Area Forester

Role Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Senior Area Forester, the incumbent will be instrumental in ensuring the sustainability of our forest ecosystems by meticulously reviewing and auditing tenure-based forest management planning and operations within the Whitecourt Forest Area.

Key Responsibilities:
•    Monitoring industry planning, silvicultural activities, and forest operations to maintain vital linkages to Forest Management Plans (FMP), quota agreements, provincial legislation, and departmental directives.
•    Reviewing operational plan submissions such as General Development plans and Annual Operating Plans.
•    Effective communication for conveying sustainable forest management principles to diverse stakeholders including forest and other industries, the public, and Indigenous communities.
•    Mediating conflicts between various interest groups will be part of your daily responsibilities, ensuring that local issues are effectively managed to promote harmony and sustainability.
•    This position is primarily responsible for the administration of regulation and legislation as it applies to timber management companies in a specified sphere of influence, which includes our local Community Coniferous Timber Program (CCTP) as well as working with imbedded quota holders and the participation in the development and implementation of a Forest Management Plan and operational ground rules.
•    Works directly with the Senior Area Forester / Area Foresters and Forestry Stewardship and Trade Branch (FSTB) to achieve the forest areas Forest Health program deliverables. This work includes but is not limited to aerial overview assessments (fixed wing and rotary wing), ground truthing, annual report submissions, and participation in provincial working groups.
•    Conduct audits of timber harvesting operations through our Forest Operations Monitoring Program, timber scaling as per forest area targets, as well as ensuring compliance with established standards and best management practices.
•    Contribute expertise to the development of regulations, policies, and procedures aimed at enhancing forest sustainability and management practices.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

Creative Problem Solving:  Adapts to changing priorities while maintaining resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively working in a changing environment.

Build Collaborative Environments: Takes a collaborative approach with work to foster open communication and leverage team skills.

Agility: Identifies alternative approaches in uncertain, complex situations while supporting others in determining and assessing strategy.

Develop Self and Others: Aims to learn from experiences, shifts, and keeps current with skills and knowledge to remain competitive.

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standard
A degree in the related field such as bachelor in Forestry or directly related degree plus 4 years of related experience or a related two-year diploma plus 6 years of related experience. 
 

Equivalency: 
•    A related two-year diploma plus 6 years related experience. 
•    Additional related education considered in lieu of experience based on one year of experience for one year of education.

Additional requirements include:
•    Class 5 Driver’s License, with a clean drivers abstract.
•    Registered or eligible (within one year) for registration with the Association of Alberta Forest Management Professionals (AAFMP).

Assets include:
•    Extensive knowledge of existing forest management and land management legislation, policies and planning processes/tools such as the Alberta Planning Standard, Soil Conservation Guidelines, Forest Management Planning process, Timber Supply Analyses and the provincial timber harvest operating ground rules.
•    Knowledge of the Indigenous consultation process and adequacy assessments.
•    Highly developed communication skills to deal with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and the public, including excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills, strong listening, and written communication skills.
•    Highly developed organizational, prioritizing and time management skills.
•    Supervisory or leadership experience.
•    Ability to fly in fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.
•    Experience operating equipment such as off-highway vehicles (OHV), 4x4 vehicles, and snowmobiles.
•    Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, ArcMap, or other GIS applications.
•    Strong mediation and negotiation skills and the ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships with various stakeholders.
 

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

Two permanent full time positions with standard weekly hours of 36.25 Monday to Friday. 

The incumbent may be requested to work overtime, evening and weekends due to the emergency nature of wildfires.

Travel throughout the province may be required as part of the responsibilities to coordinate with Ministry staff and colleagues, other government departments, clients, and other stakeholders. 

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in. 
 

What the GoA has to offer:
•    Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages- working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
•    Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
•    Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
•    Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
•    Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
•    Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
•    Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to  two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.