Senior Forestry and Fire Protection Planning Manager

Dudek is seeking a Senior Forestry and Fire Protection Planning Manager to support the growth of our natural resources team in the Pacific Northwest. The successful candidate will possess a well-established network within the region and contribute to the development and diversity of our natural resource services. The candidate will build client relationships while also ensuring high-quality work products and regulatory compliance.

This seller/doer position requires a minimum of twelve years' experience in arboriculture, urban forestry, fuels planning, wildfire mitigation, and/or hazard tree and vegetation risk assessment within the Pacific Northwest. Proven ability to independently conduct tree assessments, prepare comprehensive reports, engage effectively with clients, and manage complex projects within multi-disciplinary teams is essential. Additional responsibilities include pursuing and securing business opportunities through networking, marketing, and client referrals.

Based in Dudek's Seattle or Portland office, this role involves regular travel throughout the region for project-related assignments. Responsibilities include leading or contributing to public and private sector projects, including those for utilities, land managers, and local governments. Previous agency, consulting, or utility operations experience is highly valued.

• Builds strong relationships with clients, including key decision makers and agency representatives working to proactively identify and pursue new business prospects.

• Coordinates and facilitates client, partner, and regulatory agency meetings where Dudek work products are presented and reviewed.

• Cross-sells other disciplines within the company and actively seeks opportunities for collaboration.

• Leads proposals for projects of varying complexity, scopes of work, budgets, and bids for new projects.

• Actively engages in the professional community, including attending and speaking at industry conferences and training sessions.

• Draft chapters for urban forest management plans, encompassing best practices, municipal budgeting, work performance metrics, tree inventory sustainability assessments, canopy cover study applications, community engagement strategies, as well as ordinances and policies.

• Oversee projects from initiation through completion, ensuring timely execution and optimal efficiency.

• Conduct thorough individual tree evaluations and risk assessments; utilize tablets, field computers, and GPS units for data collection in the field.

• Produce arborist and technical reports on tree and urban forest management, including written recommendations for tree management.

• Offer expert consultation and guidance to clients regarding tree care, preservation, and management strategies.

• Perform individual tree evaluations and risk assessments with precision.

• Present research findings to decision makers, project teams, and industry groups.

• Remain current with advancements in industry methods, techniques, and best practices.

• Lead or support the development of Silvicultural Analyses, Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), Fuels Assessments, or Vegetation Management Plans, according to expertise.

• Utilize FVS, FlamMap, or similar vegetation/fire behavior modeling tools to inform treatment planning and prioritize risk assessments.

• Conduct or supervise hazard tree identification, post-fire risk evaluations, or vegetation risk reduction efforts across utility corridors, roadways, or public lands.

• Author or contribute to wildfire andforestry sections for NEPA documentation, as part of multidisciplinary project teams.

• A bachelor's degree in forestry, natural resources, environmental science, or a related field.

• Certification as an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ).

• Additional qualifications include writing skills, project management and client development experience, as well as experience with GIS, GPS, regional plant/tree identification, and arboricultural and vegetation management practices.

• Knowledge of developing urban forest management plans is important, including familiarity with data sources, urban forest sustainability principles, climate change research, tree maintenance practices, ISA standards, and financing.

• Twelve or more years of experience in one or more of the following areas: forestry planning (such as silvicultural prescriptions), fuels treatment planning or prioritization, wildfire mitigation or post-fire recovery, or hazard tree/vegetation risk assessments.

• Proficiency with FVS, FlamMap, or similar modeling tools (e.g., BehavePlus, FARSITE) is preferred.

• Familiarity with Pacific Northwest forest types or comparable fire-adapted ecosystems is beneficial.

• A valid driver's license and active personal automobile liability insurance are required by the first day of employment.

• Experience working for or with USFS, BLM, NRCS, state forestry agencies, tribal governments, or local fire districts.

• Experience supporting municipal permitting processes related to utility infrastructure fire safety is a plus.

• Familiarity with Fire Protection Plan (FPP) preparation and relevant fire safety codes (e.g., International Fire Code, NFPA 855) for infrastructure projects such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

• Experience with ROW vegetation clearance, IVM strategies, or utility wildfire mitigation plans.

• This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc.
• This job requires occasional project site visits, based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, and moving vehicles and equipment.

• Working on a computer, sitting, or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting.
• Attending meetings, both in person and virtually, and speaking on the phone with peers, clients, etc.
• Specific vision abilities, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.