Forester II

Southern Co.; Savannah (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Georgia Power Company is seeking a Forester to administer the integrated vegetation management (IVM) plan for powerline rights of way in the Savannah, Springfield, and Statesboro area. Some overnight travel is expected and relocation assistance may be available.

The role requires residency within a reasonable commuting distance to the territory. Responsibilities include implementing the IVM plan, budgeting, coordinating contractor resources, and maintaining relationships with federal, state, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry or related field preferred.
• Must possess, or obtain within industry guidelines, ISA Certified Arborist certification
• ISA Utility Specialist desired
• Must possess, or obtain within industry guidelines, appropriate herbicide application license
• Knowledge of distribution and transmission utility electrical systems desired
• Familiarity with ANSI Z-133, A-300 standards desired
• Knowledge of NERC Standard for vegetation management, FAC 003-5, preferred
• Utility integrated vegetation management experience desired
• Contractor management experience desired

Responsibilities

• Implementation and management of an integrated vegetation management (IVM) plan across the assigned territory
• Perform on-going quality control inspections of completed work as well as work in progress to ensure compliance with contract specifications
• Manage an annual IVM budget to complete the scheduled work plan
• Manage contractor resource levels to complete funded work plan
• Manage and coordinate the daily work-plans of multiple contractor resources to ensure work practices are performed safely, productively, and within schedule
• Establish and maintain relationships with various federal, state, municipal, and local government agencies and departments related to vegetation management.
• Represent Georgia Power to various organizations such as local tree boards, neighborhood associations, professional organizations, company or industry committees, etc.
• Effectively communicate vegetation maintenance objectives and practices to both internal and external customers
• Ensure all compliance and regulatory obligations are met
• Ensure compliance with requirements of FAC-003-5 always
• Work outside normal business hours in support of emergency restoration efforts is expected

Skills

Safety focus

Budgeting

Communication

GIS/GPS applications

Bilingual English/Spanish

Independent work

Team coordination

Education

B.S. Forestry

ISA Certified Arborist

Herbicide application license

ISA Utility Specialist

State Registered Forester

Tools

MS Word

MS Outlook

MS Access

MS Excel

GIS

GPS

Job description

Job Summary

Forester

The position will administer the integrated vegetation management (IVM) plan for powerline rights of way and will support the Distribution Areas for Georgia Power Company's service area. Some overnight travel may be required. The specific work territory will be Savannah, Springfield, and Statesboro Operating HQ's. The successful candidate must reside within a reasonable commuting distance to the assigned territory.

Modified relocation assistance may be available for this position.

Job Duties

• Implementation and management of an integrated vegetation management (IVM) plan across the assigned territory
• Perform on-going quality control inspections of completed work as well as work in progress to ensure compliance with contract specifications
• Manage an annual IVM budget to complete the scheduled work plan
• Manage contractor resource levels to complete funded work plan
• Manage and coordinate the daily work-plans of multiple contractor resources to ensure work practices are performed safely, productively, and within schedule
• Establish and maintain relationships with various federal, state, municipal, and local government agencies and departments related to vegetation management.
• Represent Georgia Power to various organizations such as local tree boards, neighborhood associations, professional organizations, company or industry committees, etc.
• Effectively communicate vegetation maintenance objectives and practices to both internal and external customers
• Ensure all compliance and regulatory obligations are met
• Ensure compliance with requirements of FAC-003-5 always
• Work outside normal business hours in support of emergency restoration efforts is expected

Job Requirements

Education / Experience

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry or related field preferred
• Must possess, or obtain within industry guidelines, ISA Certified Arborist certification
• ISA Utility Specialist desired
• Must possess, or obtain within industry guidelines, appropriate herbicide application license
• Knowledge of distribution and transmission utility electrical systems desired
• Familiarity with ANSI Z-133, A-300 standards desired
• Knowledge of NERC Standard for vegetation management, FAC 003-5, preferred
• Utility integrated vegetation management experience desired
• Contractor management experience desired

Competencies

• Demonstrate commitment to personal safety and the safety of your team
• Must be able to meet schedules and critical deadlines
• Ability to learn basic business skills such as budgeting and finance
• Able to value and interact with people with different perspectives and backgrounds
• Effective communication and conflict resolution skills highly desired
• Must be self-motivated and demonstrate ability to work without direct supervision
• Ability to work with commonly used applications including Microsoft Word, Outlook, Access and Excel. Also, experience with mobile applications and GIS / GPS applications is a plus.
• Ability to communicate in English and Spanish is a plus
• Early start and extended work hours will be routine.
• Ability to perform emergency call-out response and storm restoration support is required
• State Registered Forester license is preferred
• Must be able to identify the species of local vegetation and their growth characteristics

Behavioral Attributes

• Safety focused
• Demonstrate Our Values: Safety First, Intentional Inclusion, Act with Integrity, and Superior Performance daily
• Possesses a questioning attitude
• Function independently while serving the needs of your team

This position has been identified as a role that will require the use of a Georgia Power fleet vehicle. The following will be required if you are selected for this position:

• Must have at least one year of verifiable driving experience (Must hold a valid driver's license for the class vehicle to be operated. Driving permits are not typically considered a valid driver's license).
• Must have no revocation of driving privileges within the 36 months prior to application, no convictions of major traffic violations (DUI, hit and run, reckless driving, etc.) within the 12 months prior to application, or any pending charges for a major traffic violation at the time of application.