NOW HIRING: Southwest Washington Neighborhood Trees Specialist

Friends of Trees is hiring a Neighborhood Trees Specialist to join our team to implement community-based planting projects in Vancouver and Clark County, in collaboration with volunteers, neighborhood associations, the City of Vancouver and other partner groups in accordance with the Friends of Trees mission. Ideal candidates will be approachable, creative, collaborative, and adaptable; have a background or interest in community tree planting and tree care; ability to juggle multiple priorities at once; and have a desire to work with diverse communities and individuals of all backgrounds.

Friends of Trees is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving Oregon and Southwest Washington. Our mission is to inspire community stewardship of our urban forest by bringing people together to plant, care for and learn about urban trees and natural areas.

Friends of Trees is committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. We recognize that not everyone has equal access to the benefits of trees and healthy green spaces. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Required Qualifications:
• Have a passion for providing access to trees and FOT services to residents in the City of Vancouver and SW Washington
• Well organized with excellent time management skills
• Excellent people, communication and customer service skills
• Skilled in collaboration, and an interest in developing and fostering meaningful relationships with partners, colleagues and community members
• Have a positive attitude and sense of humor
• Able to think on their feet and be flexible and adaptable
• Dedicated to working as part of team to meet goals and plan events
• Have a desire to work both outdoors and in an office environment
• Committed to working equitably with diverse communities, and expected to strengthen such capacity if hired
• Have a valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record
• Able to lift 50lbs repeatedly and do hard physical work outside in a variety of weather conditions

Desired Qualifications:
• Experience working with the communities, municipalities and/or non-profits in SW Washington
• Skilled and experienced in collaboration and teamwork
• Experienced in supervising others and working with a wide range of volunteers
• Skilled in using Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, ArcGIS, Salesforce and web-based databases
• Knowledgeable about (interested in) tree identification, planting, pruning and/or urban forestry
• Desire for continued learning in the field of equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Able to speak a language other than English

Primary Staff Duties:
• Initiates and oversees neighborhood tree planting projects in the Vancouver metro area
• Works closely with the City of Vancouver to implement tree planting and tree care events, to support residents in replacing trees, and to plan the outreach work plan for the season
• Supports and guides the Vancouver AmeriCorps member(s)
• Orients, trains and supervises volunteers.
• Works alongside volunteers to plant and care for trees
• Participates in FOT’s equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives and enhances this work in SW Washington
• Supports FOT’s planting and pruning projects in various municipalities (as needed)
• Provides excellent customer service to potential tree planters and volunteers via phone, email and in-person meetings
• Coordinates and attends outreach events to sign up tree purchasers and volunteers
• Assists in training volunteers to perform tree health checkups; maintains data on survival rates
• Supports watering, mulching, canvassing and pruning during summer months
• Works with databases and ecommerce systems to collect and follow up on tree ordering and volunteer roles
• Supports team members on a daily basis as projects, work load, and timelines are constantly shifting
• Participates in efforts to improve program and organizational effectiveness and efficiency
• Attends staff meetings, retreats and other related work events
• Other duties as assigned

Hours: ~40 hrs/week. Tuesday – Saturday during planting season (Nov-April); Monday – Friday rest of year. Fairly flexible within that framework, establishes schedule and makes changes known. This position requires night and weekend work hours.

Office Location: 3117 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97212. Close to TriMet Bus #6, #4 and #44, and off-street bike parking area. This position requires frequent travel to SW Washington; an organization vehicle may be used for those commutes, if needed.

Compensation: This will be a salaried position of $33,000-$38,000 per year, eligible for full benefits package, including 100% employer paid medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off starting at three weeks’ vacation, 10 holidays, and sick time.

To Apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume (limit 2 pages total) to Erica Timm, jobs@friendsoftrees.org by 5:00pm on Friday, November 1st, 2019. References may be requested at a later date.

In the cover letter, please address the following elements: 1) why you are interested in this position and its goal of ensuring access to FOT services for SW Washington residents, 2) personal or professional experience with equity, diversity and inclusion work, 3) any relevant skills and experience not listed in your resume.
This position is open to internal and external candidates. Thank you so much for taking the time to prepare and submit your application.

Friend of Trees provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, disability or genetics.