Salary: $91,776.00 – $123,468.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County – Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Closing Date: 8/20/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has an exciting opportunity in the Forest Resources Division in Forest Informatics. DNR manages working forests on 2.1 million acres of state trust lands to provide quality habitat, clean water, and other public resources, as well as a stream of sustainable revenue to support public school construction and other trust beneficiaries. The maintenance of the balance between sustainable production of natural resource revenue, protection of public resources, and healthy natural habitats is a priority of the Division.

The talented and creative individuals within the Forest Informatics section support the sustainable management of DNR’s State Uplands programs by developing and delivering innovative technology and equipment, data and analyses.

We are looking for a candidate to fill the Senior Biometrician role, leading the State Uplands Forest Biometrics team. We are looking for a candidate to lead the research, design and development of growth and yield, assist with development of forest estate models and tools, and partner with our Forest Inventory and Application Development groups to further enhance the development of DNR’s remote sensed inventory system and data collection applications. Data, information, and products derived from the systems and models overseen by the Forest Biometrics team are critical to supporting agency in the sustainable long-term management of state forested trust lands.

Responsibilities:
In this position, you will be responsible for:

  • Supervise staff in the Forest Biometrics team including staff assignments, staff development, performance standards and measurements, staff accountability and training.
  • Oversee the design, development and maintenance of growth and yield models and assist in developing long term strategic and tactical harvest planning models. Forest modeling improvements should reflect DNR policy objectives and advancements in the field.
  • Oversee the design, implementation and maintenance of forest biometric data storage systems and custom modeling applications.
  • Perform statistical analyses and generate reports on DNR’s forested state trust lands as it relates to forest inventory, sampling design, growth and yield and forest estate model projections.
  • Work alongside team leads in Forest Informatics, other State Uplands programs, and colleagues in public and private institutions for designing, developing and implementing improvements to forest sampling and modeling approaches.
  • Act as the contract administrator for internal modeling system development and external contractors.
  • Provide clear communication and expert guidance as a subject matter expert for the agency on biometric questions, technology, and research. Participates in research cooperatives and leads committees that focus on discussing technical details of inventory, growth and yield and harvest planning outputs.

Required Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor degree in Information Technology with an emphasis on using computer technology in a natural resources setting, or in Natural Sciences (Geography, Forestry, etc.) with an information technology focus. As well as the following experience gained congruently.
  • At least 7 years’ of professional experience in Forest Biometrics as well as demonstrated professional experience in custom software development, IT consultation, project management, analysis, design, programming, and technical support.
  • At least 4 years’ experience in designing, developing and integrating custom software using R, Python and/or SQL. Experience could include the creation of data collection systems, growth and yield model customization and creation, merchandizing software creation, and/or harvest scheduling with risk analyses.
  • Expert-level understanding of scientific method and expertise in sampling, estimation, forest modeling, mensuration, biometrics, and projection.
  • At least 1 year of experience or commensurate training in field measurements.
  • Position Specific Competencies: 
    • Excellent organizational skills
    • Accountability
    • Independence
    • Creative and Innovative Thinking
    • Effective Communication
    • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • DNR Core Competencies: 
    • Personal Accountability 
    • Value Others 
    • Compassionate Communication 
    • Inspire Others 
    • Commitment to Excellence 

Special Requirements and Conditions of Employment:

  • The position’s assigned duty station is the DNR main Office in Olympia. About 90 percent of the work is conducted in the office and 5-10 % of the time will be spent traveling Statewide for meetings and field tours. No contact with hazardous chemicals.
  • Requires travel about 5-10 % of the time for field visits and to attend meetings.

Desired Qualifications: 

  • Masters or PhD degree in forest biometrics.
  • Supervisory experience.
  • Experience or academic work using linear programming to develop harvest plans.
  • At least 4 years demonstrated experience in managing large disparate collections of LiDAR-based raw datasets and incorporating LiDAR derivative products into accessible datasets, analyses, and workflows. 
  • Establishing and continuing essential relationships
  • Clear and concise communication

Application Requirements:

  • To be considered you must apply online at www.careers.wa.gov. You must complete the entire online application to be considered for the position.
  • Attach a letter of interest describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the position profile and the position required, desired and special requirements.
  • Attach a resume describing your experience and qualifications.
  • Provide three to five professional references – you may attach a document, use the References text field in the online application, or include with resume.
  • Important: Do not attach any documents that include photos or private information (social security number, year of birth, etc.).
  • Complete all supplemental questions.

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4129003/it-app-development-sr-spec-state-uplands-biometrics-application-developer

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