State Forest Nursery Technician

State-of-Iow; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

IPERS retirement

Nine paid holidays

Employee discount programs

Job summary

The State Forest Nursery, operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, seeks technicians to cultivate and prepare seedlings for customers across Iowa. The role involves outdoor work, equipment operation, and team leadership across busy seasonal cycles.

Ideal candidates will enjoy forestry-related tasks, handle planting and grading, and coordinate with the Nursery Manager to ensure timely shipping and quality control.

Qualifications

• Experience in outdoor work or forestry-related tasks is preferred.
• Ability to supervise seasonal staff and inmate crews.
• Ability to manage records and inventories.

Responsibilities

• Grow and care for tree and shrub seedlings.
• Operate nursery and forestry equipment (tractors, irrigation and spray equipment, forklifts, mowers, chainsaws).
• Lead seasonal employees and inmate work crews in planting, nursery maintenance, grading, packaging, and shipping.

Skills

Leadership

Team supervision

Record keeping

Tools

Tractors

Irrigation equipment

Forklifts

Mowers

Chainsaws

Job description

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligible list.

The Department of Natural Resources encourages all applicants to upload a current resume and cover letter to their online application.

Help grow the next generation of Iowa’s forests.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking twos State Forest Nursery Technicians to join the team at the State Forest Nursery. This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys working outdoors, operating equipment, leading crews, and seeing the tangible results of their work.

Each year, the State Forest Nursery grows more than one million tree and shrub seedlings that are distributed to Iowans for conservation projects across the state. These seedlings help establish wildlife habitat, protect water quality, reduce soil erosion, create windbreaks, restore native landscapes, and grow Iowa’s future forests.

As a Nursery Technician, you’ll be involved in nearly every stage of producing those seedlings—from collecting seed and caring for young trees to harvesting, grading, packaging, and preparing seedlings for customers.

What You’ll Do

This is a diverse, hands-on position where no two seasons look quite the same. Responsibilities include:

• Grow and care for tree and shrub seedlings by collecting and preparing seed, irrigating, fertilizing, mulching, controlling weeds, identifying potential pest issues, and applying pesticides and herbicides as directed.
• Operate specialized nursery and forestry equipment, including tractors, irrigation and spray equipment, forklifts, mowers, chainsaws, hand tools, trucks, and seedling lifting equipment.
• Help harvest more than one million seedlings annually, including undercutting and lifting seedlings from nursery beds and transporting them to grading and storage areas.
• Lead seasonal employees and inmate work crews in planting, nursery maintenance, grading, sorting, packaging, and shipping operations.
• Prepare seedlings for customers across Iowa by organizing cooler storage, coordinating grading and packaging, and assisting with shipping and transportation.
• Maintain nursery equipment, buildings, and grounds, including routine equipment maintenance, mowing, snow removal, and general facility upkeep.
• Support nursery operations and planning by maintaining records, databases, and spreadsheets; preparing reports and purchase orders; and purchasing necessary supplies and services.

Why This Job Matters

The trees grown at the State Forest Nursery leave a lasting mark on Iowa. A seedling you help grow today could become part of a forest, wildlife habitat, stream buffer, windbreak, or conservation project that benefits Iowans for generations.

If you enjoy working outdoors, operating equipment, solving problems, leading others, and contributing directly to conservation, this position offers the opportunity to build a career while helping grow Iowa’s natural resources—literally.

Special Requirements

• Must obtain a Class A Commercial Driver’s License within the first 6 months of employment
• Must obtain a Commercial Pesticide Applicators License within the first 3 months of employment.

Essential Functions

• Collect, purchase, and prepare seed for storage and planting.
• Direct the work of seasonal and inmates labor in various cultural practices.
• Apply pesticides and herbicides to seedlings as directed by the Nursery Manager.
• Operate and maintain the irrigation system to ensure seedlings are watered properly.
• Direct the work of inmates and part-time staff in lifting, grading, and shipping seedlings.
• Operate equipment and vehicles in a safe manner including hand tools, chainsaws, mowers, forklifts, and tractors.
• Maintain and organize equipment in proper working condition.
• Maintain records, databases, and spreadsheets for growing, grading, and shipping operations. Prepare purchase orders and reports for the Nursery Manager.
• Analyze budgets and assist with fiscal management and budget planning.
• Purchase goods and services as needed to maintain operations.

Critical Job Competencies

Accountability, Integrity, High Productivity, Customer Focus, Interpersonal Skills, Team Player, Communication Skills, Technical Skills (Forestry, Nursery Operation).

What You Get From Us

• A competitive pay plan and rewarding work.
• Insurance benefits that start the first of the month following 30 days of employment. (Premiums can start as low as $64/month for single and $210/month for family coverage).
• Separate vacation and sick leave accruals that start on the first day and can roll over annually.
• Nine paid holidays/year.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package with employer match.
• Optional deferred compensation (457/401A) plan with employer match.
• Professional training opportunities.
• Family friendly and professional work environment.
• Employee Discount Programs (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling)
• The State’s total compensation package features benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. For a list of additional benefits, please visit the DAS website for more information.
• Flexible work schedules (as approved by the supervisor).

Comments

The starting salary for new state (Executive Branch) employees is expected to be at the base of the pay range. Additional salary increases may occur after the first six months, and then annually (if applicable). The State’s total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation.Visit the DAS website for more benefit information.

Ensure you are kept up-to-date of this position by checking your email regularly for emails from [e-mail]. This is a system generated email from the DAS application system and it may be sent directly to your Junk/Spam folder.

DNR Application Tips

For more information about DNR Employment Opportunities and position specific notices, please visit the DNR Employment website.

The State of Iowa is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Iowa DNR Mission

To conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations.

Forestry

12 semester hours, 6 months continuous full-time experience, or a combination of both, in any of the following:

• Dendrology
• Silviculture
• Forest management, tree planting and habitat management
• Timber stand improvement
• Forest planning
• Planning and mapping using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for forest improvement projects
• Forest inventory including tree identification
• Reforestation and/or forest health data collection and monitoring

OR

Urban Forestry, Horticulture, or Agriculture

6 months’ experience in urban forestry, horticulture, arboriculture (landscape plant care, plant nursery); or 12 semester hours in any combination of the following: forestry, horticulture, arboriculture, soil science, urban forestry, or plant science (biology, taxonomy, physiology). Training and demonstrated success in working with:

• Urban or community forestry projects
• Experience with tree selection, planting and maintenance
• Experience working with contractors and preparing detailed program reports

The equivalent of three years of full time experience involving facilities maintenance in plumbing, electrical, and/or heating and cooling, or technical work in a biological, horticultural, conservation, or natural resources program;

an equivalent combination of education and experience substituting 30 semester hours of college level course work in a biological or natural resources program for each year of the required experience;

employees with current continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes the equivalent of 12 months of full‑time experience as a Natural Resources Technician 1 shall be considered as qualified.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description. Certain designated positions require the employee to be certified by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as a Pesticide Applicator within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.