Urban Forestry Operations Supervisor I (Exempt) - Multiple Vacancies

City-of-Portland,-Oregon; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Portland’s Urban Forestry department seeks two Operations Supervisors to lead tree maintenance, planting, and plant health care for a 24/7 emergency response program. You will supervise a diverse arborist team, prioritize workloads, and ensure safety and quality in service delivery.

These roles require strong communication with staff, other City bureaus, private communities, and businesses. A commitment to racial justice and inclusivity is essential, with credentials targeted by

Qualifications

• Experience supervising tree maintenance or arborist crews.
• Knowledge of arboricultural practices and urban forest management.
• Experience putting safety standards (e.g., ANSI Z133) into effect.
• Experience coordinating response to tree emergencies or storm events.
• Experience overseeing use and maintenance of specialized vehicles and equipment.
• Ability to communicate with staff, the public, and partner agencies, promoting inclusive work environment.

Responsibilities

• Understand and apply urban forest management and arboricultural practices and standards.
• Lead, oversee, and assess the successful performance of Operations staff.
• Scope, prioritize, assign, and ensure completion of varied tree maintenance requests and projects.
• Recruit, hire, schedule, assign work, and supervise staff, including seasonal employees.
• Establish and maintain professional work culture and safety standards.
• Create standard practices, policies, and procedures for day-to-day operations.
• Supervise daily ANSI safety standards compliance for arboricultural operations.
• Oversee a large vehicle and equipment fleet and maintain inventory of operating supplies.
• Supervise and ensure delivery of 24/7 citywide tree emergency response program.
• Communicate with the public and partner agencies effectively.
• Promote workplace diversity and positive environment.
• Track and update tree condition and work status using various software.
• Collaborate with Operations Manager, City Forester, and other agencies.

Skills

Tree maintenance supervision

Crew leadership

Arboricultural practices

Public/customer service

Safety leadership

Education

ISA Certified Arborist credential

TRAQ certification

Oregon Pesticide Applicator License

EHAP certificate

Valid driver’s license

Tools

Vehicle fleet management

Job description

Job Appointment:

One full-time, limited-duration position and one full-time, regular position.

Work Schedule:

Monday - Friday, 7:00 am-3:30 pm. This position responds to emergency call-outs during and after scheduled work shifts.

Work Location:

Urban Forestry, 10910 N Denver Avenue, Portland, OR 97217

Benefit:

Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefits for this position

Language Pay Premium Eligible:

This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

About this Position:

Portland Parks & Recreation is seeking two Urban Forestry Operations Supervisors. Urban Forestry Operations Supervisors are key leadership positions overseeing the City of Portland’s 24/7 Tree Emergency Response, comprehensive tree maintenance, tree planting, and plant health care activities. These positions require working with a variety of people, coordinating complex tree maintenance situations, providing customer service, and overseeing innovative programs.

The Operations Supervisors will demonstrate both strong technical and personnel management skills to create a professional, cohesive, and high-performing arborist team with a service-oriented work ethic. All candidates must have a strong commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The ability to successfully communicate and collaborate in-person and in writing with a broad range of stakeholders, other City bureaus, private community members, and businesses is essential.

As an Operations Supervisor, you will:

• Understand and apply urban forest management and arboricultural practices and standards.
• Lead, oversee, and assess the successful performance of Operations staff.
• Scope, prioritize, assign, and ensure completion of varied tree maintenance requests and projects.
• Recruit, hire, schedule, assign work, and supervise staff, including seasonal employees.
• Establish and maintain professional work culture, including standards of safety and effectiveness.
• Create standard practices, policies, and procedures for day-to-day operations of the unit.
• Supervise daily implementation of ANSI Safety Standards for Arboricultural Operations.
• Oversee a large, specialized vehicle and equipment fleet and maintain inventory of operating supplies.
• Supervise and ensure delivery of the 24/7 citywide tree emergency response program.
• Deal effectively and communicate with the general public and other public agencies.
• Be skilled in promoting workplace diversity and creating a positive work environment.
• Track and update tree condition and work status employing various computer software.
• Work closely with the Operations Manager, City Forester, City property maintenance supervisors, and other public agencies to provide all facets of tree maintenance support.

About Urban Forestry and Portland’s Forest:

Urban Forestry's mission is to manage and ensure Portland’s urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Portland’s urban forest is valued at over $9.5 billion and comprises over 1.2 million park trees, 333,000 street trees, and 2.9 million private property trees. The Urban Forestry team is responsible for the overall management, stewardship, and improvement of this essential infrastructure. Urban Forestry’s work includes delivery of sustainable and equitable forest services to all Portlanders; establishing and enacting best management practices, plans, policies, and technical standards for tree care and protection and urban forest expansion; proposing improvements to the City’s tree regulations; providing tree maintenance services including 24/7 response to tree emergencies on City properties and public streets; tree planting and expansion of urban forest services; measurement and assessment of urban forest coverage, health, and services; offering community education and stewardship programs; and oversight and support of the City’s volunteer advisory tree board. Portland is a Tree City USA for 49 years; a Tree City of the World and the Urban Forestry program is accredited by the Urban and Community Forestry Society.

About the Bureau:

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is committed to the overall Citywide vision that race will have no detrimental effect on people of color, refugee and immigrant communities in accessing our parks and natural areas, or from the benefit of our services. We recognize, understand, and encourage celebration of the differences that surround us. Diversity and equity are vital to PP&R’s ideals and values. The City of Portland, Oregon is a growing and diverse city of 650,000 residents, nearly 20% of whom speak languages other than English at home. PP&R values a diverse workforce and seeks ways to promote equity and inclusion within the organization and with the public. PP&R encourages applications from candidates with knowledge, ability and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities with diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Although not required, PP&R encourages candidates that can fluently speak another language to include that information in their application materials. Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must describe in their supplemental question responses and resume how their education, training, work experience and/or lived experience meets each of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Experience supervising tree maintenance or arborist crews, including assigning and prioritizing work and managing staff performance.
2. Knowledge of arboricultural practices and urban forest management, including industry standards for tree care.
3. Experience putting safety standards and practices into effect for tree care operations, such as ANSI Z133.
4. Experience coordinating response to tree emergencies or storm events.
5. Experience overseeing the use and maintenance of specialized vehicles and equipment.
6. Ability to communicate effectively with staff, the public, and partner agencies, and to promote an inclusive, equitable work environment.

Applicants must also:

• Obtain an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential before the end of the probationary period.
• Obtain the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) before the end of the probationary period.
• Have a valid driver’s license from any state and an acceptable driving record at the time of hire.
• Obtain an Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) certificate within six months of hire, and keep it current.
• Obtain an Oregon Public Pesticide Applicator License within six months of hire.

What to Expect:

1. Application Review - (Week of November 2): We'll review your application materials to ensure you meet the minimum qualifications listed above.
2. Notice/Feedback - (Week of November 9): You will receive an email when the minimum qualification review is complete. If you disagree with the evaluation results, you may request a review within 14 days of the email notice, per City Administrative Rule 3.01.
3. Selection Process - (Late November): The hiring manager will review qualified applications, conduct interviews, and check references.
4. Conditional Job Offer - (December): Final candidates may undergo a background or driving record check, depending on the position.

Learn More About:

• How to Apply Videos and Workshops
• City of Portland Core Values
• HRAR-3.01 - Recruitment Processes
• Veteran Preference Information
• Total Compensation and Benefits
• Language Pay Differential Eligibility

We’re committed to providing a fair, inclusive, and accessible hiring process. If you need assistance with your application or would like to request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, pregnancy, or religious belief, please contact the recruiter listed below.