Sr. Forester; Civil Engineering Specialist, Sr

Sr. Forester (Civil Engineering Specialist, Sr.) Overview

Join us in shaping Seattle’s streets! At the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), we don’t just move people — we connect communities, build safer streets, and create a more sustainable city. With a bold vision for the future, we’re tackling big challenges: making travel safer, cutting carbon emissions, and ensuring reliable, affordable transportation for everyone — no matter who they are or where they live.

Seattle is growing fast, and we’re growing with it. Thanks to a historic voter‑approved $1.55 billion investment in transportation in 2024, we’re building sidewalks, fixing bridges, and improving transit connections to keep our city moving. We’re a team of problem solvers, planners, engineers, communicators, and field crews—bringing purpose‑driven work to life. Let’s build a Seattle that works for everyone—together!

SDOT Urban Forestry is looking for a Senior Forester (Civil Engineering Specialist, Sr.) to join the team and develop Seattle’s tree canopy. In this critical role you will supervise, review, approve, and inspect Urban Forestry permits for complex private development and right‑of‑way improvement projects to ensure street trees meet municipal code requirements and city design standards, grow Seattle's tree canopy, protect public safety, and prevent conflicts with city‑owned infrastructure.

• Review plans and development proposals for impacts related to utilities, traffic, transportation, and street improvements.
• Coordinate and cooperate with permit applicants and other agencies, departments, divisions, and private utilities involved in or affected by projects.
• Recommend permit revisions and requirements to mitigate negative impacts of development on street trees and ensure plans meet Seattle Municipal Code requirements and City of Seattle design standards.
• Ensure compliance with terms of permits authorizing development and construction projects related to street trees and landscapes in the right‑of‑way.
• Serve as subject‑matter expert for soil protection, environmentally critical areas, tree selection, and urban forestry elements of projects.
• Respond to inquiries from the public and other departments about the process, requirements, and procedures of the development process and investigate and resolve complaints from the public.
• Perform regular site walk‑throughs for projects in construction to assess the conditions of existing trees, inspect tree protection, and provide oversight of pruning (root and canopy) to conform with ANSI A300 standards.
• Determine the appraised value of existing street trees using the current editing of the Guide for Establishing Values of Trees and Other Plants prepared by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers.
• Perform contract administration activities including reviewing change orders and responding to submittals; preparing field notes; collecting material samples; attending final walkthroughs; and compiling or auditing as‑built records.

• An Associate Degree in Civil Engineering Technology or two years of college‑level coursework in engineering and construction technology or related fields.

• Requires four (4) years of related civil engineering or similar experience.

• Current Washington State driver’s license or evidence of equivalent mobility may be required.

• Degree in Arboriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, or Environmental Science or two years of college‑level coursework OR a combination of education and/or training and/or experience that provides an equivalent background related to the duties of this position.
• Experience evaluating tree health, reviewing tree protection BMPs, and making pruning recommendations (root pruning and canopy pruning).
• Experience reviewing construction drawings, details, and specifications.
• Ability to manage a variety of tasks on multiple projects to meet multiple deadlines in a fast‑paced environment and the flexibility to change…