"Campus Tree Operations Manager"

Campus Tree Operations Manager

Company:
North Carolina State University

Category:
Grounds and Landscaping

Type:
Full-Time

Join the Pack! A community with nearly 8,000 faculty and staff, and 30,000 students. NC State is one of the largest employers in North Carolina, offering a large range of career opportunities. Visit us at https://jobs.hr.ncsu.edu/.

Location: Raleigh, NC

Essential Job Duties:

Join NC State University as our next Campus Tree Operations Manager and take on a key leadership role in protecting, maintaining, and enhancing the university's varied and dynamic urban forest. As a vital member of our Landscape Maintenance and Operations unit, you will oversee the full spectrum of campus tree care operations from daily maintenance and preservation efforts to long-term planning that supports the health, safety, and sustainability of our tree canopy.
In this highly impactful role, you will guide a skilled crew, ensure compliance with campus standards and arboricultural best practices, and coordinate with internal and external partners to support safe, purposeful, and efficient tree management across more than 2,000 acres of campus grounds. Your work will directly contribute to the environmental, aesthetic, and educational value our urban forest provides to students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

The ideal candidate is a knowledgeable and solutions-oriented arboriculture professional who excels at team leadership, operational planning, and problem-solving in a fast-paced outdoor environment. If you are committed to environmental stewardship, enjoy leading people, and want to play a meaningful role in the long-term sustainability of NC State's landscape, we encourage you to apply and grow with us.

Key responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and develop staff: Manage tree care crew; assign and schedule work; ensure standards and deadlines are met; provide coaching, on-the-job training, and required learning opportunities; maintain performance documentation; and oversee hiring, performance management, and employee relations for assigned staff.
• Oversee daily operations: Direct the safe and efficient execution of tree trimming, debris clearing, chipping, and disposal; coordinate crew activities; conduct job inspections and scouting; determine scopes of work; and ensure high-quality, timely service delivery.
• Manage campus tree maintenance programs: Monitor tree protection measures, enforce compliance with campus codes and standards, review and manage contracts for planting, pruning, removal, stump grinding, and utility pruning; collaborate closely with contractors, the Campus Arborist, Urban Forester, and inspectors.
• Ensure safety and emergency response readiness: Promote and enforce worksite safety protocols; assist with storm/disaster response; and maintain a safe environment for employees and the campus community.
• Coordinate with campus and community partners: Build cooperative relationships with internal departments such as Housing, Utilities, Planning, and Transportation; assist with volunteer planting events; and support positive engagement with campus and external stakeholders.
• Plan, budget, and manage resources: Oversee workload planning, scheduling, and operations; prepare cost estimates using knowledge of labor and materials; manage equipment inventory and preventive maintenance; and support project goals, timelines, and budget expectations.
• Respond to tree-related needs and assessments: Receive and assign work orders, evaluate trees for hazards or maintenance needs, support code enforcement, research and address tree-related issues, and occasionally assist with minor pruning or removal tasks.

Other Work/Responsibilities:

• Arboricultural Execution: Perform physical duties including:
  • Working aloft (operating aerial lifts and climbing).
  • Ground work (operating tools and equipment).
  • Running ropes, saws, and lowering devices.
• Debris Management: Loading, hauling, and disposing of debris, grinding stumps, chipping brush, and worksite cleanup.
• Service Support: Providing labor and professional inputs on other tree-related service requests as needed.
• Equipment Operation: Operate specialized tree work equipment, including but not limited to: brush chipper, stump grinder, bucket truck, grapple truck, skid steer, chainsaws, rope brake, and lowering devices.

Minimum Experience/Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalency and four years of experience in the area of assignment, of which two years are supervisory; or equivalent combination of training and experience. Some positions may require Certification or Eligibility For Certification.

Required Qualifications:

• Knowledge of arboriculture: pruning trees, tree removal, bucket truck operations, chipper operations and use of chainsaws and ability to maneuver equipment in confined spaces.
• Lift and transport materials weighing up to 60 pounds with or without reasonable accommodations and perform physically demanding outdoor tasks safely in various weather and terrain conditions.
• Ability to work well in a collaborative, service-oriented campus environment and strong written and verbal communication skills for interacting with teammates, supervisors, and campus partners.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supervising and providing guidance to staff.
• Knowledge of tree and plant care practices, including the safe operation of related equipment and machinery.
• Proficiency with computers, including the ability to navigate software programs and perform basic data entry and documentation tasks.

Required License or Certification:

• North Carolina Driver's License required within 60 days of hire and must be maintained.
• ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certification required.
• Pesticide Applicator License required.

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