Deadline: Wed, 10/30/2024 - 12:00pm Employer: Oregon Department of State Lands Job Field: Forestry Job Type: Full Time Location: Oregon Location Detail: Elliott State Research Forest, OR Job Description: Job Description: Are you an experienced Forester looking to oversee a world-class research forest? Apply to be our Forester (Natural Resource Specialist 4) for the Elliott State Research Forest by October 30th, 2024! This position is eligible for a hybrid remote schedule and available as a Job Rotation for existing state employees. Make a Difference for Oregon. The Department of State Lands (DSL) manages the lands that help fund our public schools and protects the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide. Our stewardship ensures vital natural and financial resources contribute to a vibrant, healthy Oregon now and forever. The DSL team makes a difference for Oregonians every day. As our Forester for the Elliott, you will too. At the State Land Board’s direction, DSL has been advancing a collaborative effort to transition the Elliott State Forest to a research forest and an internationally important center for forest science and management. We are now hiring a team of staff who will work with current DSL staff as well as external partners to stand up this new program for operational management of the Elliott State Research Forest. The successful candidate will lead forestry activities as described by the Forest Management Plan, under the direction of the Elliott State Research Forest Manager, DSL Director, the Elliott’s Board of Directors, and the Land Board. This is a full-time limited duration position and is represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). This position is supported by existing legislative funding and is expected to become permanent. Current state employees are encouraged to apply to the position as a Job Rotation. What’s in it for you? Serve as the lead Forester in a central role of the newly formed team. Receive 1-on-1 mentoring and support from natural resource experts. Join an organization with smart, driven, co-workers who care about Oregon’s economy, environment, and communities, and their co-workers. Gain full benefits with 95% to 99% of medical insurance premiums paid by the agency for full-time employees, including mental health and alternative care coverage. Accrue 8 hours of sick leave and at least 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with your vacation leave accruals increasing every 5 years. Receive 11 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, 3 personal business days and other employee benefits such as optional insurances and flexible spending plans. Automatically enroll into the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after 6 months of full-time service. Earn the initial monthly salary range for this position starting at $5,746 - $8,831 for employees new to DSL; as a current PERS participating member, start at $6,143-$9,444. This position will receive a 6.55% Cost of Living Adjustment in early 2025. This position will be located at our Shutter Creek Facility in North Bend and is eligible for hybrid remote work. The successful candidate is expected to be in office an average of three days per week, and able to telecommute two days per week. Offices are located at the Shutter Creek Facility in North Bend that is poised for transformation into a 49-acre operations hub for the Elliott State Research Forest, including laboratory, classroom, dormitory and office spaces in partnerships with local and Tribal entities. Preference may be given to applicants already located or willing to relocate within Coos or Douglas county. Working Conditions: Much of the work is in a hybrid office setting; fieldwork is a common and required part of the job, and occasional travel is an essential function of the position. DSL provides agency-maintained vehicles, reimbursement for field gear, and travel expenses for authorized, on-the-job travel and fieldwork. Overnight stays and/or extended work hours can be expected along with exposure to inclement weather and road conditions. What you will be doing: As the Forester for the Elliott State Research Forest, you will plan, prepare, and implement harvest treatments and other forest management activities consistent with the Forest Management Plan, including the mission and management policies adopted by the Land Board and the Habitat Conservation Plan. Job duties include: Planning and preparing timber sales and other forest management activities within the Elliott’s biennial operations plans, in coordination with other team staff and processes. Overseeing contract administration for forest management services. Developing and coordinating monitoring efforts, forest inventory or other data needs, for forest management duties. Monitoring public use of the forest Coordinating wildfire protection of the forest, including through Oregon Department of Forestry or other fire protection agreements as well as communications with Coos Forest Protective Association. Coordinating with law enforcement on patrol agreements. Representing agency as a forestry expert to the public and in working groups or meetings associated with the forest. Participating with agency and program staff in meetings on management, research, or other proposals and coordination of internal and external communication. Participating in outreach activities and public meetings. Qualifications: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS- to be considered for this position, please ensure you have one of the following combinations of education and/or experience: Four (4) years of experience in forest, fish and/or wildlife management; at least one year must be at a technical or professional level performing activities such as researching and analyzing data, conducting investigations, applying pertinent laws and regulations or coordinating and monitoring project activities; AND A bachelor’s degree in forestry, forest management, environmental science, fish or wildlife science, or another related field. ORThree (3) additional years of related experience. NOTE: A master’s degree in forestry or a closely related field will substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience and a doctorate degree in forestry for a closely related field will substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience. Applicants who have obtained a master’s degree or Doctorate that included work experience from an internship, work/study, thesis, or similar program may list this experience in their application to receive credit for the work experience. The master’s degree/Doctorate and applicable work experience will be considered separately, and both the education and applicable experience may count toward minimum qualifications. DESIRED ATTRIBUTES- tell us which of the following skills, experiences, and related talents you have by highlighting them in your application materials: Demonstrated experience in the layout and preparation of timber sales, including experience in sale boundary posting, timber cruising, timber appraisal and timber sale contract preparation and administration. Working knowledge of forest management technology and recommended best management practices. General knowledge of land use regulations, hazardous waste rules and property development, as well as with habitat conservation plans. Excellent verbal and written skills including working with operators, landowners, and the public in communicating technical information and prescriptive standards. Experience providing education and outreach to a variety of users such as landowners, operators, small woodland owners, and other agencies in classroom/workshop and/or field tour settings etc. Experience or education in using GIS to create project maps, especially use of ArcPro or ArcGIS Online. Demonstrated understanding of sustainable forestry practices, silviculture, and ecosystem management. Skill in researching information from all relevant sources to understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Skill in using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. Ability to analyze information and evaluate results to choose the best solution and solve problems. Salary: $5,746 - $8,831 How to Apply: How to apply: Complete the following required steps: Fill out the application or attach a resume. Please contact the recruiter if you have any questions about how to fill out the experience fields or to attach a document. Your submitted experience fields or attached resume must include dates (MM/YYYY) for each employer, and any relevant volunteer and/or internship experience. Attach a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience and training relates to the qualities that you have under the “Desired Attributes” section above. Your cover letter must be limited to no more than two (2) pages. Please address your cover letter to Chris Castelli, Deputy Director of the Land Management Division. Generic cover letters that do not address the qualities that you have under the “Desired Attributes” section may receive lower scores than those that addressed the desired qualities. You must upload your cover letter in the ‘Resume/Cover Letter’ section of the application. Complete questionnaire. Answer the checkbox-style questions before submitting your application. If you are applying as an existing state employee for the Job Rotation option, please upload permission from your current supervisor. After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This screen will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox. If you are a veteran, you may receive preference. The task to upload your documents will be available after you submit your application. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your military service document(s) to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments. The Oregon Department of State Lands is committed to seeking and sustaining a culturally, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse working environment. The Department hires staff interested in supporting environmental justice by including communities traditionally underrepresented in public processes. We encourage members of these communities to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the desired attributes. The Oregon Department of State Lands understands that an authentic focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace will in turn create a workforce aligned to meet the challenge of serving all Oregonians.
