Employment
Current Employment Openings
Full-Time Employment
We are investing in growing our team of foresters, and we have new openings! As of May 4, 2023, we’re hiring in Cañon City, Durango, Frisco, Granby, Gunnison, La Veta, Rifle, Steamboat Springs and Woodland Park. Apply in the Forester – Ongoing Recruitment – All 17 Field Offices link below. Check back regularly as we expect to have openings in early summer (June) in the following field offices: Boulder, Durango, Franktown, Granby, Gunnison and Steamboat Springs (2 positions).
Human Resources Talent Coordinator
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Under the supervision of the Human Resources Manager, the Human Resources Talent Coordinator is responsible for and/or assists with all activities related to recruiting, hiring and retention; assists with HR program development; develops methods to streamline HR functions; and acts as an agency HR Liaison between the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) and CSU.
Forestry Technician – Ongoing Recruitment
The Colorado State Forest Service accepts applications on an ongoing basis from individuals who are interested in obtaining a full or part-time Forestry Technician position, to work within one or more CSFS programs. Forestry Technician positions will be hired from this general pool announcement periodically dependent on funding and work needs. These positions will be hired under temporary worker authorizations and may last up to 3 years. In your application materials, please provide a list of any relevant experience or coursework relevant to the program areas listed below.
Under the supervision of a Supervisory Forester or Forester, the Forestry Technician position will work to support and deliver CSFS services in one or more of the following program areas:
- Forest management
- Forest agriculture
- Forest stewardship planning
- Urban and community forestry
- Wildfire mitigation & fuels treatment
- Insect and disease
- Fire Wise & Community Wildfire Protection Plans
- Special projects as assigned
- Grant program management
- Outreach & education programs
- Pile burning on state lands
- Community/HOA assistance
- Federal, state and local government forest management projects
These positions will provide professional, science-based assistance to local landowners regarding forest health (insects, disease and wildfire mitigation), and prepare program-related reports and plans. In addition, these positions will also provide assistance to other staff in additional program areas including: Grants, Federal land forest management through the Good Neighbor Authority, State Land management and facilities maintenance.
At times, these positions will assist and develop service agreements with landowners by creating scopes of work, assessing project budgets, resources, and personnel, deciding the technical requirements needed for the agreement, administration of science-based forest management activities and obtaining appropriate signatures. These positions must have a basic knowledge of silviculture, Forestry best management practices, insect and disease identification, pest management, wildfire mitigation and basic wildland fire suppression.
These positions are expected to provide professional services, education and outreach to landowners and cooperators/partners through written and verbal communications. Utilizing feedback from relevant sources to evaluate options and implement solutions is also critical to this position.
Forester – Ongoing Recruitment
Locations Hiring as of May 4, 2023: Cañon City, Durango, Frisco, Granby, Gunnison, La Veta, Rifle, Steamboat Springs and Woodland Park
The Colorado State Forest Service accepts applications on an ongoing basis from individuals who are interested in obtaining full or part-time, Forester positions to lead and serve as the representative for one or more of CSFS programs. Forester positions will be hired from this general pool announcement periodically dependent on funding and work needs. In your application materials, please provide a list of any relevant experience or coursework relevant to the program areas listed below.
Under the supervision of a Supervisory Forester, the Forester position will be the lead and serve as the representative for one or more of the following program areas:
- Forest management
- Forest agriculture
- Forest stewardship planning
- Urban and community forestry
- Wildfire mitigation & fuels treatment
- State trust land forest management
- Insect and disease
- Seasonal crew hiring and oversight
- Firewise
- Special projects as assigned
- Community Wildfire Protection Plans
- Grant program management
- Outreach & education programs
- State parks forest management
- Pile burning on state lands
- Community/HOA assistance
- Federal, state, and local government forest management projects
Grant programs this position will administer include but are not limited to: Colorado Forest Restoration, State & Private Forestry, State Fire Assistance, Community Assistance Funding on Adjacent Lands, and other State and Federal grants.
These positions will provide professional, science-based assistance to local landowners regarding forest health (insects, disease, and wildfire mitigation), and prepare program-related reports. In addition, these positions will also provide assistance to other staff in additional program areas including: Federal land forest management through the Good Neighbor Authority and facilities maintenance.
At times, these positions will develop service agreements with landowners by creating scopes of work, assessing project budgets, resources, and personnel, deciding the technical requirements needed for the agreement, administration of science-based forest management activities and obtaining appropriate signatures. These positions will lead project work teams, train and mentor staff members, develop and manage program and project budgets up to $250,000, create detailed work plans, serve as acting Supervisory Forester as assigned, and participate on agency committees. These positions must have a thorough knowledge of silviculture, best management practices, insect and disease identification, pest management, wildfire mitigation and basic wildland fire suppression.
These positions are expected to provide professional services, education and outreach to landowners and cooperators/partners through written and verbal communication. Utilizing feedback from relevant sources to evaluate options and implement solutions is also critical to this position.
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Under the general supervision of the Associate Director of Administration, the Grants Manager is responsible for providing assistance and guidance to all agency personnel regarding grant administration. The Grants Manager is also responsible for coordinating the timely completion and closeout of all sponsored agreements and grants, ensuring all cost-share and fiscal requirements are met.
The Grants Manager serves as the primary contact for the Office of Sponsored Programs, coordinating with other CSFS administrative staff. They will be responsible for educating and training program managers and other personnel throughout the CSFS on the correct application of Federal Cost Accounting Standards relative to project expenditures, other necessary accounting principles, audit requirements, financial guidelines and policies, compliance with CSU policy, etc. They will be required to create grant reports, budgets and invoices.
They will use their knowledge and expertise of federal and state rules and guidelines to determine when to alert program managers of potential problems, making sure to recommend alterantive solutions as well. When needed, the Grants Manager will confer with the Finance Manager to counsel program managers on appropriate spending alternatives to accomplish project and budget objectives and create program-level and account-level processes to address unusual budge requirements.
Forest Health Technician – RAI
Location: Fort Collins
The Colorado State Forest Service at Colorado State University is hiring to assist with entomology data collection and insect identification. The term of the position is seasonal and of variable length and will be based on the needs of the research and field work, with potential for extension dependent upon funding. The position duties are approximately 65 to 85% conducting fieldwork and 15-35% project management, coordination, and collaboration with the Forest Entomologist. This position is focused on supporting Forest Health Program objectives.
Ongoing recruitment postings are used to gather applications for multiple job openings in multiple parts of the state. They remain open, collecting applicants, on the CSU Jobs website for three, six or 12 months. At the end of this period, current applications are deactivated and applicants are invited to reapply to the next ongoing recruitment cycle if applicable.
Once an applicant has applied to an Ongoing Recruitment posting, their application materials will be reviewed every time a new vacancy becomes available. CSFS positions can and may be filled year-round. For open positions, applicants should mark the area(s) of Colorado where they’re willing to work.
If at any time you would like to update your information or remove yourself from the pool, please contact Tina Little at tina.little@colostate.edu or (970) 491-8662 so she can reactivate your application or remove you.
Part-Time Employment
Location: Woodland Park, CO
Provide support to the Colorado State Forest Service Woodland Park staff and programs such as, but not limited to Forest Management Programs, Seedling Tree Plantings, and Forest Agriculture by performing duties including front-desk reception, telephone and walk-in customer reception, general public relations, document creation/editing and data management, meeting logistics, mail processing, payment processing, working with and coordinating/paying/accepting payment from vendors, and other financial duties, office equipment operations and maintenance. Take minutes at meetings as required. Take assignments as delegated by the Southeast Area Accounting Technician II and Area Manager, which can be more specifically related to accounts and accounting processes.
Seasonal Employment
POSITION TITLE: Seasonal Forester (2-3 positions)
LOCATION: State Forest Field Office (Gould, CO)
HOURLY PAY RATE: $17.50 per hour (depending on experience) – dormitory style housing and utilities provided
EMPLOYMENT DATES: Late May 2023 through August 2023 (start and end date may be variable)
CLOSING DATE: Applications will be considered until all vacancies are filled, however materials should be received by February 17, 2023, for full consideration.
Minimum Requirements
- Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license by the employment start date
- Pursuing or completed degree in forestry or related natural resources field
- Ability to (or willingness to learn how to) operate a manual transmission vehicle
- Ability to operate 4-wheel drive vehicles in variable weather and road conditions
- Ability to (or willingness to learn how to) operate chainsaws/misc. logging equipment, forestry equipment, and perform strenuous outdoor work in a variety of weather conditions
- Ability and willingness to work long hours with occasional evening and weekend duties (work based on a 40-hour work week)
- Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a team
Conditions of Employment
- This position requires hiking and carrying filed equipment most hours of the workday
- Occasional camping will be required
- The employee should be able to work in adverse weather conditions, steep/rough terrain, and with minimal supervision
Preferred Experience
- Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and written
- One season of field experience
- Experience in the use of Microsoft Suite, ArcGIS Suite, Avenza or GPS
Duties and Responsibilities
- Cruising and data collection for forest-wide inventory
- Scouting and treatment layout for projects focused on watershed protection and climate change
- Field support on Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change projects
- Chainsaw operation – thinning, firewood, and defensible space work
- Assisting with timber sale layout – cruising, boundary delineation, and marking
- Various GPS and GIS applications
- Assisting with assessment and treatment of insect and disease projects
- General labor – rock headers, fences, facility and equipment maintenance, construction projects, etc.
To Apply
Please send electronic versions of the application materials to CSFS_StateForest@mail.colostate.edu.
Resume, cover letter, and three (3) professional references
For questions regarding the position, please contact:
Blair Rynearson
Colorado State Forest Service
59228 State Hwy 14
Walden, CO 80480
(970) 723-4505
CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer. Colorado State University conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Forestry Technician – Inventory & Analysis
Locations: Cañon City, Durango, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Gunnison, and Meeker, CO
Location: Fort Collins
We are currently recruiting for Seasonal Nursery Technicians to assist with various tasks related to the operations of the CSFS Nursery. This is a hands-on labor position that will be expected to work indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions. Tasks will be assigned and supervised by CSFS Nursery staff under the guidance of the Nursery Manager.
Job Duties/Responsibilities:
- Assisting in grading, boxing and shipping of seedlings
- Greenhouse and Shadehouse irrigation
- Crop production
- Crop movement
- Weed control
- Grounds maintenance
- Maintenance and repair of infrastructure
- Various tasks as assigned
Internships
The CSFS partnered with the Dean’s Office at Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR) in 2018 to develop a summer internship program that offers paid internships to WCNR students. Each fall, CSFS Field Offices as well as divisions within the CSFS create proposals for summer interns that offer experiential internships to students. There is usually of mix of internships: some look for students with more WCNR coursework to take positions and others look for students across a range of coursework experience. Positions are 6 weeks or 12 weeks long to accommodate summer coursework requirements for WCNR students. These positions are usually open for applications after the start of CSU’s Spring semester. Contact Kristen Switzer for more information. Internships include but are not limited to the following positions:
- Private land forest management assistance
- Wildfire risk reduction and mitigation
- Collaborative approaches to forest management
- Forest inventory and analysis
- Environmental education
- Public lands management
- Geographic information systems analysis
The CSFS occasionally has funding for internships for work during Fall and Spring semesters. Watch for these announcements in classes and from various student groups. Also, check with career services at WCNR.
Job Shadowing
The CSFS has opportunities for high school and college students to participate in job shadowing our employees. Such opportunities vary each summer, but involve spending a day with a professional observing their work and learning about their responsibilities firsthand. Positions within the CSFS that may be available to shadow include the following:
- Forester
- Forestry technician
- GIS technician
- Communications specialist
- Experiential learning specialist
- Watershed Coordinator
Contact Kristen Switzer for more information.
About CSFS
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. In addition to our state office on the CSU Foothills Campus in Fort Collins, the CSFS maintains 17 field offices throughout Colorado. Our professional staff offer Colorado residents an easily accessible source of technical forestry assistance and educational outreach.
Together with other natural resource organizations, CSFS provides comprehensive support for the care of our natural environment. This exchange of technical assistance and information among cooperating organizations ensures the commitment to a common goal — future forests that will provide benefits for present and future generations.
Our Staff Include
- Foresters
- Staff foresters and other support staff
- Administrative staff
- Seasonal foresters and internships
Contact Information
- Questions about verification of employment for a current CSFS employee: CSU Human Resource Services – Payroll Office (970) 491-MyHR (6947)
- Information about careers in forestry: Holly Leary
- Information about becoming a wildland firefighter