of a team, with no lone working until they have gained the “FMOC Articulated wheeled base over 2.5t with forwarder” ticket.   

Job Description

•Be interested and positive about what you and the team are trying to achieve.
•Enhance the economic value of the forest through efficient site planning and operations.
•Take responsibility for ownership of problems in your area of responsibility.
•Listen to, understand, respect and accept the value of different views, ideas and ways of working. Provide advice and feedback to support others to make accurate decisions.
•Ensure that levels of service are maintained; flag up risks or concerns including health and safety or environmental, to meet customer and business requirements.
•Readily identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning and make progress by working with colleagues on the worksite.
•Carry out weekly daily and weekly maintenance of the machine. Report all faults and damage to MES and the Forest Works Manager or Forestry Works Supervisor and record on machine maintenance log. Assist MES mechanics with repairs and servicing of forest machines and maintain a good working relationship with the workshops.

Any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Essential professional and technical experience
•You must have a full UK driving license; however, Forestry England is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.
•You must be a competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications.
•You must be self-motivated and be able to learn and solve problems practically and safely.

•You must have a flexible approach to remote working and be happy to work as part of a team.

Desirable professional and technical experience
•Confident communicating and as such, is relatively comfortable conversing with operators, mechanics and hauliers to learn and build experience of working sites.
•Interest in expanding the knowledge of areas related to the role in order to develop.

Qualifications
•Training will be given for Abrasive Wheels and Working at Heights, as well as undertaking a formal training program for the Forwarder, to obtain an NPTC Level 2 Award in FMO

See Forestry England website for full details and how to apply.