Forester II

Southern Company•Savannah, GA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The position will administer the integrated vegetation management (IVM) plan for powerline rights of way and will support the Distribution Areas for Georgia Power Company’s service area. Some overnight travel may be required. The specific work territory will be Savannah, Springfield, and Statesboro Operating HQ’s. The successful candidate must reside within a reasonable commuting distance to the assigned territory. Modified relocation assistance may be available for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry or related field preferred
Must possess, or obtain within industry guidelines, ISA Certified Arborist certification
Must possess, or obtain within industry guidelines, appropriate herbicide application license
Ability to learn basic business skills such as budgeting and finance
Able to value and interact with people with different perspectives and backgrounds
Must be self-motivated and demonstrate ability to work without direct supervision
Ability to work with commonly used applications including Microsoft Word, Outlook, Access and Excel.
Ability to perform emergency call-out response and storm restoration support is required
Must have at least one year of verifiable driving experience
Must hold a valid driver’s license for the class vehicle to be operated. Driving permits are not typically considered a valid driver’s license.
Must have no revocation of driving privileges within the 36 months prior to application, no convictions of major traffic violations (DUI, hit and run, reckless driving, etc.) within the 12 months prior to application, or any pending charges for a major traffic violation at the time of application.

Nice To Haves

ISA Utility Specialist desired
Knowledge of distribution and transmission utility electrical systems desired
Familiarity with ANSI Z-133, A-300 standards desired
Knowledge of NERC Standard for vegetation management, FAC 003-5, preferred
Utility integrated vegetation management experience desired
Contractor management experience desired
Effective communication and conflict resolution skills highly desired
Also, experience with mobile applications and GIS / GPS applications is a plus.
Ability to communicate in English and Spanish is a plus
State Registered Forester license is preferred
Must be able to identify the species of local vegetation and their growth characteristics

Responsibilities

Implementation and management of an integrated vegetation management (IVM) plan across the assigned territory
Perform on-going quality control inspections of completed work as well as work in progress to ensure compliance with contract specifications
Manage an annual IVM budget to complete the scheduled work plan
Manage contractor resource levels to complete funded work plan
Manage and coordinate the daily work-plans of multiple contractor resources to ensure work practices are performed safely, productively, and within schedule
Establish and maintain relationships with various federal, state, municipal, and local government agencies and departments related to vegetation management.
Represent Georgia Power to various organizations such as local tree boards, neighborhood associations, professional organizations, company or industry committees, etc.
Effectively communicate vegetation maintenance objectives and practices to both internal and external customers
Ensure all compliance and regulatory obligations are met
Ensure compliance with requirements of FAC-003-5 always
Work outside normal business hours in support of emergency restoration efforts is expected