Regional Forester (Southeast)

Regional Forester, Southeastern USA

Forest Carbon Works (www.forestcarbonworks.org), a company which enables small forest landowners in the U.S. to access carbon offset markets, is seeking a Regional Forester to join our nationwide team. This position is based from your home office, but with regional responsibility in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and the Carolinas (and potentially beyond based on geographic growth until other regional foresters are hired).

The Regional Forester's primary responsibilities will be to assist with the development of Forest Carbon Works' new afforestation program and provide professional forestry services to landowners and conservation groups for carbon project development and long-term forest stewardship. This is an exciting opportunity to grow a new program and collaborate across teams at Forest Carbon Works. Responsibilities for this position include: facilitating tree planting operations including seedling procurement, site prep, and tree planting contractors, meeting with member landowners, presentations and webinars about Forest Carbon Works programs, completing forest inventory measurements, providing site access to third-party auditors, and meeting with prospective members.

We are growing quickly as a company and are committed to our team and our landowners while maintaining a strong culture of purpose, passion, flexibility, and grace. If growth and change are not something you are comfortable with then this position is not for you. A commitment to DEI and working with a multitude of audiences and groups is a must. As the regional point of contact and public representative of Forest Carbon Works, the Regional Forester must be a qualified professional having demonstrated regional experience in forest management. Professional qualifications vary by region and must be obtained within nine months of employment start. Prior experience with forest carbon project development is not required. The Regional Forester will work closely with our other Regional Foresters nationwide and will report to our Chief Forestry Officer.

This position is full time, permanent with a generous compensation package with a base salary range of $75,000 - $90,000 plus benefits, PTO and retirement safe harbor.

About you:

• You connect well and immediately with others
• You are driven by purpose
• You are a team player
• You are able to add to a culture, not just fit in with one

Ideal qualifications:

• B.S./M.S. in forestry or related field
• SAF Certified Forester credentials or the ability to attain certification within six months
• Five years regional experience in forest/conservation management including a working knowledge of conservation practice, reforestation, and/or conservation science; reforestation experience preferred but not required
• Experience with traditional forest mensuration techniques and willing and able to work alone for long field days in rugged terrain
• Familiarity with regional tree species and forest types
• Ability to explain conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences
• Knowledge of current trends in conservation land management and climate change
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent time-management and self-management skills, and are able to take and give direction and work independently to reach identified goals on a set timeline.
• Able to work effectively remotely, not only with stakeholders regionally, but with teammates nationally across all US time zones.
• Are able to maintain a high level of professionalism and discretion in dealing with highly sensitive project deliverables.
• Have a commitment to solving the environmental challenges of our time and are aligned with the Forest Carbon Works' mission
• Willing to travel domestically (frequently: potentially >50% during field season)

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Securing resources and lands for Forest Carbon Works' afforestation program. This includes developing relationships with local conservation groups, contractors, nurseries, and continued oversight of planting projects.
• Coordinating tree plantings throughout your region including managing seedling procurement, site prep and planting contractors.
• Building conservation partnerships focused on programmatic growth and FCW services. This includes direct engagement with landowners and conservation groups to assist with project origination and building our landowner pipeline.
• Providing forest management expertise and support throughout the carbon project development process for the FCW landowner pipeline and team members.
• Coordinating all field-related activities for FCW carbon projects including verifications and QA/QC pre-verification work. This will include leading and training field teams and leading third-party auditors through project verifications.
• Webinars, presentations, and FCW representation at conservation-focused events and conferences to build FCW brand and capacity.
• Hiring and onboarding additional team members (associate foresters and interns) to help facilitate your Regional Forester duties on an as-needed basis.
• Creating space for personal and leadership development including forestry continuing education credits.

Your first 100 days will look like this:

• Meet with everyone on the team for a virtual "Get To Know You"
• Build forest carbon knowledge base including understanding of carbon markets and programs, Forest Carbon Works' programs and services, and reforestation/afforestation carbon projects
• Build a regional conservation partnership and outreach strategy with focus on afforestation to assist with landowner engagement and project origination
• Afforestation project planning across teams including site identification, seedling procurement, and contractor coordination
• Assist with field inventory measurements for new and existing projects
• Attend regional (potentially national) forestry & conservation events as a FCW representative
• Utilize your greatest strengths and passions to make an impact in areas that we may not have even thought of yet. You'll confirm that we made the right choice!

Benefits:

• Practical experience in the rapidly growing sector of carbon credits for ecosystem services
• Abundant technical resources (software and hardware) at the cutting edge of forest biometrics and carbon valuation
• A flexible, open work environment
• A proven commitment to mentoring early and mid-career employees
• Use of company resources including laptops for mobile office
• 100% health, dental and vision insurance benefits for employee, spouse & dependents
• Generous PTO and holiday policy
• Retirement benefits including 401k Safe Harbor
• Mileage reimbursement
• Compensation commensurate with qualifications

Interested candidates should submit:

• CV or resume
• Short cover letter describing your interest in the position and corresponding experience. The cover letter should include the following:
• Description of your regional experience, professional qualifications and organizational associations
• Description of why you're passionate in solving the environmental challenges of our time

Submit applications to: Sarah Ford, sarah@forestcarbonworks.com

Forest Carbon Works is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds.