Title: Seed Orchard Labourer Classification: Labourer 6

JOB PROFILE Position # Various

TITLE: SEED ORCHARD LABOURER CLASSIFICATION: LABOURER 6

MINISTRY: FORESTS, LANDS, NATURAL RESOURCE OPERATIONS & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

WORK UNIT: FOREST IMPROVEMENT AND RESEARCH MANAGEMENT BRANCH

SUPERVISOR TITLE: SEED ORCHARD TECHNICIAN SUPERVISOR POSITION #: VARIOUS

JOB OVERVIEW The position is responsible for carrying out a variety of general labour activities relating to the care and maintenance of seed orchards, and picking cones during late summer/fall.

ACCOUNTABILITIES  Collects/picks orchard cones and pollen with the use of orchard ladders and lifts.  Plants trees, rootstock, and grafted ramets into orchards, holding beds, and pots.  Maintains grounds, orchards, holding areas, and plantations; including but not limited to mowing and weeding, applying fertilizers, attaching tree labels/tags, field layout & rock picking, and assisting other staff.  Cleaning and disposing of brush and debris.  Cleans, tests and maintains the irrigation system (check caps and lines, and flushes lines).  Cleaning and minor maintenance of buildings; cleaning gutters, washing, sweeping, organizing and clean up  Cleans and maintains tools and equipment.  Uses weed eaters, orchard lifts, mowers, pressure washers, pruners, ladders, shovels, and assorted hand tools.  Operates ATVs (quads), golf carts, side-by-side vehicles, trucks, and other vehicles requiring a BC Class 5 Driver’s Licence.  Completes daily time sheets reporting hours by task.  Carries out other related duties as required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS  Manual labour or outdoor working experience; prefer experience working with plants; i.e. tree planter, gardener, landscaper, orchard worker etc. or equivalent training and experience.  Physically fit and able to lift supplies (i.e. bags of fertilizer, cones buckets, etc.) and operate equipment (i.e. ATVs, orchard lifts, pruners, weed eaters, mowers, etc.) on an on-going basis.  Able to work outdoors in all types of weather, including winter cold weather, and with potential allergens such as pollen, grass, insects, chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers; as well as ability to work at heights using lifts and ladders.  Basic knowledge of safe work practices and a good safety attitude.  Ability to follow instructions/requirements, complete tasks on time and work independently and in a team.  Demonstrated ability to read labels and instructions and communicate clearly.  Completion of an ATV safety course if driving quads is expected.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES  Planning, Organizing and Coordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans, and involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization’s mandate.  Improving Operations is the ability and motivation to apply one's knowledge and past experience for improving upon current modes of operation within the Ministry. This behaviour ranges from adapting widely used approaches to developing entirely new value-added solutions.  Flexibility is the ability and willingness to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of diverse situations, and with diverse individuals or groups. Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating different and opposing perspectives on an issue, adapting one’s approach as situations change and accepting changes within one’s own job or organization.  Information Seeking is driven by a desire to know more about things, people or issues. It implies going beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include “digging” or pressing for exact information; resolution of discrepancies by asking a series of questions; or less-focused environmental “scanning” for potential opportunities or miscellaneous information that may be of future use.  Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively within diverse teams, work groups and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

The above competencies complement the required accountabilities for this position. For more information about behavioural interviews, competency definitions, and to watch interview videos, please visit: Competencies in the BC Public Service