Hooke Park Assistant Forester and Sawmill Operator

REPORTS TO: Head of Hooke Park

HOURS: Part-time: 4 days per week, 9am – 5pm

THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION

The Architectural Association was founded in 1847, opening as a day school in 1901. The AA is committed to public benefit attained by the learning, teaching, discussion and promotion of architecture. The School is recognised as a worldwide leader in architectural education, with graduates that include many of the world’s leading architects, scholars, critics and educators. The academic and professional programmes of study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, up to and including doctoral level, are validated by external professional and academic bodies.

HOOKE PARK

Hooke Park is the Architectural Association’s woodland site in Dorset, southwest England. The 150-hectare working forest is owned and operated by the AA and contains a growing educational facility for design, workshop, construction and landscape-focused activities. The Architectural Association took on Hooke Park in 2002, but the campus has a 30-year history of experimental timber construction, from its establishment by the Parnham Trust as a School for Woodland Industries in the 1980’s. The campus is widely celebrated as a centre for architectural research and innovation.

Hooke Park is used by the AA throughout the year by the Hooke Park-based Design + Make postgraduate Architecture programme; and by visiting students from the main campus in London. As well as being integral to the AA, Hooke Park is also part of the larger cultural and making community of West Dorset.

ROLE OVERVIEW

We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive individual with practical forestry experience to join our small team at Hooke Park – someone willing to get hands-on working outside in our beautiful forest and timber yard and playing a key role in supporting the work at Hooke Park.

The position is a supporting role that connects the forest and the timber yard and is fundamental for the integration of forestry work with timber supply for buildings at Hooke Park. You will be working together with our Head Forester assisting in the management of the woodland; maintenance, planting, monitoring, tree felling and extraction. You will also play a key role in operating the timber sawmill and helping our team to coordinate the supply of timber for built projects, liaising with the forester and academic programme heads on requirements and availability of material.

This role is ideal for a highly practical person with forestry skills, and a real passion for woodland. Hands-on forestry experience is an essential requirement, and some experience of timber processing/ machining is highly desirable, but training will be provided for operating the timber mill - we welcome applicants from forestry backgrounds who are willing to develop their skills and knowledge in this area. Some experience with making, particularly working in timber would be an advantage but not essential. A very important aspect of the role is supervising and enforcing a high standard of Health and Safety and good working practice.

You will be working within a small team and the role will include diverse interaction with people across the site, including our forester, academic staff, workshop technicians, make tutors and students, as well as our maintenance, facilities and admin team and a rolling schedule of visitors to the campus. You must be good at working within a team, able to plan and prioritise your work and self-directed when necessary.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email the below documents to recruitment@aaschool.ac.uk (via the ‘Apply’ button above) by the closing date of 24^TH JULY, MID-DAY stating the job title in the subject heading.

• AA Application Form
• Cover Letter / Email highlighting why you feel you are the right person for the role. This should be no more than two-pages
• Full CV

INTERVIEWS WILL TAKE PLACE WEEK COMMENCING 29^TH JULY 2024. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.Informal enquires should be addressed to recruitment@aaschool.ac.uk or 02078874110.

We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Please note that it will not be possible for the AA School to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for successful candidates. Therefore, the appointed candidate will need to be eligible to work in the UK for the duration of their employment with the AA School, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Thank you for your interest in the AA and this role.