Urban Forester - Planning 2026-03182

City of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Fayetteville (AR); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Fayetteville, Arkansas invites applications for a senior role in Urban Forestry to manage the city’s urban forest program. The position focuses on tree preservation, regulatory compliance, planning, and capital projects with collaboration across municipal departments.

The ideal candidate will hold an ISA Certified Arborist or be able to obtain certification within one year, have experience with ArcGIS and AutoCAD, and be comfortable interpreting surveys, maps, and landscape plans.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma with eight years of directly related experience; bachelor's degree preferred.
• Knowledge in green infrastructure and landscape design is preferred.
• Must possess a valid Driver's License and pass background checks.
• Certified Arborist with ISA or plan to obtain within 1 year; Municipal Specialist preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service to internal and external customers and maintain positive working relationships.
• Administer Tree Preservation and Landscape Regulations; interpret ordinances.
• Evaluate trees on public property for condition or hazard; decide pruning/removal.
• Inspect tree protection devices and ensure compliance with plans.
• Prepare and manage urban forestry projects, including budgeting and scheduling.
• Coordinate with advisory boards and city departments on urban forestry operations.
• Prepare public announcements, records, and grant applications as needed.
• Assist with education programs and tree-planting initiatives.

Skills

ArcGIS

AutoCAD

Reading surveys

Field measurements

Data analysis

Computer literacy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Urban Forestry / Arboriculture / related field

High School Diploma with 8 years related experience

Certified Arborist (ISA) or ability to obtain within 1 year

Municipal Specialist Certification preferred

Tools

ArcGIS

AutoCAD

GPS devices

PDAs / tablet PCs

Job description

The City of Fayetteville is committed to attracting, engaging and rewarding a multi-generational workforce. By offering a total rewards package including competitive compensation and benefits plans and a purposeful work life, the City is an employer of choice focused on serving our community.

Safety/Security Sensitive Designation:

This is a safety/security sensitive position for purposes of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.

1. Provide good customer service to both internal and external customers, maintain positive and effective working relationships with other City employees (especially members of their own team), and have regular and reliable attendance that is non-disruptive.
2. Administer and interpret Chapter 167 Tree Preservation and Protection and Chapter 177 Landscape Regulations of the Unified Development Code.
3. Evaluate trees on public property for condition or hazard rating as needed. Make decisions on pruning or removal and replacement.
4. Inspect tree protection fencing, signs and other tree protection devices prior to site work commencing. Conduct periodic inspections to ensure development is occurring in accordance with approved plans and complies with the Tree Preservation and Protection Ordinance. Conduct final inspections at project completion for compliance with the approved tree preservation plan and landscape plan and verify all sureties are in place before issuing final certificate of occupancy.
5. Exercise sound judgment and take responsible actions verbally as a City representative when in contact with the public, elected and appointed officials, developers and other City employees.
6. Attend meetings such as Urban Forestry Advisory Board, Subdivision Committee, Technical Plat, Planning Commission and City Council as directed. Be prepared to respond to questions and/or present projects.
7. Keep complex records and acquire/convert/create special maps or data sets as needed.
8. Apply qualitative and quantitative analytical methods and techniques to identify, evaluate and manage the City’s urban forest.
9. Order trees, design tree planting projects, cyclic tree pruning routines, forest management plans and other urban forestry related projects as needed. Analyze the urban forestry discipline and research new and/or better methods, specifications or trends to identify opportunities to enhance or update the urban forestry program.
10. Prepare requests for proposals, bids, contracts and work specifications for Urban Forestry capital projects. Provide project management for ongoing projects including scheduling and record keeping and contract administration. Visit work sites to inspect work in progress and ensure projects and work assignments are completed properly and according to schedule.
11. Work with the Urban Forestry Advisory Board and City departments/divisions involved in arboricultural and urban forestry operations in implementing and updating the Urban
12. Forestry Management Plan and the Urban Forestry Technical Manual.
13. Act as a liaison between the City, citizens and utility companies to resolve conflicts over tree pruning or removal practices.
14. Coordinate training activities and train City staff involved in tree related operations in proper methods, procedures and safety.
15. Prepare public announcements and press releases. Maintain website with updated information.
16. Assist the Urban Forestry Advisory Board in preparing and coordinating public education programs related to the urban forestry program including the tree give-away program.
17. Research grants and other federal and/or state funding sources and determine other methods of financing in support of major capital projects and subprojects. Complete grant applications and reports to various state agencies and City offices as required by these funding sources.

1. Perform secondary duties as assigned.

1. High School Diploma with eight years of directly related experience; at least three of the eight years must include project management experience in positions of increasing responsibility. Highly prefer Bachelor's degree from a college or university in Urban Forestry, Arboriculture, Forestry, Landscape Architecture, Horticulture or a directly related field wtih at least three years of directly related, increasingly responsible project management experience.
2. Knowledge and experience in green infrastructure, low-impact development and landscape design are preferred.
3. Must possess a valid Driver's License.
4. Must successfully pass criminal background check, including but not limited to convictions, guilty pleas, or no contest pleas to violent offenses, theft offenses, offenses against children, and any offense that would qualify to prevent a person from obtaining an Arkansas teaching certificate (A.C.A. 6-17-410).
5. Must be a current Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture or have the ability to meet requirements and obtain certification within 1 year of hire. Municipal Specialist Certification preferred.
6. Must be self-motivated, able to work independently with little supervision and make sound judgments.
7. Must have a thorough understanding of construction and grading methods and techniques and determine effect on existing trees.
8. Must be proficient in reading and interpreting scaled surveys, grading plans, architectural plans, landscape plans, utility plans, layout plans and construction details.
9. Must be knowledgeable of plant material to determine if species are appropriate and meet the landscape ordinance requirements.
10. Must be proficient in the use of a computer and software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, graphic information systems, global positioning systems, tree inventory and permitting systems. Must be able to operate standard office equipment.
11. Experience in ArcGIS and/or AutoCAD is preferred.
12. Must be proficient in utilizing measuring tape and wheel, digital camera, diameter at breast height tape, hand saw, loppers, pruners and engineering scale. Experience with clinometers, range finders, GPS units, PDAs, tablet PCs and other field devices is preferred.
13. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate effectively in person, on the phone or in writing. The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, and sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and occasionally climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Color vision is required. The employee is frequently required to traverse uneven terrain such as park land, nature trails, undeveloped land or construction sites.
14. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals and outside weather conditions.