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Help shape the future of Eugene’s urban forest. Our Urban Forestry team is expanding, and we are excited to announce a new opportunity for a Natural Systems Specialist – Planting Program Municipal Arborist. This professional-level role will lead the City’s street tree planting and establishment efforts, helping to build a more resilient, equitable, and climate-ready urban forest.
In this position, you’ll be responsible for coordinating tree planting operations across Eugene’s right-of-way, overseeing both in-house field crews and contractors to ensure successful planting, watering, and establishment of new trees. This work will directly support Eugene’s Climate Action Plan 2.0 goal of achieving 30% canopy coverage citywide, funded by $2 million from the 2025–2029 Transportation Bond and additional Urban Forestry maintenance resources.
Planting efforts will be focused in areas with low canopy and higher social and economic vulnerability. This role is key to ensuring that the benefits of urban trees, including shade, cleaner air, and healthier neighborhoods, are distributed more equitably across our community.
You will manage the full planting cycle, including species selection tailored to unique site conditions, contractor oversight, staff training, GIS recordkeeping, and annual reporting to stakeholders. Public engagement and community communication are also central to this work. You will also be responsible for managing our onsite nursery, including maintaining tree inventory, ordering new stock, scheduling watering, and providing hands-on care as needed.
The ideal candidate will bring strong project management skills, experience in urban forestry or municipal arboriculture, and the ability to work across teams and with the public. Field experience and knowledge of tree pruning, hazard response, and tree health assessment are also valuable.
Eugene’s Urban Forestry program manages over 70,000 street trees and is guided by values of tree preservation, collaboration, learning, safety, equity, inclusion and respect. If you share these values and want to make a lasting impact on Eugene’s urban forest, we invite you to apply.
Application Deadline: August 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. P.D.T.
Accepting Online Applications Only
Information on How to Apply
Apply using this link: Natural Systems Specialist - Planting Program Municipal Arborist | Job Details tab | Career Pages
Classification: Natural Systems Specialist 2
Department/Division: Public Works Department / Parks and Open Space Division
Salary Range: $32.69 - $40.78 / hourly; $67,995.20 - $84,822.40 / annually
The City of Eugene determines starting pay within the range based on relevant education and experience as provided by the applicant in their application materials. This process is consistent with the Oregon Equal Pay Act (OEPA). You can learn more about our process at our How to Apply page.
Benefits: Please click the Benefits Tab to view the City of Eugene’s competitive package options.
Supervisor: Spencer Crawford, 541 799-5948
Location: 1820 Roosevelt Blvd., Eugene
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Examples of work duties:
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• Plan and coordinate all aspects of street tree planting associated with the City’s Transportation Bond and in-house planting program. This includes identifying planting sites for both capital improvement street renovation projects and standalone planting areas managed by Urban Forestry.
• Select regions to focus planning efforts using equity-based criteria, GIS mapping tools, and in-field assessments.
• Select appropriate tree species for individual planting sites using our program’s right-tree, right-place criteria to ensure climate resilience, site suitability, and maximum long-term canopy benefits.
• Manage tree planting contracts, including assigning work orders, ensuring planting work meets contract specifications, overseeing establishment watering, coordinating hydrant access with local utilities (e.g., EWEB), and managing third-year pruning and project close-out.
• Track and report planting statistics for internal stakeholders, including the City Sustainability Commission and City Council.
• Use ArcGIS to create new planting sites, update existing tree inventory data, and create work orders for contractor and in-house staff, using both mobile and desktop platforms.
• Oversee in-house establishment watering program and create watering site maps to ensure work is completed efficiently.
• Make utility locate requests to ensure in-ground conflicts are identified and avoided.
• Oversee onsite nursery, including tree inventory, ordering new stock, care of, and watering.
• Prepare and distribute public notification materials, including door hangers and mailers, to adjacent property owners; address questions or concerns regarding planting projects.
• Occasionally work alongside field crews performing planting, watering, watering bag installation/removal, and third-year pruning to support project success and demonstrate standards.
• Collaborate regularly with other members of the Urban Forestry team to support shared goals and promote a healthy, inclusive, and sustainable urban forest.
Qualifications:
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Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they are able to perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes with relevant transferrable skills from a variety of sources and experiences.
The City will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.
A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Experience: Four years of experience in public works inspection, code enforcement, planning, program coordination, Urban Forestry, Landscape architecture or a related field.
Education: Associates' degree in Natural Resource Management, Forestry, Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, or a related field.
License or Certificate: Possession of or ability to obtain and maintain an appropriate valid Oregon State driver's license.
Possession of, or ability to obtain, ISA Arborist Certification by the end of probationary period.
Possession of, or ability to obtain, ISA TRAQ qualification by the end of probationary period.
Possession of, or ability to acquire, flagger certification by the end of probationary period.
Technical certification(s), or the ability to obtain, may be required for specific positions depending on the area of assignment.
The Ideal Candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Knowledge of
• Principles and practices in the assigned technical area, including specialized technical processes, environments, equipment, and maintenance or operational requirements.
• Local, state, and federal codes and regulations as they relate to urban forestry, right-of-way work, and assigned program areas.
• Standards, policies, and best management practices for street tree planting, establishment, species selection, and long-term urban canopy management.
• Occupational hazards and safe work methods related to tree planting, pruning, removal, and field operations in urban environments.
• GIS software (desktop and mobile) operations for mapping, data collection, and inventory management.
• Querying GIS data to generate reports and analyze planting site suitability in partnership with the program TreePlotter to compare existing equity and canopy coverage metrics.
• Contract development and administration, including monitoring for compliance and quality assurance.
• Technical understanding of professional arboricultural standards, urban forestry management needs, and best practices.
• Best practices and industry standards for nursery operations and tree care, including container stock handling, watering, and inventory management.
Ability to
• Coordinate and prioritize a complex work program and its components, including scheduling, data tracking, and evaluating program results.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with different City departments, utility providers, contractors, community partners, and the general public.
• Clearly articulate, verbally and in writing, the City's urban forestry planting goals, program standards, equity metrics, and the environmental and community benefits of trees.
• Collaborate with the team and share professional knowledge to support collective goals and the success of the Urban Forestry program.
• Use conflict resolution, negotiation, and active listening skills in interactions with the public and contractors.
• Research and maintain records, analyze technical data, and make informed program decisions.
• Apply technical standards, evaluate specialized urban forestry data, and support field-based assessments.
• Interpret the intent of municipal codes and program policies, and apply them to planting projects.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records, and prepare technical documentation and reports.
• Use and maintain specialized computer databases and systems, including GIS and asset management tools.
• Identify tree species common to our local area and right-of-way.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, construction plans, and field maps.
• Schedule, train, and oversee seasonal staff assigned to tree planting and watering duties.
• Work independently and in team-based field operations.
• Perform after-hours inspections when necessary.
• Perform physical work in varying weather conditions.
• Provide and wear personal protective equipment as required.