Director, Urban and Community Forestry US

Sustainable Forestry Initiative • Washington, DC

4d • $115,000 - $130,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is seeking a Director of Urban and Community Forestry to support its mission of advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. This role will involve working with a network of urban and community forestry leaders to implement the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard and manage a $5 million grant from the United States Forest Service (USFS) Urban and Community Forestry program. The position is crucial for promoting sustainable urban and community forest management and expanding the impact of SFI Standards across the United States. The organization emphasizes the importance of urban and community forests as vital green spaces that strengthen communities and enhance quality of life.

Requirements

• Degree in forestry, urban forestry, natural resources, or related field, required.
• At least 5 years of experience in urban forestry with a vast network within the urban forestry community required.
• Sector credentials such as ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional, and/or ISA Board-Certified Master Arborist required.
• At least 3 years of experience managing a U.S. federal or state grant program is required.
• Knowledge of local urban and community forest needs on a national scale.
• Ability to work in a team environment, take initiative, assess priorities and multi-task, and competently perform a variety of activities with a high level of accuracy and within a fast-paced work setting.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Shows a hunger for learning and the ability to “ramp-up” quickly on new projects/tasks.
• Supports the SFI Senior Leadership Team by anticipating team needs and demonstrating the ability to represent SFI at a higher level, as needed.
• Oversees projects or programs from start to finish, seeking the support and input from others and managing consultants as warranted.
• Develops and implements programs and policies to cultivate a positive, collaborative and respectful culture and consistently models these behaviors.
• Comfortably operates in nuanced situations or potentially ambiguous or uncertain situations.
• Routinely considers both the internal and external implications of decisions.
• Effectively leads meetings with external parties.
• Confidently and effectively represents SFI to a variety of interested parties in a diverse array of settings and situations.
• Requires ability to respect confidentiality and exercise discretion with sensitive and privileged information.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with and appreciation of forest certification standards and the auditing process preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in business development, program promotion and strategic relationship building preferred.
• Prior involvement with the SFI Urban & Community Forest Sustainability Standard preferred.
• Bilingualism or professional language proficiency is a plus (example: French, Spanish etc.)

Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee a $5 million grant through the USFS Urban and Community Forestry program.
• Provide technical assistance, support and urban forestry expertise to passthrough grant recipients related to reporting, compliance, grant administration, and implementation.
• Promote and support the implementation of the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard in collaboration with municipalities, universities and corporations while building relationships across additional sectors.
• Develop and strengthen collaborative partnerships that contribute to sustainable urban and community forest management.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities to support the growth and long-term sustainability of SFI’s urban and community forestry initiatives.
• Serve as SFI’s subject matter expert on urban and community forestry with interested parties, partners, and at industry events and conferences.
• Lead the strategic growth and implementation of SFI’s urban and community forestry program in the U.S., including standards revision and maintenance, outreach and engagement, network development, and initiatives that elevate SFI’s leadership in urban forestry.
• Coordinate with communications staff to recognize SFI certified organizations, elevate success stories, and facilitate adoption of SFI Standards.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Retirement plan with generous employer contribution and additional matching contribution up to 11% of your salary, provided you also contribute 4%.
• Paid Time Off – generous vacation policy ranging from 2 weeks to 5 weeks, increasing with experience, all federal holidays, plus 4 floating holidays annually that may be used to observe additional religious, cultural, or traditional occasions that are meaningful to you, and 12 sick days annually.
• Educational assistance and investment in professional development.

What This Job Offers

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