DISTRICT FORESTER - 76219

Executive Service

Who we are and what we do:

The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2014. One of the Division's first missions was to plant trees on eroded and abandoned farmland in the western part of the state. Over the decades, TDF has grown to protect, conserve, and enhance Tennessee's 14 million acres of forestland through forest health protection, rural and urban forest management, wildfire and prescribed fire management, water quality protection, forest business services, state forest management and conservation education. Today, TDF employs over 400 personnel statewide and is well known as the wildfire and forest health experts. The Division resides within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture whose mission is to promote wise uses of Tennessee's agricultural and forest resources, to develop economic opportunities, and to ensure safe and dependable food, fuel, and fiber for all citizens.

How you make a difference in this role:

Being responsible for all operations within your district. Overseeing all personnel actions, managing district budgets, ensuring effective program implementation, managing district assets, providing strategic directions to state forest operations, and maintaining working relationships with local partnering agencies and organizations. The District Forester is an executive service position and works under the direct supervision of the State Forester.

Key Responsibilities:

LEADERSHIP

• Serves on the Division's leadership team to represent District interests when addressing organizational challenges and opportunities.
• Serves as the liaison between the State Forester's office and District personnel.
• Communicates and implements Department and Division priorities.
• Develops District personnel's knowledge, skills, and abilities to better perform job duties.

PLANNING

• Reviews Annual Fire Prevention and State Forest plans.
• Develops long range planning and development of district objectives, policies, programs, procedures and performance measures
• Plans and prioritizes the use of district personnel and equipment to accomplish district operations.
• Establishes and maintains working relationships with county officials, government or non-government organizations, and other partners. 2

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Oversees the delivery of state forestry services at the district level and tracks accomplishments.
• Manages district assets including forest resources, equipment, vehicles & facilities.
• Provides monthly, quarterly and annual reports of district activity to the State Forester.
• Coordinates district resources in emergency situations such as fire, floods, tornados, or other natural disasters.

FISCAL ADMINISTRATION

• Compiles and manages District's operating budget.
• Follows all state purchasing processes and policies and ensures those same policies and processes are adhered to by both direct reports and indirect reports.

SUPERVISION

• Directly supervises 2 Assistant District Foresters, 8 Area Foresters & 2 Administrative Assistants.
• Develops annual Individual Performance Plans and conduct interim and annual reviews for direct reports.
• Oversees all personnel actions within the district.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in forestry and experience equivalent to four years of professional forestry work, one year of which must involve supervisory or program management experience.

Substitution of Graduate Education for Experience: Additional qualifying graduate course work in forestry may substitute for the required non-specialized experience, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of one year (e.g., 36 graduate quarter hours in forestry may substitute for one year of the required experience).

Necessary Special Qualifications: A valid vehicle operator's license may be required for employment in some positions.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.