Urban Forester
- Employer
- University of South Carolina
- Location
- Columbia
View more categoriesView less categories
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
STA00834PO26
Job Family:Building and Grounds Maintenance
Job Function:Groundskeeping/Landscaping/Turf Management
USC Market Title:Campus Arborist
Link to USC Market Title:https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/215289
Job Level:M0 - Managerial
Business Title (Internal Title):Urban Forester
Campus:Columbia
Work County:Richland
College/Division:Division of Administration and Finance
Department:DAF Facilities Landscaping
State Pay Range:G06
USC Market Range:MRE - $48,726 $59,689 $70,653
Anticipated Hiring Range:$48,726 - $59,689
Part/Full Time:Full Time
Hours per Week:37.5
Work Schedule:- Monday-Friday 7:00 am -3:30 pm
- Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department.
12 months
Job Search Category:Other
About University of South Carolina:From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.
Veterans' Preference Statement:The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.
Advertised Job Summary:The position manages the Urban Forest Management Plan, manages tree care operations, the arborist crew, Arbor Pro inventory data, tree-risk management, contracted tree services and assessments, and tree-protection efforts associated with campus projects.
Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience:- Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 3 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.
- Valid driver’s license
- ISA Certified Arborist credential; ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) strongly preferred.
- Experience managing a campus, municipal, institutional, or other large and diverse urban forest; experience with Arbor Pro or comparable inventory software; supervisory experience; and knowledge of GIS, GPS, construction tree protection, and urban forest planning.
- Must be able to plan, direct, and review the work of the Campus Arborist, contracted tree services, consulting arborists, and assessment firms.
- Thorough knowledge of arboriculture, tree-risk assessment, tree preservation, and ANSI A300 and Z133 standards.
- Ability to manage Arbor Pro data, develop work plans and scopes of work, review plans and site conditions, interpret data and budgets, establish safe work practices, communicate effectively, and prepare clear recommendations and reports.
- Ability to obtain and maintain University driving authorization.
As a working manager, administers and continuously improves the campus urban forest program. Assesses campus trees for health, structural condition, pest and disease concerns, and risk; prioritizes maintenance, planting, replacement, preservation, and emergency-response actions; and maintains annual work plans, standards, and performance measures.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:20
Job Duty:Manages qualified tree specialist contractors, consulting arborists, and assessment firms providing pruning, removals, stump grinding, planting, plant health care, storm response, inventory support, and tree-risk assessments. Develops scopes of work; assists with solicitations and quote review; verifies completed work; documents deficiencies; reviews invoices; and maintains follow-up records.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:20
Job Duty:Manages the campus tree inventory in Arbor Pro. Ensures timely, accurate updates for plantings, removals, inspections, risk findings, work orders, maintenance history, and contractor assessments. Uses inventory data to identify maintenance backlogs, canopy and species trends, replacement needs, budget priorities, and program performance measures.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:15
Job Duty:Supervises, trains, coaches, and evaluates the Campus Arborist. Establishes safe work practices and quality expectations; coordinates equipment readiness, work scheduling, service requests, and day-to-day priorities; and provides arboriculture training to Landscaping staff in proper pruning, tree planting, hazard recognition, and safe equipment operation.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:15
Job Duty:Reviews proposed construction, renovation, utility, and event plans that may affect campus trees. Advises project managers, designers, engineers, and contractors on tree preservation, protection zones, root-zone impacts, species selection, and mitigation measures; and inspects work sites for compliance with approved tree-protection requirements.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:10
Job Duty:Serves as the University’s subject-matter resource for campus trees and urban forestry. Communicates tree-related conditions, recommendations, program results, and funding needs to campus stakeholders. Coordinates with Landscape, Planning, Design and Construction, Facilities, Risk Management, Campus Safety, and external agencies as appropriate.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:10
Job Duty:Responds to urgent hazardous-tree incidents and severe-weather events, coordinates emergency contractor and staff response, documents actions, and restores safe access to campus areas.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:5
Job Duty:Performs administrative and program-support duties, including budget and procurement support, report preparation, training, meetings, incident documentation, records management, and other related duties as assigned.
Essential Function:Yes
Percentage of Time:5
Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive:No
Hazardous weather category:Essential
Number of Vacancies:1
Job Open Date:11/09/2026
Job Close Date:12/24/2026
Open Until Filled:No
Special Instructions to Applicant:Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.
We are only accepting applications submitted by December 24, 2026.
The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:
- Health and Life Insurance
- Retirement Programs
- Paid Tuition
- Dependent Scholarships
- Annual Leave
- Sick Leave
- 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Professional Development Opportunities
Click here to learn more about why you should work at UofSC.Quicklink for Posting:
https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/215422
EEO Statement:The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.
Organization
Working at University of South Carolina
With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.
The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.
Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.
By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.
Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.
In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.
South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.
The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.
South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.
The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.
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