Job Description

Posting number: 2026-00909

Department: Portland Parks & Recreation

Job classification: Supervisor I (Exempt)

Posting type: Open

Categories: Parks and Recreation, Parks, Urban Forestry, Forestry

Summary

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Job Appointment: One full-time, limited-duration position and one full-time, regular position.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am-3:30 pm. This position responds to emergency call-outs during and after scheduled work shifts.

Work Location: Urban Forestry, 10910 N Denver Avenue, Portland, OR 97217

Benefit: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefits for this position

Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.

About this Position:

Portland Parks & Recreation is seeking two Urban Forestry Operations Supervisors. Urban Forestry Operations Supervisors are key leadership positions overseeing the City of Portland’s 24/7 Tree Emergency Response, comprehensive tree maintenance, tree planting, and plant health care activities. These positions require working with a variety of people, coordinating complex tree maintenance situations, providing customer service, and overseeing innovative programs.

The Operations Supervisors will demonstrate both strong technical and personnel management skills to create a professional, cohesive, and high-performing arborist team with a service-oriented work ethic. All candidates must have a strong commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The ability to successfully communicate and collaborate in-person and in writing with a broad range of stakeholders, other City bureaus, private community members, and businesses is essential.

As an Operations Supervisor, you will:

• Understand and apply urban forest management and arboricultural practices and standards.
• Lead, oversee, and assess the successful performance of Operations staff.
• Scope, prioritize, assign, and ensure completion of varied tree maintenance requests and projects.
• Recruit, hire, schedule, assign work, and supervise staff, including seasonal employees.
• Establish and maintain professional work culture, including standards of safety and effectiveness.
• Create standard practices, policies, and procedures for day-to-day operations of the unit.
• Supervise daily implementation of ANSI Safety Standards for Arboricultural Operations.
• Oversee a large, specialized vehicle and equipment fleet and maintain inventory of operating supplies.
• Supervise and ensure delivery of the 24/7 citywide tree emergency response program.
• Deal effectively and communicate with the general public and other public agencies.
• Be skilled in promoting workplace diversity and creating a positive work environment.
• Track and update tree condition and work status employing various computer software.
• Work closely with the Operations Manager, City Forester, City property maintenance supervisors, and other public agencies to provide all facets of tree maintenance support.

About Urban Forestry and Portland’s Forest:

Urban Forestry's mission is to manage and ensure Portland’s urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Portland’s urban forest is valued at over $9.5 billion and comprises over 1.2 million park trees, 333,000 street trees, and 2.9 million private property trees. The Urban Forestry team is responsible for the overall management, stewardship, and improvement of this essential infrastructure. Urban Forestry’s work includes delivery of sustainable and equitable forest services to all Portlanders; establishing and enacting best management practices, plans, policies, and technical standards for tree care and protection and urban forest expansion; proposing improvements to the City’s tree regulations; providing tree maintenance services including 24/7 response to tree emergencies on City properties and public streets; tree planting and expansion of urban forest services; measurement and assessment of urban forest coverage, health, and services; offering community education and stewardship programs; and oversight and support of the City’s volunteer advisory tree board. Portland is a Tree City USA for 49 years; a Tree City of the World and the Urban Forestry program is accredited by the Urban and Community Forestry Society.

About the Bureau:

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is committed to the overall Citywide vision that race will have no detrimental effect on people of color, refugee and immigrant communities in accessing our parks and natural areas, or from the benefit of our services. We recognize, understand, and encourage celebration of the differences that surround us. Diversity and equity are vital to PP&R’s ideals and values. The City of Portland, Oregon is a growing and diverse city of 650,000 residents, nearly 20% of whom speak languages other than English at home. PP&R values a diverse workforce and seeks ways to promote equity and inclusion within the organization and with the public. PP&R encourages applications from candidates with knowledge, ability and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities with diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Although not required, PP&R encourages candidates that can fluently speak another language to include that information in their application materials. Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Examples of duties

Applicants must describe in their supplemental question responses and resume how their education, training, work experience and/or lived experience meets each of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Experience supervising tree maintenance or arborist crews, including assigning and prioritizing work and managing staff performance.
2. Knowledge of arboricultural practices and urban forest management, including industry standards for tree care.
3. Experience putting safety standards and practices into effect for tree care operations, such as ANSI Z133.
4. Experience coordinating response to tree emergencies or storm events.
5. Experience overseeing the use and maintenance of specialized vehicles and equipment.
6. Ability to communicate effectively with staff, the public, and partner agencies, and to promote an inclusive, equitable work environment.

Applicants must also:

• Obtain an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential before the end of the probationary period.
• Obtain the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) before the end of the probationary period.
• Have a valid driver’s license from any state and an acceptable driving record at the time of hire.
• Obtain an Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP) certificate within six months of hire, and keep it current.
• Obtain an Oregon Public Pesticide Applicator License within six months of hire.

Qualifications

How to Apply:

• Submit your resume and respond to the supplemental questions by the closing date.
• (Optional) Submit Veterans’ Preference documents, if applicable.
• If this is your first time applying with the City of Portland, or if you haven’t requested veteran preference before (and would like to now), please attach your DD214-Member 4 and/or VA Benefit Letter to your application. Once we verify your eligibility, we’ll record your veteran preference in our system, so it automatically applies to your future applications.
• Click here for application tips for resume, supplemental question response and/or cover letter.

What to Expect:

1. Application Review - (Week of November 2): We'll review your application materials to ensure you meet the minimum qualifications listed above.
2. Notice/Feedback - (Week of November 9): You will receive an email when the minimum qualification review is complete. If you disagree with the evaluation results, you may request a review within 14 days of the email notice, per City Administrative Rule 3.01.
3. Selection Process - (Late November): The hiring manager will review qualified applications, conduct interviews, and check references.
4. Conditional Job Offer - (December): Final candidates may undergo a background or driving record check, depending on the position.

Supplemental information

Learn More About:

• How to Apply Videos and Workshops
• City of Portland Core Values
• HRAR-3.01 - Recruitment Processes
• Veteran Preference Information
• Total Compensation and Benefits
• Language Pay Differential Eligibility

We’re committed to providing a fair, inclusive, and accessible hiring process. If you need assistance with your application or would like to request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, pregnancy, or religious belief, please contact the recruiter listed below.

Questions? We're here to help!

If you have questions about this recruitment or need assistance, contact:

Amanda Hillebrecht, Senior Recruiter

Amanda.Hillebrecht@portlandoregon.gov

Bureau of Human Resources

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