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Posting Detail Information

Working TitleLead Project Forester

Position LocationAlamosa, CO

Work LocationPosition is fully in-office/in-person

Research Professional PositionNo

Posting Number202501726AP

Position TypeAdmin Professional/ Research Professional

Classification TitleProf/Indiv Contrib III

Number of Vacancies

Work Hours/Week40

Proposed Annual Salary Range$60,000 to $65,000

Employee Benefits

Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

+ Review our detailed benefits information here. (https://hr.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/01/benefits-summary-afap.pdf)

+ Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.

+ For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator (https://hr.colostate.edu/total-compensation-calculator/) .

+ Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in (https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-community/) !

Desired Start Date

Position End Date (if temporary)

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on12/08/2025

Description of Work Unit

The Colorado State Forest Service is an agency of Colorado State University, Colorado’s land grant institution of higher education, and is housed, organizationally, in the Warner College of Natural Resources. The CSFS also staffs the Division of Forestry for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The CSFS has 17 field units throughout the state, with a State Office located in Fort Collins on CSU’s foothills campus.

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Supervisory Forester, the Lead Project Forester will lead and manage complex projects/programs, falling within one or more of the following program areas:

+ Community Wildfire Protection Plans and wildfire hazard mitigation

+ Forest agriculture

+ Forest stewardship planning

+ Good Neighbor Agreements

+ Outreach and engagement programs

+ Collaboratives and Partnerships

The Lead Project Forester may perform some, or all, of the following: project budget management, program oversight, personnel direction, grant and agreement development and implementation. The Lead Project Forester coordinates program delivery with program staff and will serve as the primary contact point for local officials and key CSFS partners within their assigned project/program area(s), under the supervision and mentoring of the Supervisory Forester.

The Lead Project Forester will lead Area work teams associated with complex programs, train and mentor Field Office or Area foresters, develop and manage program and project budgets, provide input to Area strategic work plans, cultivate emerging issues and opportunities, serve as the acting Supervisory Forester as needed, and support all Area operations. The Lead Project Forester must have a thorough knowledge of overall Field Office and Area operations, local collaboratives and partnerships, silviculture, best management practices, insect and disease identification and management, wildfire mitigation and community protection, timber harvest operations, contract development and administration, and will be a local Subject Matter Expert on their assigned complex projects/programs.

Required Job Qualifications

+ A bachelor’s degree (or greater) in Forestry, Wildlife Biology/Management, Fire Ecology or other related natural resource field will be considered

+ Three years of professional forestry experience, with specific experience in Wildfire Management/Fuels Mitigation, Wildlife Biology, Forest Management, Dendrology, Forest Ecology, Forest Measurements, Silviculture, or Vegetation Dynamics

+ Experience in knowledge and principles of project management, concepts of project constraints, and ability to manage and apply those principles

+ Physical ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time over rough terrain; lift and move material weighing up to 50 pounds; work in all types of weather conditions

+ Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date

+ Must be legally authorized to work in the United States before the employment start date; Colorado State Forest Service will not sponsor a visa for this position

Preferred Job Qualifications

+ Two years of experience with a state forestry agency

+ Experience developing work plans and project/program prioritization and resource allocation

+ Ability to exhibit confidence and competence in public presentations

+ Committed to safety, quality, demonstrated excellent customer service ethic and professionalism

+ Professional experience with participation on teams, committees and other special assignments, as well as the ability to work independently

+ Experience with contracts, agreements, and grant management

+ Program and/or project management experience

+ Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills

+ Proficient with the general Microsoft Suite office software products, ArcGIS, and GPS

+ Ability to perform GIS based data entry; capable of using GIS / GPS units to collect field data

+ Knowledge of western United States forest management techniques in the following areas: Silviculture (e.g., intermediate treatments; even-aged and uneven-aged structure; disturbance regimes and variability; periodic and mean annual increment; diameter distributions; stand legacy; and age structure); forest insect and diseases related to vectors and alternative hosts; sustainable harvesting systems in even-, two-, and uneven-aged forests; forest management planning based on desired future conditions; wildfire hazard mitigation, prevention and suppression in the wildland urban interface ( WUI ); community forestry in both urban and WUI situations; and outreach and education related to scientific and general public arenas

+ Comprehension of basic field forestry skills (cruising and timber marking) related to timber sale boundaries, harvest plans, silvicultural prescriptions, natural and artificial regenerations methods, road layout, and contract inspections.

+ Demonstrated skills in writing forest management plans, timber sale layout and administration, and budget preparation and administration

Essential Duties

Job Duty CategoryProgram/project management and leadership

Duty/Responsibility

+ Project manager for active management of treatments within persistent pinyon-juniper woodlands with the goal of increasing their resilience to drought and resistance to mortality events.

+ Designs, monitors, coordinates, and implements fuels management treatments that have co-benefits for pinyon-juniper wildlife like Pinyon Jays. Communicates with researchers, biologists and practitioners to reduce knowledge gaps related to pinyon-juniper woodland health and resilience and jays by layering science/monitoring on large-scale fuels projects in PJ woodlands to ‘learn by doing’ providing a conduit for researchers and biologists to further coproduction.

+ Enhance spatial prioritization of fuels treatments based on wildlife habitat needs and other values

+ Engagement with indigenous communities and BLM tribal liaison in connection to pine nut harvesting and/or other pinyon-juniper woodlands uses/values to bring Tribal priorities into management

+ Communicate program requirements, complete site visits, monitoring and surveys on identified fuels projects

+ Write and review required input to environmental assessments, biological assessments, development of protective stipulations or design feature mitigation and assist with required Endangered Species Act Sec 7 Consultation. Provide technical assistance (wildlife biology and range conservation focus) and guidance to the BLM , landowners, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGO’s) and others

+ Coordinate integration and application of biological sciences within the conservation programs in cooperation with the local BLM district & field office staff

+ Communicate program requirements, complete site visits, lead species specific wildlife surveys, and develop contracts/plans for projects and participants

+ Coordinate and participate in field work activities for pinyon-juniper communities project implementation

+ Complete project management through data creation, gathering, tracking and dissemination through frequent updates and reporting

+ • Facilitate information and awareness on sagebrush conservation opportunities to partners and the BLM staff

+ Direct and coordinate professional science-based forest management services to local federal, state, and private landowners and communities. The position utilizes a broad range of experience in managing the various activities occurring within their assigned project/program area(s).

+ Serve as project/program work leader providing direction to foresters working in complex programs/projects/activities as assigned.

+ Collaborate with BLM , CSFS , and IWJV to set project priorities, goals and targets for assigned project/program area(s) and provides budget management and oversight for assigned project/program(s).

Percentage Of Time60%

Job Duty CategoryProgram Delivery

Duty/Responsibility

+ Assist BLM Fuels Program Lead and CSFS Supervisory Forester with setting programmatic goals, annual work plans, budgets, and long-range planning

+ Responsible for oversight and quality control for assigned projects and programs delivered within the service area. Assigned programs and projects may be from more than one functional area. Understands and follows BLM and CSU / CSFS policy, guidelines and direction

+ Provide daily oversight and guidance to assigned staff’s activities to accomplish assigned project/program goals and targets

+ Participate in annual fiscal and work planning efforts

+ Coordination assistance with state and federal agencies and local governments

+ Provide landscape-level conservation planning, technical assistance and project prioritization support to the BLM and partners in out-year planning efforts

+ Perform other job-related duties as assigned by supervisor

Percentage Of Time20%

Job Duty CategorySubject Matter Expert (SME) for assigned project/program areas

Duty/Responsibility

+ Coordinate with BLM biologists, Colorado Parks and Wildlife ( CPW ), and fuels staff on PIJA surveys and research.

+ Serve on field level interdisciplinary teams.

+ Outreach, coordination and relationship-building with private landowners, local business-economic interests, non-governmental organizations, and local community groups (e.g., soil and water conservation districts, local area working groups, coordinated resource management groups, etc.). May include workshops, field tours, group presentations and conferences.

+ Coordinate conservation efforts where possible to use the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other funding avenues to ensure “seamless” and integrated implementation across the landscape.

+ Work with various state and local agencies to coordinate success stories and leverage support for future years of partnership projects.

+ Work with agencies and partners to develop, facilitate, and coordinate local contracts and agreements.

+ Showcase information from past and current projects to the public (i.e. presentations showing pre and post data for vegetation and wildlife populations, kiosk displays, social media posts, etc.)

+ Keep current on best practices related to forest management, wildfire mitigation, and other programs for which they are responsible. Ensure area staff have the most current information needed for the implementation and promotion of their assigned project/program(s).

+ May serve as an Area/Field Office SME for CSFS procedures and processes to use agreements, contracting, and CSFS Business Practices. Provides guidance to area staff on the use of the Qualified Vendor Lists through CSU Contracting.

+ May assist the Supervisory Forester with review and development of Scopes of Work for projects, contracting, and other CSFS business activities.

+ Engage with partners and local initiatives to help develop partnerships and collaboratives that further CSFS’s program delivery and leverage agency resources and funding as related to their assigned project/program(s)

+ Provide technical support and expertise to local cooperators and partners to identify opportunities and emerging issues related to assigned project/program(s).

+ Identifies and pursues funding opportunities related to their assigned project/programs(s).

Percentage Of Time20%

Application Details

Special Instructions to Applicants

To apply, please upload a cover letter that addresses the required and preferred job qualifications, a resume, and the contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates. Optional document to upload; continuing education/skills development

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.

Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Conditions of EmploymentPre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Valid Driver’s License - Successful applicants must have a valid Colorado driver’s license or ability to acquire one upon employment, Travel - Irregular work hours and periodic long days, evening and weekend service, occasional out of area, and periodic overnight travel. Ability to drive 4x4 trucks on rough terrain, pulling a trailer and operating OHVs (to include side-by-sides, ATVs and snowmob, Special Requirements/Other - Undergo a BLM background investigation with a favorable adjudication

Search ContactAdam Moore, [email protected]

EEO

Colorado State University ( CSU ) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Background Check Policy Statement

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

References Requested

References Requested

Minimum Requested3

Maximum Requested3

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

+ Cover Letter

+ Resume

+ Other

Optional Documents