Job Summary

MN Department of Natural Resources—Division of Forestry seeks to hire a NE Regional Fire & Enforcement Forestry Specialist. Located in Grand Rapids, MN, this position exists to develop and support the Fire and Enforcement Programs within MN DNR Forestry’s Northeast Region. Work hours are subject to change based on work needs; hours of work and days off may vary and include weekends, evenings and holidays.  

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the NE Regional Fire & Enforcement Forestry Specialist include:

• Enhancing Fire and Enforcement programs by developing goals, reports, and educational programs; budget administration; training staff; and collecting and analyzing resource data and trends.
• Supporting the Fire and Enforcement programs by monitoring the work of forestry area staff; developing and delivering educational programs and materials; and training natural resource staff in the administration and implementation of forestry programs.
• Completing formal Division of Forestry classroom and field training sessions as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Science/Management, or a closely related field of academic study, from a university program accredited by the Society of American Foresters or comparable accrediting institution, or current Society of American Foresters Certified Forester status. 
• Two years advanced level professional experience equivalent to the NR Forestry Specialist Senior class - plan, direct staff, administer budget, administer, and implement programs, consult, interact with other resource disciplines and train and educate; OR three years intermediate level professional experience equivalent to the NR Forestry Specialist, Intermediate class. 
• Ability to develop schedules, studies, research projects and work assignments sufficient to efficiently and effectively accomplish Forestry program objectives and implement forestry science.
• Ability to administer program sufficient to manage, properly allocate limited resources and to direct activities. 
• Ability to train and teach sufficient to convey information in classrooms, field demonstrations, seminars, workshops and to DNR staff.
• Human relations sufficient to direct, administer and train foresters and to lead personnel working in programs.
• Communication skills sufficient to communicate complex concepts and principals to other resource professions and the public and make effective presentations to a wide variety of audiences by identifying their level of understanding and evoking a positive response.
• Ability to prepare and edit high quality technical reports and management plans and research and interpretation scientific literature sufficient to solve problems, educate others and increase expertise in a specialty area.
• Ability to integrate information from scientific literature, historical data and past experiences sufficient to devise risk-rating systems and management guidelines.
• Leadership skills sufficient to motivate people and obtain program commitment from division personnel and other Forest managers.
• Ability to negotiate budget, staffing needs and equipment allocation sufficient to administer programs and train personnel.
• Certified as a Forest Officer or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Department and Division policy, procedure and operating guidelines; State of Minnesota statutes pertaining to natural resources management; statistically sound survey techniques.
• Successful completion of a professional forester development program; and a leadership development program.
• Broad range of experiences with all programs administered by the Division of Forestry statewide with an emphasis on the major field operations programs: 1). State Land Management; 2). Resource Protection with an emphasis on fire suppression and management; 3). Forest Resource Information and Analysis with an emphasis on FIM; and, 4). Cooperative Forest Management.
• Wildfire Investigator, or ability to obtain Wildfire Investigator status.
• Single resource boss qualified AND ICT4 trainee, OR unit leader qualified, OR Forest Officer Investigator qualified.