Contract Forester

We are currently seeking a Contract Forester to join our team. We are looking for energetic professionals who enjoy working outdoors and value the freedom of working independently.  If you enjoy a fast-paced environment and the challenges of a rewarding profession, consider a career in vegetation management with ECI.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify opportunities for improving safety and immediately report incidents, injuries, unsafe working conditions, unsafe work processes, and potential hazards.
• Abide by ECI’s Code of Safe Practices, Injury and Illness Prevention Program, Wildfire Preparedness and Prevention Plan, and safe driving principles, practices, and policies.
• Abide by, integrate, inspire, positively influence and engage others to apply ECI’s Vision, Mission, Values and Principles (VMVPs) in daily activities and decisions
• Safely operate a motor vehicle for travel to assigned work area (locations vary)
• In advance of patrol, review work locations to identify presence of endangered species and/or sensitive habitat and vegetation
• Review records, organize paperwork and prepare maps of circuits to be patrolled and maintain accurate maps and records of patrolled circuits
• Safely patrol energy corridors on foot, accurately identifying vegetation to be pruned, removed, or protected to remain in compliance with Client standards and specifications
• Prescribe International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) recommended directional pruning techniques and clearances for identified vegetation
• Apply tree risk assessment principles and practices to accurately identify vegetation for line clearance mitigation in accordance with Client and Company directives
• Mark vegetation in accordance with Client directives 
• Identify land owner rights using handheld computer records, parcel maps, and property searches
• Provide professional customer service, fostering positive Client, community, and agency relations
• Explain the nature, extent and purpose of prescribed work to property owners, organizations, and/or government agencies
• Identify opportunities to reduce vegetation workload through cost-effective and sustainable vegetation removal, clearance and cut-stump treatment prescriptions, accurate vegetation listing, and applying integrated vegetation management (IVM) principles and practices.
• Notify and obtain permission for vegetation clearing and/or tree pruning/removal by establishing contact with private/public landowners and government agencies. 
• Audit completed utility vegetation inspection and/or line clearance contractor field work for compliance with Client’s specifications and procedures.
• Conduct tree caused outage investigations in the field, determining cause of outage and documenting findings in written report. 
• Respond to and resolve customer service issues as reported through utility’s call center .
• Investigate and resolve compliance issues identified through internal channels, i.e. customer or client tags/tickets, team member field observation, etc.
• When work prescribed falls outside routine inspection timeframe, coordinate with appropriate stakeholders to ensure that work request is generated and forwarded to line clearance contractor
• At request of Supervisor or Client, contact and meet property owners to explain the trimming and/or removal of vegetation on property, i.e. “refusal customers”, property identified as having good “removal candidates”
• Perform storm, post-fire, and emergency-related response work
• Record and maintain accurate records of field data in hand held computer
• At the request of the Client and/or ECI management, attend and participate in training, field reviews, meetings, incident investigations, and public events
• Follow standardized office procedures, submitting all paperwork in a timely fashion
• Accurately prepare documentation associated with vegetation management processes and follow Client directives in regards to program procedures, i.e. removal forms
• Assist with Quarterly/Annual mapping updates as directed by ECI or the Client
• Pursue customer contacts to prepare work for generation to clearance contractor
• Organize and/or archive annual project/circuit folders for accuracy and record retention
• Assist with line clearance and vegetation control work request/order compilation as needed
• Perform other functions as requested by ECI or the Client

 Qualifications:

• Associates or Bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resources, or related discipline or equivalent work experience
• 1+ years of experience in forestry, arboriculture, horticulture or tree-related green industry required. Utility line clearance or tree trimming experience also preferred 
• Ability to safely and independently work in remote areas with limited supervision
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Independent decision making and problem solving skills
• Ability to accurately read maps and judge spatial distances
• Knowledge or practical experience in tree identification
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to represent ECI and its services in a professional and positive manner
• Knowledge of common computer applications and ability to learn new programs
• Valid driver’s license and safe driving record
• ISA Arborist Certification is a plus
• Bi-lingual (Spanish) is a plus

Physical Demands & Working Environment

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Employee must be able to maintain attention and concentration for extended periods of time.  Reasonable accommodations, if available, may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment

Work alone in an outdoor field environment; vehicle and foot patrol of utility power lines; remote locations as well as urban, city environment; physical demands and travel from site to site, including: walking/hiking on various surfaces including flat, dry, wet, slippery, uneven, rough, steep terrain, hills and slopes; exposure to noise, dust, grease, and all types of weather and temperature conditions; exposure to hazardous traffic conditions

Physical

Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in a field environment; to walk, stand, sit, and operate a motor vehicle for prolonged periods of time; to frequently stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, run, crawl, climb, reach, twist, grasp and make repetitive hand movement in the performance of daily duties; carry, push and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight (5 to 10 lbs.); to operate assigned equipment and vehicles; ability to verbally communicate to exchange information with public; ability to see and hear in normal range with or without correction; operate assigned field equipment, including handheld computer, range finder, fyrake, water backpack, shovel, and traffic cone.

Company Overview

Western Environmental Consultants, Inc. (Western ECI) is a leading provider of vegetation and asset management consulting services to the utility industry. Successful professionals at Western ECI have come from a variety of backgrounds, including: forestry, arboriculture, natural resource management, biology, landscape maintenance, horticulture, nursery management, environmental sciences, geology, agriculture, parks & recreation management, urban forestry, geography, and more.  Western ECI offers exciting career opportunities with an excellent compensation package and ongoing growth potential.

Applicants must pass a pre-employment drug test and a criminal background check.

All candidates must possess a valid driver's license and have a good driving record.

Western ECI is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. EOE/AA : Minority/Female/ Vets/ Disabled.

INDLP