Estate Supervisor

Region: Mar Lodge Estate

Type of Contract: Permanent. Full-Time, 40-Hours Per Week.

Job Purpose

The Estate Supervisor will lead the estate team at Mar Lodge. The role will primarily involve responsibility for delivering all aspects of estate maintenance, including buildings and utilities, vehicles, tracks, forestry and farmland infrastructure. We are therefore looking for a candidate who is highly organised with general abilities who values working within a flexible and supportive team culture, and who would uphold the values of the Trust. The ideal candidate will be passionate about promoting nature recovery in the largest National Nature Reserve in Britain.

Context

Mar Lodge Estate is made up of more than 29,000 hectares of inspiring Scottish landscape: heather covered moorland, Caledonian pine forest, towering mountains and the Quoich wetlands, home to wading birds and otters. There are 15 Munros here, including 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the UK. The wild beauty of Mar Lodge Estate unfolds around our 19th century shooting lodge, which is used for both holiday accommodation and events. The beautiful ancient pinewoods that surround the Lodge are home to red squirrels and pine martens as well as birds such as the crossbill and black grouse. We have a wide range of landscape conservation projects underway, including woodland regeneration through deer reduction, footpath repair and peatland restoration.

Key Responsibilities And Accountabilities

Planning

• Manage maintenance and compliance master sheets so that all works are planned according to priority, recorded in terms of progress and accurate costings tracked.

Building Maintenance

• Carrying out property condition/safety and fire safety checks and inspections in line with Safe Systems of Work.
• Identifying, initiating and monitoring contractor repair work, both in house and by external contractors, in line with contractor management procedures, and legislation.
• Maintaining on-line records in relation to the elements above to ensure compliance with legislation.

Forestry interventions

• Plan felling and thinning rotation in accordance with the Mar Lodge Estate management objectives and long-term forest plan in conjunction with the ecology team. The estate supervisor will be involved in the periodic review of the aforementioned documents.
• Manage thinning, timber harvesting and transport operations. Manage the periodic safety inspections of trees and any subsequent necessary interventions.

Infrastructure maintenance and compliance.

• Oversee operation and maintenance of infrastructure on the estate, including roads, bridges, private water supplies, district heat network, solar panels, sewage treatment and biomass heating system.

Asset Control

• Keep an inventory of all estate tools, plant, vehicles and equipment and ensure they are securely stored and audited periodically

Grounds/Farmland maintenance.

• Work with the estate manager, conservation manager and the visitor services manager to update and deliver a landscape plan for the Mar Lodge Policies/designated landscape.
• Provide practical support on the delivery of conservation projects, such as peatland restoration.
• Erect and maintain fencing, manage conservation hay meadows and wetland interventions, manage hedgerows, manage formal lawns and garden shrubbery.

Health and Safety

• Prepare risk assessments for all activities undertaken by the estate team in accordance with Health & Safety legislation tasks. Record and report accidents, incidents and near misses as appropriate. In conjunction with others (Estate Manager, VSM, NTS H&S Team), prepare Fire Risk Assessments for estate buildings. Lead on delivery of remedial actions. Other necessary H&S administration (COSHH, HAVs recording, etc).
• In line with stated Trust policies and approaches to ensure the health and welfare of staff/volunteers and visitors in compliance with legislation.

Advocacy

• Contribute where appropriate to Trust membership recruitment.

SCOPE OF JOB

People Management

• Lead a team of 3 estate workers.
• Responsible for managing the estate team: arranging training, detailing rotas and responsibilities and day to day working practices.
• Will interface with contractors and suppliers to Mar Lodge.
• Occasional supervision of volunteers.

Finance Management

• Not a budget-holder but will be expected to raise Purchase Orders and oversee bill payments as required.
• Work closely with the Estate Manager over expenditure – particularly over quotes from contractors for work.

Tools / equipment / systems

• Will be a frequent user of driven vehicles including tractors (with trailers and PTO implements) timber forwarding equipment, 360 diggers, ride on rollers, ATV’s (tracked and wheeled) telehandler and other off-road vehicles.
• Will be a frequent user of powered tools such as chainsaws, brush cutters, generators, drills, stone cutters, mowers etc.
• Will be a frequent user of tractor mounted equipment including; mowers, winches, firewood processors, snow ploughs etc.
• Will be a frequent user of hand-tools.
• Will be a moderately frequent user of computer systems, primarily for monitoring maintenance schedules and arranging for the raising of purchase orders.

Required Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge

The above outlines the key skills the job holder will need to possess and exercise. In addition, either knowledge of or experience in the following is required:

Essential

• Able to communicate in a tactful, polite and helpful manner with staff at all levels, the public and contractors
• Able to get along and build positive relationships within both the estate team and the across the wider estate
• Practical experience/knowledge of rural estate work, or an equivalent, including building maintenance and forestry management.
• Knowledge and understanding of workplace safety and risk assessments
• Able to operate basic IT packages and willingness to be trained on electronic finance systems and use of IT and audio-visual equipment
• Able to work unsupervised, and use initiative when assessing situations, whilst judging when to seek further guidance/advice/instruction
• Ability to prioritise, manage own time effectively and act calmly under pressure in emergency situations
• Openness to conservation land management and a willingness to learn and develop new skills particularly in relation to conducting operations in ecologically sensitive areas
• Full driving licence, valid for driving in the UK

Desirable

• Hold a tree safety inspection certificate
• Relevant vehicle qualifications, such as tractors, trailers, telehandlers, excavators, rollers, skid steer machines.
• An understanding or awareness of conservation designations and how these can affect practical land management activities.
• Experience and qualifications in the use of chainsaws and strimmers.
• Portable Appliance Testing competency/qualification (or willingness to be trained)
• Proficiency in the handling of carpentry and mechanical tools and selective electrical equipment
• First Aid qualification (or willingness to be trained)

The Key Responsibilities, Scope of Job, and Required Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Knowledge reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue.

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