Director, Urban & Community Forestry, Pacific Northwest

Location: Remote within Washington, Oregon, or Idaho; Seattle or Portland metro highly preferred

About the Role

Trees help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face, from extreme heat to increased flooding, poor air quality, and loss of biodiversity. For 150 years, American Forests has worked to make sure everyone shares in the benefits trees and forests provide. To support this work, we are hiring a Director, Urban & Community Forestry, Pacific Northwest to lead this work across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

This is a field-facing role. You'll be American Forests’ lead relationship-holder working with state, tribal and local governments, utilities and community-based organizations, scoping needs and providing GIS, policy, planning, and financing resources with on the ground impact in this region. You'll also identify partners ready for deeper, funded engagements and help secure the public and philanthropic dollars to deliver impact on the ground.

This position is ideal for someone with strong arboriculture knowledge, excellent communication and relationship-building skills, and project management experience. 

General Description

The Director, Urban & Community Forestry, Pacific Northwest will lead American Forests’ work to advance tree equity across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This is a field-facing role. The Director will build and maintain relationships with state agencies, municipalities, and community organizations across the region; assess their urban forestry needs; develop and deliver programs and projects; coordinate support from AF’s broader Urban & Community Forestry team; and pursue new public and philanthropic funding opportunities. Success requires deep knowledge of the Pacific Northwest’s political and urban forestry landscape, the ability to work effectively within city and state government systems, and the instincts to move relationships from technical assistance toward lasting, funded partnerships.

Specific Duties

City and State Portfolio and Technical Assistance (60%)

• Own a portfolio of 5-8 active city and state partnerships across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; conduct structured needs assessments; develop scopes of work and manage contracts and projects that match American Forests’ resources to actual partner needs.
• Coordinate technical service delivery with AF’s Urban Forestry team specialists (GIS, policy, planning, financing, workforce); engage state and city departments and community members in the development of tree-related programs, policies, and projects.
• Co-lead the Washington State Tree Equity Collaborative, including coalition coordination, city outreach, and in-person convenings; support our IRA-funded subgrantee partners in the region to achieve their goals.
• Design and lead peer learning events, workshops, and technical assistance sessions for city staff and regional partners.

Business Development and Partnerships (20%)

• Identify cities ready to move toward deeper engagements with American Forests and drive those conversations forward.
• Cultivate relationships with municipal and state agencies, state urban and community forestry coordinators, regional USFS program managers, and community-based organizations, in collaboration with American Forests’ Resilient Forests and Policy teams.
• Collaborate with Philanthropy, Urban Forestry leadership, and Finance & Operations on proposals, donor communications and fundraising that supports American Forests’ regional, state, and city efforts. 

Administration (20%)

• Manage regional project information via Airtable and Microsoft Office tools, including project budgets and narratives.
• Support Finance & Operations in developing and managing budgets for grant proposals, contracts, and subawards.
• Serve as a key resource for internal and external communications related to American Forests’ urban forestry impact in the PNW region.
• Manage and oversee the Manager, Urban Forestry, California, providing guidance, supervision, and coordination to ensure alignment with regional and organizational priorities.

What We're Looking For

We don't expect you to check every single box. If this role excites you, we want to hear from you.

• Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and ability would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities would be: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in the field of arboriculture, landscape architecture, forestry, or a related field
• 5-7 years of professional experience in urban forestry, urban planning, or environmental program management

• Professional experience with urban forestry, urban planning, or environmental program management in the Pacific Northwest, with established relationships with municipal and state agencies, state urban and community forestry councils, regional USFS coordinators, community-based organizations, and funders.
• ISA Certified Arborist or Certified Urban Forest Professional preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to own a portfolio of government or nonprofit relationships: diagnosing partner needs, developing scoped engagements, navigating organizational politics and procurement processes, and driving relationships toward outcomes.
• Working knowledge of the federal and state funding landscape in the Pacific Northwest (IRA urban forestry programs, CDBG, EPA EJ grants, state programs) sufficient to advise city partners without always deferring to a specialist.
• Experience designing and leading peer learning workshops, technical working groups, and city cohort sessions; ability to present clearly and credibly to diverse audiences including elected officials, city staff, funders, and community members.
• Ability to manage complex projects remotely, including tracking KPIs, managing grant budgets, and coordinating across time zones. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort with media, public speaking, and funder-facing reporting.