Lead Forester​/Ecologist

Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Field-based & Remote/Office hybrid)

Job Title:
Lead Forester/Ecologist

Company: Kindred Land Management

Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Field-based & Remote/Office hybrid)

Position Type: Full-time, Leadership / "Player-Coach" Role

At Kindred Land Management , our mission is to help landowners improve native habitat. As a small, specialized team, we provide high-quality native habitat restoration services, including non-native invasive species control, timber stand improvement, grassland restoration, prescribed fire, and more . Because we are a lean and agile company, every team member wears multiple hats. We are looking for a dedicated leader who is as comfortable writing a robust management plan as they are running a chainsaw in the thick of a Middle Tennessee summer.

We are seeking a Lead Forester and Ecologist to serve as a pivotal "player-coach" within our company. This role perfectly balances high-level ecological strategy with gritty, hands-on field execution.

You will have ultimate responsibility for the safe, effective, and efficient implementation of management practices while simultaneously writing comprehensive forestry, wildlife, and natural resource management plans. In the field, you will lead by example—working alongside and supervising junior technicians to ensure our restoration projects are executed to the highest standard. In the office, you will author detailed management plans that play a pivotal role in delivering an excellent experience to clients, and improving ecosystems.

• Develop Management Plans: Author comprehensive forestry, wildlife, and natural resource management plans tailored to client goals and ecological needs.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all plans meet local, state, and federal guidelines.
• Ecological Assessments: Conduct field inventory, timber cruising, and vegetative surveys to inform management decisions.
• Human Capital & Resource Management:
  Active participation in planning and scheduling people and resources that result in a high level of satisfaction for team and clients.

• Supervise & Mentor: Supervise, train, and ensure the safety of junior technicians on-site, fostering a culture of safety and precision.
• Habitat Restoration Execution: Perform and oversee demanding physical tasks including chainsaw felling, timber stand improvement (TSI), and invasive species control.
• Equipment Operation: Safely operate and maintain specialized equipment, including tractors utilizing no-till seed drills, track loaders, UTVs, and commercial sprayers.
• Herbicide Application: Oversee and execute precise herbicide applications according to strict safety, governmental, and ecological guidelines, including use of chemical agents for formulation and cleaning
• Logistics & Transport: Safely load, secure, and trailer heavy equipment to and from various job sites across Middle Tennessee.

• Minimum 4 years of verifiable, hands-on experience in forestry, habitat restoration, or natural resource management.
• Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or a closely related field.

• TN Department of Agriculture Pesticide License (Commercial Applicator Category 2, 6, or 10 preferred).
• NRCS Technical Service Provider (TSP) designation (or immediate eligibility to obtain).
• Tennessee Certified Burn Manager credential from the TN Division of Forestry.
• Valid Driver’s License

• Middle Tennessee Ecology: Expert-level knowledge of the forest and grassland ecology specific…