Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has an exciting opportunity for a professional to serve as their Trees for Seattle lead to help the City address the equity, climate change, and public health impacts of the urban forest.

The Trees for Seattle lead position oversee’s the team within SPU that runs city-wide urban forestry engagement work, including the Trees Ambassador volunteer stewardship program, Trees for Neighborhoods planning program, the Trees for Seattle website and newsletter, and new engagement models that have been rolled out in response to Covid-19. This position involves engaging closely with the public and organizational partners. Recent emergencies have highlighted the importance of equitable access to urban trees and green spaces, and this position is key to helping the City develop and maintain those green spaces for the health and well-being of all Seattle residents. If you are experienced in forestry, conservation and/or arboriculture, please continue reading and apply!

About Seattle Public Utilities (SPU): SPU is a Community Centered Utility working to make Seattle the best place to live for everyone. We deliver high-quality, vital services, across four (4) major lines of business: providing water, solid waste, drainage and wastewater services for Seattle residents and businesses. In addition, SPU provides drinking water for 1.5 million regional customers in Seattle and other municipalities. Our customers depend on us to deliver high-quality, reliable, and cost-conscious utility services and to achieve the greatest benefits possible for every investment we make.

SPU commits to Our City Values, and Social Justice as core principles that guide our work. We support and hold ourselves accountable to this commitment by eliminating barriers to access and providing employees with equitable opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

Job Responsibilities

Trees for Seattle is an interdepartmental program of the City of Seattle, housed in Seattle Public Utilities’ Drainage and Wastewater Line of Business. The Trees for Seattle team is committed to ensuring that Seattle’s urban forest is a vital and equitable resource for the health and well-being of all Seattle residents. This includes people of color, low-income, immigrant, and refugee communities. The Trees for Seattle Supervisor will oversee a small team dedicated to engaging a diverse public in urban forestry stewardship and policy.

Essential duties include but are not limited to:

• Creating opportunities for the City to collaboratively engage with diverse communities on urban forestry issues
• Supporting City efforts to build trust in historically marginalized communities
• Evaluating, redesigning, and managing the Tree Ambassador volunteer stewardship program
• Shaping Trees for Seattle work to be more equitable and serve a more diverse population
• Working closely with other City of Seattle departments to guide city wide urban forestry policy, implement the Urban Forest Management Plan, and implement programs
• Supervising and guiding the Trees for Neighborhoods planting program
• Designing content for web, newsletter, and social media channels
• Supporting urban greening efforts in Seattle Public Utilities

Qualifications

Education Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Urban Design, Environmental Studies, Public Administration, or a related discipline.

Experience Requirement: 

• Four (4) years’ experience in planning and research related to land use, urban economics, human services, environmental issues, conservation; OR other work directly related to City planning and development activities; including one-year of lead project management experience.

A combination of education, training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class will be considered.

Certification Requirement: Arborist or Municipal Arborist Certification from the International Socieity of Arboriculture (ISA) OR  the ability to gain certification within 6-months of hire.(International Society of Arboriculture)

The successful candidate(s), will have the following desired qualifications:

• Experience in urban forestry or urban greening
• Community engagement experience, including work with communities of color
• Ability to lead small teams successfully
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Excellent customer service
• Ability to convey complex technical information in engaging and easy to understand ways
• Experience in program design and evaluation
• Experience in using social media to meet program and engagement goals

Additional Information

Work Schedule:

• Monday through Thursday OR Tuesday through Friday (32 hours per week); Primarily Day Shift; (may require some off-shift evening and/or weekend assignments)

Application Package Expectation:
A complete application package, including the following, is required for this position:

• A full SPU online application;
• Supporting documentation, including a current resume and cover letter describing your skills and experience in relation to this position

• Most work is performed in a normal City work/office environment; however, we expect this position will require telework/remote office work due to the Covid-19 pandemic/health concern. In addition, this position may require occasional site visits, as well as attendance to urban forestry community engagement events. We will continue to seek guidance from local public health agencies and will proceed accordingly with any necessary changes or needs regarding “workplace location” expectations.