Job Detail

Urban Forestry Workforce Coordinator

Location: Philadelphia, PA
Salary:

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This is a 1-year grant-funded position with the possibility of extension.

JOB OVERVIEW:
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry Unit is responsible for planting and maintaining trees in the 10,200 acre park system, planting and maintaining the 130,000 street trees along city streets, responding to tree emergencies in parks and on city streets, and working with residents to develop and implement community-based forestry projects.

The Urban Forestry Workforce Coordinator is a new position created as part of implementation of the Philly Tree Plan, a 10-year strategic plan for the equitable growth and care of Philadelphia’s urban forest. This position will support recruitment, hiring, retention, and succession planning for PPR’s Urban Forestry Unit staff. Focus will be on lowering the barriers to entry to City tree jobs, rewarding staff for obtaining specialized skills and certifications, and ensuring that staff reflect the diversity of experiences of the people they serve.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Develop short- and long-range succession plans to fully staff and ultimately increase the staff in PPR’s Urban Forestry Unit
• Determine priorities for projects, budget, and fundraising
• Evaluate urban forestry civil service job specifications and make recommendations for changes to improve hiring and retention of staff
• Develop relationships with workforce development programs, high schools, colleges, and technical schools; coordinate with these groups to align curriculums to City needs
• Support onboarding of entry-level staff to emphasize both soft and hard skills during the probationary period, and to facilitate their movement into higher level positions in the Tree Maintenance hierarchy
• Convene program providers to facilitate ongoing coordination and communication to strengthen the transition of program graduates to permanent employment at PPR
• Explore creating an apprenticeship program to connect external workforce program graduates with City tree maintenance jobs
• Create RFPs and manages relationships with contractors and vendors
• Work with PPR communications staff to develop outreach materials for attracting job applicants
• Research regulations and industry standards and safety best practices related to work by municipal employees and contractors engaged in tree planting, maintenance and removal work in parks and in ROW
• Coordinate scheduling of exams for Arborist Certification, Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, and other certifications of eligible employees
• Maintain current records of employees’ credentials, support yearly membership renewals for professional societies, and identify opportunities to get continuing education units (CEUs) for employees to maintain certifications
• Represent PPR’s Urban Forestry Unit at events and conferences

SKILLS:
• Know the principles, practices, methods, materials, tools and equipment used in arboriculture
• Familiar with ANSI A-300, Z-133 and Z60.1 standards of practice and operation
• Knowledge of program evaluation methods as well as procurement methods and practices
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and implement in-person programming
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Demonstrated ability to work across teams and address disparate viewpoints
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Excellent organization and project management skills
• Proficient in Wordpress, Canva, Mailchimp, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• Proactive problem solver
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with co-workers and the public
• Possession of an International Society of Arboriculture certification
• Valid PA driver’s license

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
•Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of work experience related to the duties described above.

OR

•High school graduation or equivalent and five years of work experience related to the duties as described above. 

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