Urban Forestry - Project Manager

Who We Are

Dudek is a leading environmental, planning, and engineering firm that helps public and private clients achieve compliance, practicality, and innovation through our project work. Founded in 1980, Dudek has grown steadily to more than 800 professionals across the U.S. and received the Top Workplace Award for 2021.

As a 100% employee-owned company, Dudek’s culture rewards smart, productive team members with ownership, professional development, and financial benefits. Our work communities are designed to encourage collaboration, sustainability, and connectivity with the surrounding communities.

We invest in our Employees and communities through various initiatives that make Dudek a great place to work! Dudek makes it a priority to DuGood by giving back to the communities in which we live and work, and offer Dudekians the opportunity to take a paid volunteer day each year. Our experts are encouraged to eDUcate school groups about planning, engineering, and preserving the natural and built environments. We promote environmental sustainability through our DuGreen initiative by working to improve our environmental footprint. We also DuWell to educate our associates on their health and wellness. And our Du Something Fun team brings everyone at Dudek together to balance our hard work with exciting activities.

At Dudek, we understand the best problem solving happens when diverse viewpoints and experiences are shared. We recognize that different perspectives, inclusivity, and trust build a stronger culture and add value to our firm. We celebrate our differences and strive to make meaningful progress toward becoming a more diverse company.

Learn more about our culture.

About The Job

We are seeking an individual that shares our core value of ”creating a healthy urban forest for our future” and is looking for an opportunity to bring that core value to communities large and small. This position is available for an individual who wants to help grow one of the leading urban forestry teams in the country and promote healthy and mature trees by providing expert arboriculture knowledge and urban forestry principles. Relevant experience for this position could include, but is not limited to, an urban forestry planner, municipal arborist, program director with a non-profit organization, environmental planner, or urban forestry consultant.

This position will be based out of our Southern California offices (Pasadena, San Juan Capistrano, Encinitas) and can accommodate a hybrid work schedule. The position will require approximately 10% travel for meetings, presentations, and community events.

Proposed Salary Range: $85,000 - $95,000 annually*

*Final agreed upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including but not limited to an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location.

Learn more about the projects you will have the opportunity to shape.

Who You Are

To thrive at Dudek, you should be comfortable with freedom and accountability. We value collaborative, resourceful, and independent thinkers. We look for curious, solution-focused people who are able to adapt quickly to an ever-changing industry. There is no single way to solve a problem, so we support your creative approaches to solve problems.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Lead the preparation of urban forest management plans for municipal and other clients that deliver an implementable program towards a sustainable urban forest.
• Coordinate project team members by assigning tasks and monitoring workloads to meet project deadlines and deliverables. 
• Develop goals and strategies with the assistance of the practice leader of the Urban Forest Management Team to continue to grow the urban forestry practice through business development and marketing.
• Prepare proposals, attend meetings and interviews, and represent Dudek’s urban forestry practice as part of our ongoing business development.
• Write chapters of urban forest management plans and arboriculture related reports including assessing trees for risk, health, and hazard conditions, summaries of inventories, and reviews of tree permit applications for municipalities.
• Provide experience-based input on various urban forestry topics, technologies, protocols, and industry developments. 

Minimum Requirements

• Proven ability to build partnerships and manage relationships that lead to the successful completion of projects and business growth.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Candidate must have excellent leadership, organization and problem-solving skills to facilitate successful project teams and on-time project delivery to clients.
• Candidate must have excellent analytical and technical writing skills at a professional level.
• Candidate must demonstrate professional communication skills, both written and oral.  If selected for an interview, candidates will be asked to submit a writing sample.
• Candidate will be required to occasionally travel from their home office to other portions of the region in which they live, and beyond, as projects dictate.
• Candidate must possess a valid driver’s license.

Desired Requirements

• ISA certification or ability to obtain certification within 6 months of hiring.
• Additional arboricultural and/or urban forestry credentials a plus (e.g., Board Certified Master Arborist, ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, TRAQ qualified, Municipal Specialist etc.)
• Experience working with municipal urban forest programs and city staff.
• An understanding of the components needed to develop an urban forest management plan, including data sources, urban forest sustainability principles, climate change research, tree maintenance practices, ISA standards, and financing.
• Experience with arboricultural procedures, urban forestry concepts, and ability to learn various diagnostic equipment procedures.
• Experience with community engagement activities including facilitating workshops and strategic outreach planning. 

Perks of Being a Dudekian

Not only will Dudek provide you with a competitive salary, but we also strive to create an environment that promotes growth, career development, and a flexible work–life balance. Dudek offers an array of benefits, from your typical medical, dental, and vision coverage to the opportunity to share in Dudek’s success through discretionary bonuses, based on firmwide, divisional, and individual performance. We also offer a yearly merit review, an employee stock ownership program, and dog friendly offices! Since we encourage our colleagues to take time off when needed, Dudek also provides a generous vacation package. If you’re tired of an overly structured environment and decision-making process to get your job done, Dudek is a place where your ideas are heard and your initiative is rewarded. Speak with your recruiter to learn more about the great perks of being a Dudekian.

Dudek is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

Salary : $85,000 - $95,000