Forest Manager

Hawai’i Conservation Alliance & Foundation; Hawaii; On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle stipend

401K retirement plan

Comprehensive healthcare (medical,  d;

PTO & sick leave & holiday pay

Job summary

Forest Solutions Inc. on Hawaiʻi Island is seeking a versatile Forest Manager to oversee end-to-end operations across forestry, wildfire mitigation, and restoration.

You will lead field crews, manage budgets, schedule work, and ensure client communications and reporting. The role combines field duties outdoors (about 60%) with GIS and office work (40%), requiring travel across Hawaiʻi Island and occasional trips to the other islands.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with 2-3 years field experience for Entry level; higher for Mid/Senior.
• Experience in forestry or natural resource management.
• Ability to work in remote locations and long field days.
• Physically able to perform field tasks and lift 75 lbs.
• Valid US driver’s license and work authorization.
• Strong written communication and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple forestry, wildfire mitigation, vegetation management, restoration, and natural resource projects simultaneously.
• Develop scopes, budgets, cost estimates, schedules, work plans, proposals, and technical reports.
• Coordinate field crews, subcontractors, equipment, materials, and project logistics.
• Provide direct supervision, mentoring, and administrative oversight for assigned Forestry Technicians.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for clients, landowners, agencies, contractors, and project partners.
• Conduct field assessments and translate field conditions into practical management recommendations.
• Develop and implement wildfire mitigation and fuels-management projects.
• Support native forest restoration and reforestation projects, including site preparation and planting layouts.
• Plan and oversee invasive plant and vegetation-management programs.
• Use ArcGIS Pro, GPS/remote sensing, aerial imagery, and other geospatial information to develop project maps and monitoring information.
• Track project budgets, production, labor, materials, subcontractor costs, and overall progress.
• Prepare client reports, grant deliverables, maps, presentations, and management plans.
• Assist with grant proposals, RFP responses, contract development, and new project opportunities.
• Conduct field inspections and quality-control checks.

Skills

Fieldwork

GIS data processing

Project budgeting

Team supervision

Communication

Driver's license

Remote field work

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

GPS

Remote sensing

Drone data processing

Google Workspace

MS Office

Job description

Forest Solutions provides a wide range of land management services. These include traditional forest management, long-term land use planning, adaptive weed management, and culturally appropriate land stewardship as well as long term financial analysis for forestry.

Opportunity Details

Opportunity Type:

Full-Time Jobs

Opportunity Title:

Opportunity Description:

Job Title: Forest Manager

Location: Hawai‘i Island

About Forest Solutions:

Forest Solutions Inc. (FSI) has been Hawaiʻi’s leading forestry and land management company for over 30 years, specializing in large-scale tree planting, invasive species control, wildfire prevention, native forest restoration, timber plantation management, forest inventory, agroforestry, permitting, and community engagement. We help Hawaiʻi Grow!

As a team-oriented small business, FSI brings together project managers, foresters, natural resource specialists, technicians, and field crews to address Hawaiʻi’s unique land management challenges. Our work is rooted in scientific best practices, field expertise, and a deep connection to Hawaiʻi’s biocultural heritage. FSI has played a key role in shaping large-scale forest management, including supporting active management of over 500,000 acres per year and planting over 1,000,000 native plants across more than 5,000 acres, including the largest native forest restoration project in the state.

This is an opportunity to be part of a diverse and impactful team working on meaningful conservation efforts in Hawaiʻi’s stunning and rugged landscapes.

About the Job:

We are seeking a versatile Forest Manager to oversee end-to-end operations across our forestry, wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction, vegetation management, ecological restoration, and natural resource projects across Hawaiʻi. This is a full-time, year-round position with supervisory responsibilities. Reporting to a Senior Forester, this position bridges technical project administration and hands-on operational side of natural resource management. The candidate will be expected to take projects from initial planning and proposal development through budgeting, scheduling, field implementation, monitoring, reporting, and client communication. The position requires someone who can independently manage multiple projects at once while coordinating field crews, subcontractors, landowners, agencies, and other project partners.

This position requires someone who thrives in a highly variable environment, with roughly 60% of your time spent outdoors in variable weather and 40% in the office. Field conditions often involve remote off-road driving, cross-country hiking sometimes 10+ miles off trail, navigating thick rain forests as well as dry, hot environments, and conducting quality control checks across projects ranging from small parcels to landscape-scale efforts spanning tens of thousands of acres. Office time is reserved for GIS/drone data processing, supply procurement, maintenance logging, taking client & internal meetings, budgeting, proposal creation, and project planning and reporting. Work is project-based and highly responsive to client needs and timelines. Schedule flexibility, a sense of purpose, and self-motivation are essential, in addition to technical skills.

The work location is variable on Hawaiʻi Island. Due to emergency response needs, the candidate must reside on or relocate to Hawaiʻi Island. The day-to-day locations can change as our client mix and project priorities change. We have projects throughout Hawaiʻi Island, and a few on the other Hawaiian Islands, and help each other out when needed. Occasional travel should be expected.

Candidates will be evaluated for Entry, Mid, or Senior placement based on their background and professional experience in forestry, natural resource management, environmental science, conservation biology, ecology, wildlife management, or a related field.

For Entry-Level Placement, candidates must possess a relevant Bachelor’s degree along with a minimum of 2-3 years of relevant field experience.

For Mid-Level Placement, candidates must possess both a relevant Bachelor’s and Master’s degree combined with 5-8 years of progressive field experience.

For Senior-Level Placement, candidates must possess at least a relevant Master’s degree alongside 10 or more years of extensive industry experience.

An equivalent combination of relevant field experience, specialized training, and education will be considered in lieu of the formal degree requirements for each level.

• Manage multiple forestry, wildfire mitigation, vegetation management, restoration, and natural resource projects simultaneously.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, cost estimates, schedules, work plans, proposals, and technical reports.
• Coordinate field crews, subcontractors, equipment, materials, and project logistics.
• Provide direct supervision, mentoring, and administrative oversight for assigned Forestry Technicians, as well as operational supervision of field crews and personnel at active project sites.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for clients, landowners, agencies, contractors, and project partners.
• Conduct field assessments and translate field conditions into practical management recommendations.
• Develop and implement wildfire mitigation and fuels-management projects, including fuel reduction, access improvements, vegetation management, and long-term maintenance strategies.
• Support native forest restoration and reforestation projects, including site preparation, species selection, planting layouts, irrigation/water systems, invasive species management, maintenance, and monitoring.
• Plan and oversee invasive plant and vegetation-management programs, including large landscape-scale treatment programs.
• Use ArcGIS Pro, GPS/remote sensing, aerial imagery, and other geospatial information to develop project maps, treatment units, monitoring information, acreage calculations, and management recommendations.
• Track project budgets, production, labor, materials, subcontractor costs, and overall project progress.
• Prepare client reports, grant deliverables, maps, presentations, management plans, and other technical documents.
• Assist with grant proposals, RFP responses, contract development, and new project/business-development opportunities.
• Conduct field inspections and quality-control checks to ensure work meets project specifications and client expectations.
• Help identify more efficient ways to complete field work and scale operations while maintaining quality and safety.
• Be willing to spend time in the field when necessary rather than managing projects exclusively from an office.
• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

• Willingness and ability to work alone or in small teams in remote locations, with little or no mobile phone coverage
• Able to confidently work with community groups and people with diverse backgrounds & occupations in a respectful manner
• Physically able to walk long distances in rugged terrain, over sharp lava fields or in thick forests for a full workday collecting field data in all weather. Ability to lift 75 lbs.
• Experience operating small gas-powered tools safely such as weed eaters, chainsaw
• Experience in the use of a computer and Google suite & Microsoft Office suite, knowledge of ESRI ArcGIS software, able to upload/download GPS data
• Willing to mix and apply pesticides and chemical fertilizers in strict accordance with label requirements; certified applicator a plus
• Strong written communication skills, particularly technical reports, management plans, proposals, scopes of work, and client correspondence.
• Experience developing budgets, estimates, schedules, and scopes of work.
• Able to drive and tow trailers with 4WD, manual transmission vehicles on rough roads; valid US driver’s license at the time of hire
• Able to legally work in the United States at the time of hire

Desirable Qualifications:

• Ability to speak or understand languages other than English; primarily Spanish and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
• Demonstrated project-management experience or evidence of being able to independently manage complex projects.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise or coordinate field crews and contractors.
• Comfortable communicating directly with clients, landowners, government agencies, and project partners.
• Wildfire mitigation/fuels experience; certifications a plus
• Grant-funded project management
• Experience working with heavy-equipment operators and contractors

Competitive compensation starts at $60,000 - $80,000+ per year, commensurate with experience; optional vehicle stipend provided for use of personal truck for work & off-road driving, or use of company vehicles; 401K retirement plan; comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, vision) with 100% employer-paid premiums for the employee; and PTO & sick leave policy plus holiday pay.

Equal Opportunity & Accessibility Statement:

Forest Solutions Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, gender, religion, or any other protected status. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require accommodations during the application process or in performing this role, please contact us to discuss your needs.