Arborist Climber - $30-40/hr - 25-year-old company that's growing

WHO YOU'D BE WORKING FOR

Blue Ribbon Tree has been doing this for 25 years across the Greater Seattle area. 75% repeat business, and we've barely marketed a day in our history.

Ownership changed hands recently. Not private equity, not a rollup, nobody dressing this company up to flip it. Two owner-operators bought it to run it. What that means for you: money goes into the company instead of out of it, decisions get made in days instead of quarters, and the development ladder isn't already full of people ahead of you. The plan is to build the best damn tree care company in the PNW without losing the craft, the care, or the crew that got us here.

If you want a nameplate at a corporate giant and a free fleece vest at the holiday party, this isn't it.

HOW THIS CREW WORKS

You know what this job is, so we'll skip the part where we tell you it's hard. Here's the part that's actually different from shop to shop.

Our climbers work the ground too. Dragging brush, feeding the chipper, helping with cleanup. Nobody here is above it, and that's one of the reasons this crew is good. Same at the yard — when the truck comes back, the whole crew cleans the saws, coils the ropes, and sweeps out the truck. No shop guy does it after you leave.

If you've come from a place where climbers don't touch that, this will be a change. If it sounds like the kind of crew you'd want to be on, keep reading.

WHY IS THIS ROLE WORTH YOUR TIME

We've got the reputation and the repeat business. What we need is another great climber — someone who works clean, works safe, knows trees, and makes good calls up there without anybody standing underneath telling them how.

Your judgment counts here. You're not calling a regional office for permission to change a rigging plan, and you're not being second-guessed by someone who hasn't been in a tree in fifteen years. If you're good, you'll have room to be good.

We're growing, and we promote from the inside before we hire from outside. Get your ISA certification with us paying for it, carry TRAQ and earn from the assessments you perform, take a crew of your own when you're ready. Our crew leads are part of company management — in the room for decisions about scheduling, equipment, safety standards, and hiring. If you want to be a great climber and nothing else, that's a real career here too.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Real arborist work — pruning, removals, sectional dismantling, and rigging

Make the call on rigging and removal sequence, and be able to explain your reasoning

Run the bucket when the bucket is the right tool. Aerial lift work is part of the job here, and we're not precious about who's in it

Cabling and bracing. Not every tree is a removal, and knowing the difference is part of the job

Prune like an arborist, not a landscaper. Proper cuts, and the ability to tell a customer why we're not topping their tree

Direct your ground crew clearly and respectfully. A good climber makes their groundsperson better

Inspect your climbing gear, saws, and rigging daily. No exceptions

Upkeep on the gear and trucks — clean saws, sharp chains, coiled ropes, swept-out truck. Not mechanic work. The whole crew does this, not just you

Work the ground alongside everybody else

Be a professional in front of customers. You're in their yard, near their house

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Reliable. On time, ready, every day. This is the one we won't bend on

Character. How you treat your crew, your customers, and the work matters to us

A genuinely good climber. At least 2 years actually climbing production. Two years or ten, we're open — what matters is you're past new and you work clean. SRT and DdRT, throwline, confident rigging. Aerial lift experience is a plus, and we'll get you comfortable in the bucket if it's new to you

A tree person. You know species, you know how they fail

No prima donnas. Our climbers do ground work right alongside everybody else

Genuinely safe. Not slow — safe. You know the difference, and you know when to stop and get another set of eyes on it

Year-round, all weather. This is the PNW. The work doesn't stop for rain, and neither do we

CPR and First Aid current, or willing to get certified right away. We'll cover it

Valid Washington driver's license. Everybody drives our vehicles, so we run a driving record check before hiring. No CDL needed

No certification required. ISA Certified Tree Climber or Certified Arborist is a strong plus and factors into where you land in the range. Don't have them? We'll pay for you to get there.

PAY & BENEFITS
$30–$40/hour depending on skill and experience. W-2, full-time, year-round, overtime and storm work available. Paid time off and paid holidays. $1,000 referral bonus once your referral hits six months. Monthly phone stipend. Primary PPE and tools pro