Planning Forester

We invite you to become a part of our Southern Timberlands team, serving the Mississippi-Alabama Region. In the role of Planning Forester, you will work closely with the Regional Planning Manager. This is a full-time, exempt position based in Columbus, MS.

In this multifaceted role, you’ll manage yearly contract budgets, foster communication between marketing, harvesting, and silviculture foresters, and oversee the maintenance of existing forest roads to meet safety and environmental standards, enabling operations to thrive in diverse weather conditions. Effective contractor management will be central to your success.

Key Functions:

• Plan annual and 3 to 5-year fee harvest plans that align with area silvicultural and harvest strategies.
• Champion safety and risk awareness, intervening when unsafe practices arise, and serve as a model of safety for others.
• Demonstrate expertise in timber management techniques, overseeing tract preparation activities with precision:
• Validate harvest candidates
• Craft prescriptions
• Address environmental concerns
• Mark stream boundaries
• Conduct cruising
• Manage SFI-related constraints, such as opening size and adjacency.
• Spend a significant portion of time in the woods.

Qualifications:

• Hold a BS degree in forestry or a related field or boast an equivalent combination of relevant experience and education (A minimum of 3 years of experience is required but 5 years of experience is preferred).
• Possess basic negotiating and contract administration skills.
• Demonstrate proficiency in cruise design and sampling principles.
• Exhibit a strong grasp of forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs).
• Familiarity with Forest Inventory/GIS systems and a willingness to master and utilize Weyerhaeuser’s inventory system.
• Proficiency in computer software, particularly Excel.
• Understanding of harvest supervision, silvicultural goals, and basic forest economics.
• Knowledge of mobile applications.
• Commitment to adhering to established safety standards.
• Showcase strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple tasks.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Adept at problem-solving.
• Display strong teaming skills, with a willingness to collaborate in a diverse team environment.
• Flexibility to take on additional projects and assignments as required.

Compensation: This role is eligible for our annual merit-increase program, and we are targeting a salary range of $68,371 – $102,556 based on your level of skills, qualifications and experience. You will also be eligible for our Annual Incentive Program, which offers a cash bonus targeting 5% of base pay. Potential plan funding may range from zero to two times that target.

Benefits: When you join our team, you and your dependents will be offered coverage under our comprehensive employee benefits plan, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, and life insurance.  We offer a pre-tax Health Savings Account option which includes a company contribution.  Other benefit options are also available such as voluntary Long-Term Care and Employee Assistance Programs. We also support personal volunteerism, sponsor a host of diversity networks, promote mentoring, and provide training and development opportunities to help you chart your path to a fulfilling career.

Retirement: Employees are able to enroll in our company’s 401k plan, which includes a paid company match in addition to our annual contribution equal to 5% of your base salary.

Paid Time Off or Vacation: We provide eligible employees who are scheduled to work 25 hours or more per week with 3 weeks of paid vacation to use during your first year of employment. In addition, after being employed for six months, eligible employees begin to accrue vacation for future use. We also recognize eleven paid holidays per year, providing a total of 88 holiday hours 

About Weyerhaeuser

We sustainably manage forests and manufacture products that make the world a better place. We’re serious about safety, driven to achieve excellence, and proud of what we do. With multiple business lines in locations across North America, we offer a range of exciting career opportunities for smart, talented people who are passionate about making a difference. 

About Timberlands

We believe trees are a remarkable resource that can and should be managed responsibly to make a range of products that meet human needs, while also providing recreation, wildlife habitat, and other important ecosystem benefits. 

For more than a century, we’ve been taking care of forests to make life better.

Weyerhaeuser is an equal opportunity employer. Inclusion is one of our five core values and we strive to maintain a culture where all our people feel a sense of belonging, opportunity and shared purpose. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and supporting an equitable and inclusive environment that inspires people of all backgrounds to join, stay and thrive with our team.

We know you have a choice in your career. We want you to choose us.