Forestry Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Compensation

Salary range: $95,000-$110,000. Casey Trees offers excellent benefits including health, dental, vision, flexible spending account, paid holidays, paid time off, and retirement plan 403(b).

About Casey Trees

In pursuit of its mission to restore, enhance and protect the tree canopy of the nation’s capital, Casey Trees (CT) delivers a broad base of programs and services to the DC Metro area. The organization plants more than 6,500 trees each year grown at our own nursery; cares and maintains those trees; conserves greenspace; conducts school and community-based youth STEM programming; and advocates for stronger policies and laws to preserve trees across the area. Casey Trees emphasizes innovative solutions and working with diverse partners to advance and promote tree canopy solutions that meet the needs of the communities that we serve.

Summary

The Urban Forestry Manager leads Casey Trees’ tree planting and maintenance programs across the Washington, DC region. This role manages a team of Urban Forestry Foremen, oversees residential and large parcel planting projects, tracks grant deliverables, and ensures compliance with urban forestry best practices. A key cross-functional collaborator, the Manager works closely with internal teams and external partners while representing Casey Trees at community events. The position blends field operation understanding with administrative and strategic responsibility.

Essential Functions

Personnel Management

• Manages and mentors a team of Urban Forestry Foremen and curates the weekly work schedule
• Ensures adherence to organizational policies and procedures, including but not limited to attendance, timeliness, conduct, volunteer engagement, resident interaction and customer service, budgets, etc.
• Conducts periodic performance appraisals of subordinate staff
• Onboards new staff and develops in-house training sessions

Project Management and Execution

• Guides the comprehensive design approach to tree planting installations.
• Reviews all residential and large parcel tree planting designs and work orders to ensure adherence to organizational standards, smooth installation, and maintenance.
• Manages, tracks, and coordinates grant deliverables for short-term and multi-year projects in collaboration with CT’s Senior Program Manager.
• Distributes and schedules tree planting consultations among Urban Forestry Foremen.
• Conducts residential and large parcel tree planting consultations as needed.
• Works with the Senior Program Manager and Farm Director on tree procurement
• Collaborates with the Tree Operations Director to cultivate new partner relationships, and advance existing relationships, across the Washington, DC metropolitan region
• Works with Tree Operations Director and Field Manager to schedule fieldwork and coordinate field crew capacity
• Manages contracts with outside parties and ensures compliance with Casey Trees’ planting best practices
• Coordinates with GIS Manager to facilitate public right of way plantings
• Stays current on arboriculture/urban forestry best practices and emerging trends

Interdepartmental Collaboration

• Works collaboratively with other CT departments to ensure seamless event execution, donor satisfaction, program improvement, attainment of development goals, exploration of new partner opportunities, etc.
• Provides advice and technical assistance to support classes, events, public inquiries, community outreach.
• Attends community meetings to promote CT activities and events
• Supports tree planting events/programs/activities involving volunteers
• Provides support to CT Accredited Land Trust stewardship, green infrastructure planning, installation, and maintenance of conservation sites.

Fieldwork

• Assists in tree installation and maintenance as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Competencies

• Mentorship/Leadership
• Problem Solving/Analysis
• Technical Aboriculture
• Project Management
• Safety Orientation
• Self Motivation
• Communication Proficiency
• Decision Making

Working Conditions

The incumbent works in the office and in the field. Must be able to use equipment such as (not an exclusive list): computer; smart phones and tablets; automobile; pickup truck with trailer; dingo machine; various hand tools such as shovels, loppers, chainsaws, hand saws, rakes, ladders, and pruning shears, etc.

Physical Demands:

• Use of equipment and lifting to plant and maintain trees
• Working outside year-round conducting site visits, planting trees, instructing volunteers and others year-round in the heat, cold and inclement weather
• While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is frequently required to sit, talk, and hear. The incumbent is constantly required to use hands to feel, handle or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The incumbent is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and walk. The incumbent is required to lift and/or move up to 60 pounds, and occasionally up to 80 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. In the office environment, this position would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bending or standing on a stool as necessary
• The physical demands and work environment described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time exempt position. The incumbent must be able and willing to work evenings, weekends, and extended hours when needed.

Travel

Travel is primarily local to the greater Washington, DC metro area including occasional travel to Casey Tree Farm in Berryville, VA. Travel out of the area for training/seminars/events, etc., requiring overnight stay may be expected.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in arboriculture, horticulture, urban forestry, landscape management or related field, and three or more years of experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Two plus years of demonstrated experience in project management
• ISA Certified Arborist credential required upon hire; or within the first year of employment
• Experience supervising, managing, and mentoring staff of diverse backgrounds and skill levels
• Proficiency with Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS), Salesforce, Eventbrite, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and ability to learn new programs preferred
• Valid driver’s license; clean driving record; willingness/ability to drive pickup truck and trailer
• Must be able to establish, track and meet deadlines
• Professional demeanor, superior written and oral communications skills, and the ability to positively and effectively interact and work with a wide variety of people, including government employees, volunteers, community partners, corporate and individual donors, etc.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Casey Trees is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To apply:

Go to caseytrees.org/career. Please reach out to Veva Milton, HR Generalist with questions at vmilton@caseytrees.org.