Engineer Associate/Engineer-Architect 1/2 - Forest Engineer

State of Alaska; Alaska; On-site; USD 51,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Alaska seeks a Forest Engineer to coordinate and lead the planning, design, and construction of forestry infrastructure across Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, or Ketchikan. The role focuses on roads, bridges, culverts, and material sites while protecting soil and water resources.

You will oversee the Heavy Equipment program, liaise with DOT&PF for large facility projects, and ensure safe, economical access to Alaska’s forest resources, including traveling to remote sites.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of planning, designing, constructing forestry infrastructure including roads, bridges, culverts and material sites.
• Experience in project planning, scheduling, and coordination across multiple offices.
• Strong communication skills for technical presentations and stakeholder liaison.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and construct forestry infrastructure to support access to Alaska’s forest resources.
• Coordinate and manage projects balancing operational needs with soil and water resource protection.
• Supervise Heavy Equipment program for forest roads construction and maintenance.

Skills

Civil Engineering

Forest Management

Project Management

Public Planning

Oral & Written Communication

Education

ABET‑accredited college/technical courses substitute

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture or land surveying

Job description

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, is recruiting for a Forest Engineer to be located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, or Ketchikan.

In this role, you will serve as the statewide forest engineer responsible for planning, designing, and constructing forestry infrastructure, including roads, bridges, culverts, and material sites, to support responsible and economical access to Alaska’s forest resources. You will coordinate and manage projects that balance operational needs with protecting soil and water resources and provide forest engineering expertise to support harvest unit design and related field operations on complex terrain. You will supervise the division’s Heavy Equipment program, which constructs and maintains state forest roads and provides fire suppression support. You will work closely with partner agencies as the division's lead for facilities design and construction projects, including serving as a liaison for large facility projects managed by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. You will have a lasting impact by developing forest transportation infrastructure in a way that conserves world-famous fish streams and protects public safety.

What You Will Be Doing:

In this role, you will serve as the statewide forest engineer responsible for planning, designing, and constructing forestry infrastructure, including roads, bridges, culverts, and material sites, to support responsible and economical access to Alaska’s forest resources. You will coordinate and manage projects that balance operational needs with protecting soil and water resources and provide forest engineering expertise to support harvest unit design and related field operations on complex terrain. You will supervise the division’s Heavy Equipment program, which constructs and maintains state forest roads and provides fire suppression support. You will work closely with partner agencies as the division's lead for facilities design and construction projects, including serving as a liaison for large facility projects managed by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. You will have a lasting impact by developing forest transportation infrastructure in a way that conserves world-famous fish streams and protects public safety.

Mission and Values/Culture:

The mission of the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection’s forestry program is to develop, conserve, and enhance Alaska’s forests to provide Alaskans with a sustainable supply of forest resources. We lead forest management, forest practices, wildland fire management, and cooperative forestry programs across the state. Our influence crosses ownership boundaries through leadership of all-risk incident management teams, management of federal timber resources under the Good Neighbor Authority and Shared Stewardship Agreements, and up-to-date best management practices that apply to all commercial forests.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

You will join a dynamic team overseeing a wide range of forestry operations, with opportunities for professional development. The work provides exposure to Alaska's unique physical and cultural environment. This position and environment will offer many opportunities to adapt lessons learned elsewhere and develop new approaches in contemporary forest infrastructure management. Career-long training and innovation are building blocks of our culture.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

This position may be located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, or Ketchikan. For the right fit, the position could potentially be located in another division office. This role blends in-office and field site work across Alaska’s remote landscapes and may involve travel by ATV, snowmachine, small aircraft, or boat. Fieldwork can include rugged terrain, wildlife encounters, and year-round work in challenging weather conditions. Candidates who enjoy dynamic, hands‑on work in both natural environments and active construction environments will thrive here.

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies.

• Civil Engineering: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.
• Forest Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of silviculture and forest ecology, forest use, management, harvesting, conducting inventories, regeneration, sustainability, and conservation; and the role of disturbances in timberland resources.
• Project Management: Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance.
• Public Planning: Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques of public planning, including those related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as demand forecasting, environmental impact analysis, financial forecasting, and land use planning and zoning.
• Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Engineering Associate – Starting Salary: $44.84

Eight years of progressively responsible work experience in engineering, land surveying or architecture, of which one year was as an Engineering Assistant 3 with the State of Alaska, or the equivalent elsewhere.

Substitution: ABET‑accredited college or technical school courses in engineering, architecture, land surveying, or a closely related curriculum may be substituted for the non‑specific required experience (3 semester/4 quarter hours equal one month). A bachelor's degree with a major in engineering, architecture or land surveying from an institution accredited by ABET may substitute for four years of the non‑specific required experience.

Engineer/Architect 1 – Starting Salary: $47.89

Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) or Architect.

Note: Positions in this class require professional registration as either an Engineer or an Architect. The employer will designate which professional field is required for each position.

Engineer/Architect 2 – Starting Salary: $51.16

Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) or Architect, and one year of professional experience as an Engineer/Architect 1 or Engineering Associate with the State of Alaska, or the equivalent.

Special Notices

• This position requires travel within the State, including remote locations where public accommodation is not available. Must be comfortable traveling in small aircraft and boats, and operating ATVs. Ability to walk through steep, uneven, rocky, or highly vegetated terrain in highly variable weather is required.
• This position requires possession of, or access to, firearms. The incumbent will have access to and the option to carry a firearm for wildlife protection while working in remote locations with limited outside communication and must be able to think clearly and act decisively in stressful situations.

Driver’s License Requirement

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license. Proof of licensure will be required prior to reporting to duty.

Firearms

This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

If you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, do NOT apply for this position.

This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

EEO STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation, auxiliary aids or services, or alternative communication formats should call 1‑800‑587‑0430 or (907) 465‑4095 in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1‑800‑770‑8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811‑0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

For specific information about this position, please get in touch with the hiring manager at the following:

Ashley List

Deputy Director – Forestry

Phone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]