Salary : $80,784.00 - $108,252.00 Annually

Location : Tumwater, WA

Job Type: Full-time

Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number: 2025-01

Department: Water Resources and Sustainability

Opening Date: 01/09/2025

Closing Date: Continuous

General Statement of Duties/Supervision

Tumwater is a vibrant community, rich in history, community, and opportunity.

Nestled into the base of Puget Sound, Tumwater is the southern gateway to the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area. It's just a little over an hour from the Pacific Ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier with beautiful landscapes of prairie, river, estuary, and lush green trees. With its central location, Tumwater is a picturesque Northwest community with convenient access to arts, cultural and outdoor recreation.

Our vision is to create a future that is highly livable with diverse and engaged residents, a strong economy, and a healthy natural environment. Safe neighborhoods, quality schools, and a sense of community pride make Tumwater a great place to live, work, and play.
The City of Tumwater Water Resources & Sustainability Department seeks a qualified individual to fill the position of Urban Forester. This position leads efforts to maintain and enhance the City urban and community forest including planning, implementing, coordinating, and operation of urban forestry initiatives and programs. Provides technical expertise on public and private tree-related concerns and is responsible for implementing the City Urban Forestry program. The selected individual will assist with the administration of a broad range of local land use and development codes and support city planning and policy development with technical expertise in urban forestry. This position is expected to spend approximately 60% of their time in an office and 40% of their time in the field.

*Job posting will be open until position is filled. Review of applications will begin February 3, 2025.*

Essential Job Duties

Join our team of dedicated public servants and make a difference.

The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to:

Urban Forestry Management Plan Implementation

Assist in implementing the City Urban Forestry Management Plan, including any future updates
Serve as an alternate Staff Liaison to the Tumwater Tree Board and other urban forestry policy and technical teams
Leads and implements programs to maintain and enhance the City tree canopy including tree planting and distribution programs
Supports advancing best practices in Urban Forestry including Right Tree Right Place
Conducts education and outreach on urban forestry topics
Maintain the City Tree City USA accreditation and assist in planning the Annual Arbor Day celebration
Coordinates volunteer tree-planting events with the City Volunteer Coordinator and Water Resources Specialist (Habitat & Outreach)
Provides professional horticultural and landscape advice to community members as needed
Coordinates and administers the City Heritage Tree program
Manages the River Foundation grant and all deliverables therein that funds the Urban Forestry Work
Keeps a log of hours spent specifically in disadvantaged communities or working towards tree equity

Permit and Development Application Review

Supports Code Enforcement, landscape plan review, ordinance development, inspections, and other land use planning related to trees
Understand and administer tree, soil and native vegetation protection and replacement standards to land development applications such as site plans, land use review, civil engineering, and building permit applications

Manage City-owned Urban Forest in coordination with other Departments

Directs, supervises, and trains staff engaged in forestry activities
Promote the proper management of trees on City-owned properties
Visits nurseries and selects tree species for planting projects throughout the City
Supervises tree planting and maintenance in coordination with other City Departments as required
Provides professional horticultural, forestry, and landscape advice/expertise to other City Departments
Performs field site visits to conduct tree health/quality assessments on City properties; recommends treatment plans to correct problems identified as needed
Prepare staff reports and other documents that clearly and accurately convey complex information to the public, advisory commissions, and City Council
Maintains City tree inventory data

Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.
Selection Criteria

Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of current urban forestry practices and procedures
Knowledge of applicable City Ordinances, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations related to trees and landscaping
Skill of active listening
Skill of coordination with others
Project management
Thorough knowledge of modern office practices, procedures, software and equipment.
Ability to maintain effective, courteous, and tactful public relations with elected officials, management, staff, and the general public.

Minimum Qualifications:
Four-year degree in forestry, ecology, arboriculture, horticulture, Planning, or closely related field and three years of related experience required. Additional qualifying experience or completion of coursework at an accredited college or university in a job-related field may substitute for the required experience on a one-to-one year ratio.
International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Arborist Certification is required. The Urban Forester must maintain this credential for the duration of their employment at the City of Tumwater.

Preferred:

Preferred credentials include the following: International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, ISA Certified Tree Climber, and/or American Society of Consulting Arborists Tree Plant Appraisal Qualification.

Training/Licenses/Certifications:

ISA Arborist Certification
Washington State Driver's License, or ability to attain within 30 days of hire
Maintain ISA Arborist Certification for duration of employment

Other information (if any) specific to this position

Supplemental Information

Contacts: This position will have significant daily contact with the public for the purpose of information-sharing and problem resolution. Due to the subject matter, some contacts may be confrontational, requiring the Urban Forester to explain City policies and procedures in a professional, concise, and respectful manner. The Urban Forester will also have daily contact with other City staff for the purpose of information sharing, work coordination, and problem resolution. Additional contacts with public officials are for the purpose of information gathering and project definition. Contacts with public officials are usually held in a public meeting forum.

Supervision: May assist in the training and/or supervision of less experienced staff. However, general supervision is not required as a part of this job.

Accountability: The Urban Forester reports to the Sustainability Manager under the guidance of the Water Resources & Sustainability Department Director. The Urban Forester is accountable for completing all assigned work in a timely, professional manner.

Working Conditions:
The Urban Forester will generally work in an office with a significant portion of time spent performing duties out-of-doors completing site investigations. Investigations require working on construction sites, rough terrain, in wetlands, boating, and being in the proximity of heavy equipment. Periodic travel and attendance at meetings, continuing education, and conferences, both during regular working hours and in the evening, are required.

Physical requirements:

Occasional lifting and carrying up to 20 pounds
May be subject to walking, standing, sitting, reaching, bending, kneeling and handling. Climbing is not anticipated.

Specific physical requirements and typical working conditions for this position are on file in the Administrative Services Department.

The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.

The following is an overview of the benefits available to the regular-status, non-represented employees of the City of Tumwater (benefits for part-time employees will be pro-rated):

Vacation: Regular full-time City employees earn 96 hours of paid annual leave during their first year of employment. This rate is increased to a maximum of 184 hours per year, depending upon length of service.

Sick Leave: Sick leave is accrued by regular full-time City employees at the rate of 8 hours per month. Sick leave may be used only to ensure an employee's health, and for absences caused by death or illness of a member of the employee's immediate family.

Holidays: Most City employees receive 12 paid holidays (at 8 hours each) annually, one of which is a floating holiday.

Retirement:Eligible City employees are mandatory members of the State of Washington Public Employees Retirement System (PERS\LEOFF). Both the City and the employee contribute to the system. The state retirement system provides retirement benefits and also benefits for people who are disabled. Employees leaving City service prior to retirement may withdraw their total contribution with interest.

Deferred Compensation and Roth IRA programs offered through Mission Square: Employees may directly reduce their taxable income and defer this taxation until retirement or withdrawal of funds by participating in a deferred compensation plan. Deferred compensation allows an employee to defer up to $22,500 of their gross annual salary (more if over age 50). The employee chooses how to invest their deferred salary.

Employees may put up to $6,500 in a Roth IRA (after-tax program).

The City also offers a 401(a) plan and will match employee contributions up to 5%.

Insurance Plans: Each full-time City employee will receive a contribution of $2,118.00 per month toward the purchase of medical, vision and dental insurance. (Amount is pro-rated for part-time employees.) This monthly amount pays approximately 85% of the costs of a family of four. Full family medical, dental and vision coverage requires an employee contribution toward the cost of premiums. Employee's whose insurance needs are less than the monthly $2,118.00 contribution can purchase get 60% of the left over contribution money as cash on their paycheck. Employees are required to have City medical insurance. The City also offers medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, subject to eligibility requirements.

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA): The City contributes a flat dollar amount per full-time employee to an HRA VEBA program for current and future health care out of pocket expenses. This monthly amount per full-time employee is $225.00.

Group Life Insurance: The City will purchase for each employee $50,000 worth of group term life insurance.*

Liberty Mutual Insurance: City employees are eligible for discounted auto and home insurance.

EMPLOYMENT

Hours of Work: The normal work week is forty (40) hours, Monday through Friday. Customized work schedules may be available at the discretion of the position supervisor. Some positions require weekend, evening, shift or holiday work or overtime.

Career Opportunities: The City encourages career development for its employees and frequently seeks to promote qualified employees from within the City service.

For further information about the position announced on this bulletin, please contact humanresources@ci.tumwater.wa.us.

The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse workforce. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

01

Are you currently an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist? If yes, please attach a legible copy of the certification to your application.

02

Describe your experience working with the public including residents, community groups, and volunteers. Include details and examples about applying your knowledge of urban forestry to address customer concerns through education and awareness.

03

Briefly describe your perspective on equity as it is related to Urban Forestry work.

04

Have you attached your letter of interest and resume?

Required Question

City of Tumwater, WA jobs

Urban Forester