City Forester

City of Elkhart, Indiana; Elkhart (IN); On-site; USD 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Elkhart, Indiana seeks a City Forester to head the forestry division and oversee maintenance of street trees, the City nursery, and trees on City properties.

Responsibilities include directing staff, planting projects, tree inventory updates via GIS/GPS, and enforcing Tree Board ordinances. Requires BS in Forestry, ISA credentials, and willingness to obtain TRAQ; CDL and urban forestry credentials preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Forestry or closely related field required.
• ISA Arborist credential or willingness to obtain within probation.
• TRAQ credential or willingness to obtain within probation.

Responsibilities

• Oversees and schedules subordinate personnel. Establishes work priorities.
• Develops and implements departmental procedures.
• Identify common trees and shrubs for inventory and work orders.
• Maintains and updates City tree inventory using databases, GIS, and GPS.
• Oversees tree planting projects on City properties.
• Responds to inquiries from City residents concerning street trees and other forestry responsibilities.
• Inspect, maintain, and remove Trees owned by the City, including street trees.
• Plants and transplants trees, shrubs, and other plant material.
• Sits on the Elkhart Tree Board as a non-voting member.
• Enforces the Tree Board ordinance, including blanket permits and tree care permits.
• Available 24/7 to assess/remove fallen trees and limbs.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Team leadership

Spanish language

GIS

Education

Bachelor of Science in Forestry or related field

ISA Certified Arborist credential

ISA TRAQ credential

Tools

GIS

Job description

Job Summary

Functions as head of the forestry division, responsible for the maintenance of street trees, City nursery, and trees on other City properties.

City Of Elkhart – Job Description

DEPARTMENT

Buildings & Grounds

POSITION

City Forester

DIVISION

Forestry

STATUS

Full-time

CATEGORY

Salaried, Up to $70,000

FLSA

Exempt

REPORTS TO

Buildings & Grounds Department Head

DATE

2026

Job Summary

Functions as head of the forestry division, responsible for the maintenance of street trees and other forestry responsibilities.

Principal Duties And Responsibilities

• Oversees and schedules subordinate personnel. Establishes work priorities.
• Develops and implements departmental procedures.
• Must be able to identify common trees and shrubs for inventory and work orders.
• Maintains and updates City tree inventory using databases, GIS, and GPS equipment.
• Oversees tree planting projects on City properties.
• Responds to inquiries from City residents concerning street trees and other forestry responsibilities.
• Responsible for the inspection, maintenance, and removal of all Trees owned, in any percentage, by the City, including but not limited to Street Trees.
• Plants and transplants trees, shrubs, and other plant material.
• Sits on the Elkhart Tree Board as a non-voting member.
• Enforces the Tree Board ordinance, including approval of blanket permits and all work requested under tree care permits.
• Must be available 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week to assess and/or remove fallen trees and limbs from streets and properties.

Other Duties And Responsibilities

• Assists the department with snow removal from downtown streets and parking lots.
• May be assigned to assist in Public Buildings & Grounds.
• Maintains equipment and tools.
• Performs other duties as assigned and required.

Education And Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Forestry or a closely related field.
• ISA Certified Arborist credential, or willingness to obtain one within your probationary period.
• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), or willingness to obtain one within your probationary period.

Preferred

• A Class "A" Commercial Driver's License, or the ability to obtain one if required.
• ISA Certified Urban Forest Professional credential.
• ISA Board Certified Master Arborist credential.
• Society of American Foresters Certified Urban and Community Forester credential.
• Indiana Commercial Pesticide Applicator license (Right-of-Way category or similar).

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to lead and manage a diverse group of tree care workers.
• Ability to select and order materials, tools, and other supplies.
• Knowledge of occupational hazards, safety precautions, and practices used in the tree care industry.
• Knowledge of high voltage electrical power lines.
• Spanish language skills preferred.

Physical, Mental, And Visual Skills

• Solves practical problems with a variety of variables and limited standardization.
• Ability to perform arithmetic calculations involving fractions, decimals, and percentages.Ability to carry out detailed written and verbal instructions independently.
• Body agility is emphasized using feet, legs, hands, arms, and body.
• Maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling, the amount of and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Vision requirements (with or without correction): clear vision at arm’s length and distances up to 100 feet. Excellent depth perception and ability to observe up or down, to the right and left while eyes are fixed on a given point.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Works indoors and outdoors year-round. Temperature extremes are: summer 95+ degrees and winter -10 degrees. There is exposure to dirt, dust, snow, rain, and noise, equipment movement and vibrations, hazardous chemicals and electrical shock. Work is performed in a 40 hour workweek.

Post Offer Testing Required

• The City of Elkhart is a Drug Free Workplace. Therefore, successfully passing a post offer drug screen is required (random drug testing may be conducted after employment).
• Background checks producing acceptable BMV and criminal history reports required.

POLICY STATEMENT

• The incumbent is required to possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities, and the physical, mental, and visual skills described in this job description to perform the principal duties, responsibilities and essential job functions.
• This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent. Principal duties and responsibilities are intended to describe those functions that are essential to the performance of this job and “other” duties and responsibilities include those that are considered incidental or secondary to the overall purpose of this job.
• This job description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employee holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by the Mayor. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.