Area Manager

Manulife • Usa, NH

7d • Remote

About The Position

The Manulife Forest Management (MFM) Lake States & Northeast Division manages approximately 561,000 acres of timberland across five states, expanding to 707,000 acres with the acquisition of New Hampshire timberlands. This position is responsible for managing timberland assets in New Hampshire and Maine, focusing on northern hardwood forest management, with secondary management in spruce, fir, and mixed cover types. The forestland management regimes include both even-aged and uneven-aged silviculture.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in forestry or equivalent experience as required
• A minimum of five-year career experience with organizational and team supervision experience desirable
• Proficient in Northern Hardwood, Spruce, Fir and mixed cover type forest management. This includes knowledge and experience with management cost and return expectations, discounted cash flow analysis, harvest administration, and timber marketing.
• Valid driver’s license and be insurable with company’s commercial carrier.
• Maintain State of New Hampshire Licensed Forester status
• Strong computer and analytical skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office365 and GIS skills.
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn and apply key financial concepts to business decisions.
• Must be service oriented from a fiduciary perspective.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders, facilitate productive discussions, manage sensitive issues, and communicate complex forest management objectives to varied audiences.
• Strong experience in community engagement, public outreach, stakeholder relations, and collaborative problem solving.

Nice To Haves

• organizational and team supervision experience desirable

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a strong service-oriented relationship with appropriate MIMT and MIMFM personnel and maintain client fiduciary obligations.
• Follow stewardship policies and practices to meet or exceed state BMP for Water Quality, Soils, and Invasive Species compliance and third party SFI/FSC certification standards.
• Responsible for maintaining and strengthening key relationships with area stakeholders, including contractors, timber market personnel, recreation groups, conservation organizations, local communities, Indigenous communities, elected officials, adjacent landowners, and government representatives.
• Promote collaboration, trust, and alignment of forest management objectives through proactive communication and engagement.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and community outreach efforts within the management area.
• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with local communities, conservation organizations, government agencies, elected officials, recreational user groups, adjacent landowners, and industry partners.
• Ensure timely, transparent, and professional communication regarding forest management activities, conservation initiatives, public access matters, and operational concerns.
• Supports budgeting and planning process for all forest management activities within the management area.
• Represent MIMFM in a professional manner to public, industry, peers, associations, and regulatory entities.
• Provide leadership and supervise area employee(s) and consulting personnel.
• Provide oversight and implementation of safety procedures for all area personnel, contractors, and property assets.
• Direct timber harvesting operations including planning, harvest layout, contract administration, timber security, quality inspections and reporting.
• Marketing of all timber products while managing delivery logistics.
• Explore new markets, timber specifications, logistic opportunities.
• Manage harvest volumes and silvicultural prescriptions to maintain conservation easement and carbon project compliance.
• Adopt, follow, practice, assist in updating all MFM Stewardship Policies and Procedures.
• Prescribe, schedule, and implement silvicultural operations.
• Oversight, planning and implementing road building and road maintenance.
• Maintain relations with appropriate Township and County Road Commissioners.
• Maintain Conservation Easement compliance.
• Oversight, maintenance and implementation of recreational trail use agreements.
• Address and remedy trespass, encroachments, illegal activities or environmental issues.
• Utilize and oversee consultant activities on field tasks as appropriate.
• Seek eligible non-timber income opportunities from MFM managed properties.
• Lead and support communications efforts related to stakeholder engagement, community relations, public affairs, media inquiries, and forest management activities.
• Serve as a visible and trusted representative of MFM, ensuring stakeholders are informed, consulted, and engaged on issues affecting the forestland portfolio.
• Reporting of operational status, markets, stewardship activities, and risks.
• Participate in special projects and support company strategies such as acquisitions and land sales.
• As requested, plan and lead property tours for clients, stakeholders, MFM peers.

Benefits

• health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans.
• various retirement savings plans (including pension/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources.
• up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year
• full range of statutory leaves of absence.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior