Position Overview

Skylight Forestry, Inc. is seeking full-time, year-round Traveling Inventory Foresters to support forest inventory, timber cruising, stand examination, and timber-marking projects across the eastern United States. You will report to a Supervisor/Project Manager and will be responsible for accurate field data, sound technical judgment, and dependable production in remote forest settings.

This is a year-round traveling field position. The city shown in this posting is a recruiting and potential home-base location, not a permanent daily reporting location. Employees travel extensively to forestry projects throughout the eastern United States. Current project areas include western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, and Florida. Company-paid lodging or a lodging stipend is provided during assignments, and qualifying business mileage is reimbursed.

This is a highly mobile, field-first position for people who enjoy changing landscapes, measurable goals, independent work, and extended time outdoors. Most assignments involve travel away from home, rugged terrain, variable weather, and limited day-to-day supervision.

You May Be a Strong Fit If You

• Would rather spend the workweek navigating a remote hardwood stand than sitting behind a desk.
• Enjoy traveling to new regions and adapting to different forests, crews, lodging arrangements, and field conditions.
• Are comfortable working independently, managing your own pace, and being accountable for both quality and production.
• Can handle long field days, changing weather, rough terrain, insects, and extended assignments away from home.
• Take pride in precise measurements, reliable data, and meeting project deadlines.

What You’ll Do

• Conduct forest inventory, stand examinations, timber cruises, and forest resource assessments.
• Mark timber in accordance with silvicultural prescriptions, including leave-tree, cut-tree, shelterwood, and crop-tree-release treatments.
• Apply applicable regional timber-cruising standards and National Forest cruising guidance.
• Collect and verify plot information such as coordinates, aspect, slope, site index, species, diameter at breast height (DBH), height, basal area, and related stand metrics.
• Navigate to remote field sites using GPS, aerial imagery, topographic maps, compass, and field judgment.
• Use standard forest-measurement equipment, including diameter tape, calipers, laser or hypsometer, clinometer, prism, compass, and increment borer.
• Record, review, edit, upload, and summarize field data using mobile data recorders and related software.
• Coordinate access with landowners, agency personnel, and project staff as assigned.
• Interpret field guides and technical procedures independently under difficult or changing conditions.
• Meet with Client personnel to establish goals, timelines and relevant project matters.
• Meet established quality, production, and schedule expectations.

Required Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resources, biology, botany, biometrics, remote sensing, or a related field—or an equivalent combination of relevant training and experience.
• At least one year of forest inventory, timber cruising, stand-exam, or comparable field-data-collection experience.
• Strong working knowledge of eastern tree species identification; advanced hardwood identification skills are preferred.
• Working proficiency with GPS units, compass navigation, field maps, forest-measurement tools, and basic field-data software.
• Ability to work independently, self-motivate, manage time, and maintain accurate records.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively and work in different forest ecosystems throughout the eastern United States.
• Ability to hike off-trail over steep, uneven, and rugged terrain while carrying field equipment, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to work outdoors in heat, cold, rain, humidity, and other variable conditions.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and access to a dependable high-clearance vehicle suitable for reaching remote worksites.

Travel, Field Conditions, and Compensation

Compensation: $5,200 per month, plus a clearly defined production bonus targeted around $750–$1,000 per month. Bonus amounts vary based on production and project conditions and are not guaranteed.

Travel: Frequent and extended travel is required. Company-paid lodging is provided, or employees may elect a lodging stipend when appropriate. Some assignments may involve truck camping and work in remote areas.

Vehicle and mileage: Employees must provide transportation to and from assigned worksites with a dependable high-clearance vehicle. Business mileage is reimbursed at the applicable government rate, currently $0.725 per mile.

Equipment: All required forestry field equipment and data-collection tools are provided by Skylight Forestry. Work location, expected assignment duration, lodging arrangements, and project-specific requirements will be confirmed before each assignment.