Resident Forester - Alex Fraser Research Forest

University of British Columbia•Williams Lake, BC

10d•CA$6,950 - CA$9,993•Onsite

About The Position

UBC’s Alex Fraser Research Forest is part of the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship, and is responsible for managing the University’s obligations and opportunities on a 9,800 ha public forest tenure generating an annual gross revenue of up to $2 million. Because of the size of operations, the Alex Fraser Research Forest is managed with a close-knit team of individuals who are responsible for a large diversity of tasks. The Resident Forester will be responsible for managing the regeneration obligations of the Alex Fraser Research Forest (AFRF), including planning, implementing, tracking and reporting all post-harvest activities. This position will also be involved with forest development and health management activities as required by contracts, legislation, tenure arrangements and management objectives at the Alex Fraser Research Forest. This is a professional position and the successful candidate will be self-motivated, and capable of taking on professional duties immediately and managing a budget. The AFRF is seeking an individual who is creative, adaptable and interested in shaping the future of our organization. This position will be located in Williams Lake, BC. Occasional weekends and altered hours may be required for particular events/projects.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Knowledge of the BC Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act is required.
Familiarity with a wide range of silvicultural systems is required.
Class V Drivers License, Level II First Aid Certificate, and S100 Fire Suppression Certificate are required.
Computer literacy, including word processing, spreadsheets, RESULTS and GIS applications is required.
Proven abilities in written and oral communications are necessary.

Nice To Haves

A minimum of four years’ experience with specific knowledge of planning and silviculture on forest land in British Columbia is required as well as Registration (or eligibility) as a Professional Forester in B.C preferred.
A post graduate degree in Forestry or allied sciences is an asset.
Registration (or eligibility) as a Professional Biologist in BC is an asset.
Knowledge of the operation of the UBC Research Forests is an asset.

Responsibilities

Supervises planning and development of silviculture prescriptions and operations by making complex social, economic and environmental decisions and trade-offs.
Ensures that plans and prescriptions for silviculture activities comply with legal requirements and guidelines, UBC policy and best-practice guidance. Reviews and makes recommendations regarding what amount to harvest and when.
Oversees log quality control and marketing of logs and provides revenue and cost estimates for future harvest units.
Assists the Director in preparing an annual budget in excess of $2.0 million. Develops budget and is responsible for cost control of all projects under direction of the position.
Represents the Research Forest with First Nations groups, overlapping tenure holders, and stakeholders by sharing annual plans, responding to inquiries, and maintaining positive working relationships.
Leads the ongoing improvement of silviculture prescriptions and metrics.
Maintains forest history records and other management documents both for internal use and as required by government agencies.
Prepares funding proposals, and follows such proposals through as required.
Responds to call outs in the event of emergencies at AFRF on a 24 hour per day, 7 day per week basis.
Replaces the Director during scheduled and unscheduled absences from the Forest – on average 20-30 days per year.
Recruits, selects, evaluates, supervises, manages performance and terminates service providers, vendors and contractors and ensures that site-level, operational, safety and legislation requirements and standards are met.
Participates in educational activities and programs as required. Coordinates, develops and delivers practical curriculum requirements for the 8 field school courses held at the Research Forests each year. Oversees and trains students, staff and contractors. Organizes workshops and logistical needs for external training events and tours. This aspect of the role will require periodic travel to both the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest and UBC campus.
Provides expertise in the field of research on both forests by assisting in the research review process, selection of field sites, development of experimental silviculture prescriptions, and supervision of implementation of those prescriptions. Develops budgets and tracks costing for research related activities. Collaborates with researchers as needed for review, agreements and implementation.
Performs other related duties in keeping with qualifications and requirements of the position.