Job Profile: Arboricultural Consultant

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Name: Adam Winson

Location: Across the North of England (primarily Yorkshire and surrounding areas): schools, parks/woodlands, development sites, and residential gardens.

Employer: AWA Tree Consultants

Job Responsibilities:

Tree safety surveys and risk assessments; planning and development work to BS 5837; TPO/Conservation Area advice, applications, enforcement case review and evidence; Tree Officer work for local authorities, providing consultation responses on planning applications to help retain and protect trees.

Majority of time is spent on site tree surveys and inspections; report writing and preparing CAD plans. Roughly 60% indoors (desk-based) and 40% outdoors (site work) across the year (we try to time site visits for dry weather!).

Qualifications needed:

Typically a Level 4/5 (or higher) qualification in Arboriculture or a related field.

Additional training: LANTRA Professional Tree Inspection (PTI). QTRA or VALID risk assessment certification is desirable. DBS checks when working with schools or in public-facing roles.

Skills needed: Sound tree biology and defects knowledge; confident year‑round tree ID. Clear, concise technical writing and the ability to explain advice to a lay audience. Planning literacy (reading drawings and understanding the development timeline). GIS/CAD competence and good Excel skills. Professional judgement, diplomacy, and strong ethics. Time management, lone‑working awareness, and good organisation.

Advice to anyone looking at similar roles:

Build your foundations: solid tree ID and a working understanding of tree‑risk‑related fungi; understand trees and the planning system. Get some experience: volunteer with a local consultancy, planning authority, or conservation charity to see both public and private perspectives. Learn the basics of CAD.

Reality check: having a ‘passion for trees’ is the easy bit, you also need to like people! It’s not all sunshine and ancient oaks; some days you’ll be assessing scrubby trees on the edge of a grim industrial estate. There can be time pressure from pushy clients and the occasional difficult conversation. But overall, it’s a great career; we’re lucky to have a small, supportive team who look out for each other. If you enjoy being pragmatic and solving problems that leave real, living legacies on new sites, it’s hugely rewarding - essentially, you get paid to look at trees!

If you have any queries about this role or would like to ask a question please get in touch here.

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