Park Specialist - Urban Forestry

Park Specialist - Urban Forestry

Salary

$37.75 Hourly

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26-Park Spec.-Urban Forestry

Department

Parks & Recreation

Opening Date

10/09/2026

Closing Date

10/23/2026 4:30 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Local 1937

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Nature of Work

Join the Parks and Recreation Department in shaping the future of the city's urban forest as a Park Specialist - Urban Forestry, where your expertise helps protect and elevate our most valued natural spaces. In this role, you'll combine advanced arboriculture knowledge with technical aerial tree work, ecosystem stewardship, and strong teamwork to support safe, healthy, and resilient landscapes. Whether you're growing within the organization or bringing fresh experience from outside, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the community's urban forests.

JOB SUMMARY:

This position plans, schedules, implements, monitors, and evaluates work for trees and forest stands in City parks, public spaces, open space areas and right-of-way areas. Performs technical tree work, provides tree hazard assessments, makes recommendations for forest stand management, removals and plantings. Responsible for selection, care, operation, maintenance and replacement of equipment in program. The work requires a variety of specialized techniques and equipment for climbing and rigging. Serves as lead to staff assigned to program area; provides training, technical guidance, day-to-day direction and provides input on performance evaluations. Coordinates activities with other sections of the Parks Department, other City departments as well as developers and contractors. Represents the City as a consulting arborist for City departments, providing a professional opinion and written reports on City tree issues. Provides input on budgetary requirements, tracks and orders materials, equipment and supplies for program area, including price and product evaluation as well as bid packet creation and evaluation.

For more information, please review the job classification.

WHY JOIN OUR TEAM?

Joining the City of Bellingham means becoming a part of a team that believes our greatest impact comes from working together with purpose, humility and a shared commitment to our community. Every employee contributes to delivering meaningful results for the people who live, work and visit here. We value people who approach challenges with curiosity, respect and collaboration. If you are motivated by building a career in public service, we encourage you to apply.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

This position will start at Step 1 ($37.75/hour). Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 Collective Bargaining Agreement and City policy. The full hourly range for this position is $37.75 - $49.24. For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here's a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page and labor agreements page.

• 10 hours of vacation leave per month, with increased accrual over time
• 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year
• 8 hours sick leave accrued monthly
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families
• Life insurance and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security
• Optional 457 deferred compensation (Retirement Savings Plan) with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Closing Date/Time: Fri. 10/23/26 4:30 PM Pacific Time

Experience and Training

• Four (4) years of recent experience in technical arboriculture including technical tree removals and pruning, rope and saddle, spurs and flip line, aerial lifts, rigging and related tools and equipment.
• Successful completion of two (2) years of coursework related to arboriculture may be substituted for one year of required experience.
• Two (2) years experience participating in the planning and execution of arboriculture in significant rural or urban environments including hazard tree assessment and written reports.
• Current International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential required at time of hire.
• One (1) year lead worker experience preferred.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Employment contingent upon passing a criminal convictions check, child and adult abuse records check and local background check (see Fair Hiring Practices below).

• Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.

• Valid Washington State driver's license by time of hire and good driving record. A three-year driving abstract must be submitted prior to hire, with periodic submission of driving abstract per City policy.

• Ability to secure a Washington State Pesticide License within 12 months of hire.

• Ability to secure a valid flagging/traffic control certification within 12 months of hire.

• Ability to secure a valid First Aid and CPR certification within 12 months of hire.

• Ability to secure Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) Certification within 12 months of hire.

• Must possess and maintain International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist certification throughout employment.

• Employment contingent upon passing a pre-employment drug test. (This position is considered a safety sensitive position; therefore, the pre-employment drug test includes testing for cannabis. Positive test results will exclude an applicant from being hired.)

• Willingness and ability to respond to emergency callouts on weekends and evenings or when special circumstances require.

Selection Process

You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City's commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

• Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must provide specific, detailed information so an initial determination can be made regarding your level of qualifications for this position. Applicant status will be updated on or around October 27, 2026.
• Experience and Training Rating: Applicants that meet minimum qualifications will go through an Experience and Training Rating Applicant status will be updated on or around November 3, 2026. All candidates who achieve a passing score of 60% or greater on the Experience and Training Rating will be invited to participate in the Oral Board Interview.
• Oral Board Interview: All applicants who achieve the passing score from the Experience and Training Rating will be invited to participate in an Oral Board Interview, tentatively scheduled for the week of November 16, 2026. Applicants must have a passing score of 60% or higher to be placed on the eligibility register.
• Applicants will be notified via email of Final Scores & Ranks. The final ranking of the register will be based on total scores for the following: Experience and Training Rating (40%) and Oral Board Interview (60%).

Final candidates will be referred to the department for additional examination, assessment, or test.

This recruitment process will create a Civil Service eligibility register that will be used to fill current and future vacancies as they become available. There is currently 1 full-time vacancy in Parks and Recreation - Urban Forestry. This position is represented by a union.

If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individuals race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

• The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.
• The City will not inquire about an applicants criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.
• The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.
• The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section for additional information.

This position is represented by The Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 bargaining unit. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the Local 1937 labor agreement.

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website for more information on PERS.

Civil Service Information

This position is subject to the Bellingham Civil Service Commission. When a vacancy occurs, the top fifteen candidates or the top 25% of the register will be forwarded to the department for further consideration. All new Civil Service employees are subject to a one-year probationary period. A candidate may challenge the scope, content, or method of an examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days following the date of the challenged examination. A candidate may also challenge the scoring of an examination or test, failure of the candidate on any part of an examination, or clerical error in examination results of any examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days of notification of the challenged result. The Examiner shall consider all timely filed protests and make appropriate corrections if an error is demonstrated.

Veterans Scoring Criteria

Applicants who have been honorably discharged from active military duty may be eligible to receive veterans scoring criteria points as provided by Washington State Law (RCW 41.04.010). If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

• Yes
• No

02

The following are requirements of this position. [Note: work experience must also be reflected on your application}

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we'll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

Please select ALL that apply to your current experience:

• I have four (4) years of recent experience in technical arboriculture including technical tree removals and pruning, rope and saddle, spurs and flip line, aerial lifts, rigging and related tools and equipment.
• I have successfully completed two (2) years of coursework related to arboriculture. [Note: this may be substituted for one year of required experience]
• I have two (2) years experience participating in the planning and execution of arboriculture in significant rural or urban environments including hazard tree assessment and written reports.
• I currently have or are willing to obtain by time of hire the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential. I understand I must possess and maintain this certification throughout employment.
• I do not meet the above requirements and understand my application will not move forward in this process.

03

Explain in detail how you meet the requirements of this position. If you selected in question #2 that you do not meet the minimum requirements, just write N/A.

04

Do you have one (1) year lead worker experience? [Note: this is preferred]

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have or are you willing to obtain a Washington State drivers license and provide a 3-year driving history prior to hire?

• Yes
• No

06

Are you willing and able to obtain the following licenses and certifications within 12 months of hire?

• secure a Washington State Pesticide License;
• secure a valid flagging/traffic control certification;
• secure a valid First Aid and CPR certification;
• secure Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) Certification
• Yes
• No

07

Are you willing to take and pass a pre-employment drug test prior to hire?

• Yes
• No

08

Are you willing and able to respond to emergency callouts on weekends and evenings or when special circumstances require?

• Yes
• No

09

The majority of work is performed out-doors, in all weather conditions, performing technical tree work and assessing tree hazards and other situations in the City's areas of responsibility. The work environment creates potentially hazardous conditions, including working at considerable heights with chainsaws and rigging and working in traffic zones. Work is conducted in natural areas, developed park sites, and urban streetscapes. Work requires use of appropriate safety equipment. Some work will be performed in an indoor setting while performing documentation of work and some equipment maintenance. Responds to emergency call-out at all hours. There is a possibility of exposure to hostile and offensive language from the public.

Are you willing and able to work in these conditions?

• Yes
• No

10

You're aloft pruning a mature street tree with codominant stems, included bark, and several large limbs extending over a sidewalk. Walk us through your assessment and proposed pruning cuts. Explain how branch attachment and load distribution affect your choices; where you would place removal or reduction cuts; how wound size, the branch collar, and compartmentalization influence the plan; and how you'd limit stress while meeting the city's clearance and risk-reduction goals.

11

As the citys Urban Forest Specialist, you're managing a crew during a high-volume work period when a storm-damaged tree creates an immediate hazard on a busy public street, while scheduled work and resident requests are already behind. How would you assess and prioritize the response, direct and support your crew, coordinate with other city departments and the public, and ensure the work is safe, well-documented, and consistent with city standards?

12

If you are requesting Veterans Preference points, a completed Veterans Scoring Criteria Status Declaration is required along with a copy of your DD214. The required form is in the Selections Process section of the Job Posting. Check "YES" here if you are attaching a Veterans Declaration form and DD214.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Bellingham

Address 104 West Magnolia Street

Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone 360-778-8220

Website http://www.cob.org/employment