Manager, Forestry Maint. & Ops - City of Mississauga, Mississauga

AI Summary

This Manager, Forestry Maintenance & Operations role with the City of Mississauga is based in Mississauga, ON. The position involves overseeing the care and maintenance of trees and forestry assets across the city, leading both in-house crews and contractors. Key duties include managing contracts, ensuring quality control, and directing emergency response for forestry assets. A post-secondary degree in urban forestry or a related discipline, 5-7 years of urban forestry operations experience, and ISA Certified Arborist certification are required.

About the Opportunity with City of Mississauga

The City of Mississauga is seeking a dedicated Manager, Forestry Maintenance & Operations to join its Forestry Leadership Team. This permanent position is crucial for enhancing the beauty, safety, and environmental health of the community through expert arboricultural and boulevard vegetation management services. The successful candidate will report to the Manager of Forestry, playing a pivotal role in balancing proactive and reactive maintenance strategies, emergency preparedness, and long-term sustainability initiatives. This leadership role involves overseeing the planning and delivery of essential services, ensuring the efficient use of personnel, equipment, and materials. The City of Mississauga is committed to fostering a strong culture of health and safety, with this role ensuring compliance with all applicable legislation and policies, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Leading Forestry Operations and Staff Management

As Manager, you will be responsible for directing and leading the planning and delivery of arboricultural and boulevard vegetation management services. This includes overseeing the coordination, scheduling, and supervision of both contractors and in-house staff, ensuring optimal resource allocation. A significant aspect of this role involves setting strategic direction, priorities, targets, and objectives for the unit, aligning them with corporate goals and performance measures. The Manager will also oversee the planning, development, tendering, and administration of contracts, ensuring quality of work and services meets all legislated and corporate standards. Furthermore, this position is critical for overseeing Forestry's emergency response and preparedness for extreme weather events and critical incidents affecting forestry assets, often acting as Incident Commander. Managing, motivating, mentoring, and training assigned staff, including recruitment, performance evaluation, and disciplinary action, are core responsibilities, ensuring a high-performing team. Developing and administering the annual operating and capital budget for the unit is also required, with a focus on controlling expenditures within approved limits.

Required Skills and Qualifications for Forestry Leadership

Candidates for this Manager, Forestry Maintenance & Operations position must possess a post-secondary degree in urban forestry, arboriculture, environmental science, or a related discipline; a Master's Degree would be an asset. A minimum of 5-7 years of experience in urban forestry and arboricultural operations within a municipal setting is required, including at least 5 years of supervisory experience. Certification as a Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualification with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) are mandatory, with ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist or ISA Board Certified Master Arborist being an asset. A valid Ontario Class G Driver’s License or higher with an acceptable driving record is also required. Essential skills include proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, excellent research and written communication skills for interpreting legislation and policies, and strong attention to accuracy and detail. The role demands strong interpersonal and presentation skills, along with the ability to navigate complex assignments. Experience in a municipal setting with an emphasis on writing comprehensive documents and business cases, coupled with excellent analytical and organizational skills to manage multiple projects under pressing deadlines, are essential. Collaboration with internal staff, external groups, agencies, and Members of Council is a key aspect, requiring business and political acumen.