Senior Forestry Analyst - DPW-Stormwater Engineering

Overview

Position is responsible for safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of public users of Rights-of-Ways and public lands by managing the risk posed by public trees and balancing that risk with the ecosystem service benefits that trees provide. Incumbent helps the City realize the full potential of the benefits of trees, such as air quality and storm water quality improvement, while providing peace of mind to users of a public space which features mature trees.

Careful and wise use of independent judgment will be necessary for this position. Incumbent will be trusted to utilize City resources in a responsible and justified manner when responding to unusual situations such as special requests from administrators or in the event of an emergency. Position reports to Manager Urban Forestry.

• Utilizes expert skills to perform individual tree risk evaluations to determine the type of corrective work that is necessary and then prioritize the issue to determine the urgency with which the work needs to be completed
• Inspects issues related to roadside brush and obstructed sight distances and critical signage
• Manages both the contracted street tree and park tree inventories, including management of data collection projects, review of incoming data and progress updates, issuance of work orders based on recommendations, and subsequent data revision based on updated inspections and completion of recommended work
• Reviews and prioritizes incoming service requests, then assigns each issue an inspection priority and divides inspection work amongst all forestry staff depending on the demand, necessary skill set, and available resources
• Supervises the work of the dedicated Forestry Inspector and trains staff to perform inspections in a uniform and consistent manner
• Works closely with DPW Operations Forestry Supervisor and Greenways Supervisor to assign work to the in-house DPW crews based on the need, crew capabilities, and resources available at the time
• Manages implementation of work assigned to on-call forestry contractors on capital projects
• Peri­odically review applications for Flora permits, providing expert-level subject knowledge when necessary
• Develops and manages a large-scale storm event response contract to be utilized in the wake of a major tree-damaging storm event
• Participates in periodic reviews of forestry program’s Standard Operating Procedures and safety protocols, utilizing knowledge of industry best practices and subject matter expertise
• Manages forestry data systems, including data input, processing, analysis, and modification to the street tree and park tree inventory databases
• Analyzes data on demand to produce budget projections based on data within inventories
• Serves as interim program manager during periods of vacancy for the Manager of Urban Forestry position
• Serves as an expert resource for other City agencies
• Serves as an expert witness regarding inspections, tree biology, and tree biomechanics, helping to defend policy and reduce liability in legal proceedings involving tort claims against the City, when necessary
• Serves as additional technical inspector, as needed, for specialized forestry enforcement issues being managed by Code Enforcement
• Provides technical information and input for Land Stewardship, Parks Planning, Metropolitan Development, and Engineering programs
• Serves on internal committees to periodically review and revise ordinances and regulations related to urban forestry and vegetation management upon public lands
• Routinely serves as one of four weekly on-call supervisors that manage the DPW forestry crew response during non-business hours
• Answers general questions from public regarding tree care and participates in outreach events to disseminate forestry best practices to the citizens of Indianapolis
• Represents the City on non-profit event planning committees including Indy Free Tree, Trees for Tomorrow, Environmental Adventure Day, and the Indianapolis - Marion County Tree Board
• Must maintain confidentiality at all times
• This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or…