Employment
Current employment openings
Full-time employment
Forester - Ongoing recruitment
Forester – Ongoing Recruitment
Nurturing forests, empowering communities: Grow your forestry career with us.
The Colorado State Forest Service is seeking dynamic and service-oriented foresters to support forest management, wildfire mitigation, forest health and community forestry programs across Colorado.
Foresters play a key role in administering grant programs, providing expert technical assistance to landowners and communities, supporting government projects and delivering professional education and outreach. Ideal candidates have experience or interest in silviculture, forest health, pest management, wildfire mitigation and public service. Apply now!
Field office locations: Boulder, Fort Collins, Franktown, Frisco, Golden, Cañon City, La Veta, Rifle, Woodland Park, Alamosa, Durango, Gunnison, Montrose, Salida, Grand Junction, Granby, Steamboat Springs, Colorado State Forest (Gould)
Salary range: $50,000 – $55,000 (Based on experience)
Important application information (Read carefully!)
Due to our transition to a new application system (Workday), there are a few important items to note:
- Not all field office locations may appear correctly in the online posting.
- Our previous system allowed us to ask applicants directly which field office(s) they were interested in.
- Our new system does not currently allow us to capture location preferences through a supplemental question.
As positions become available, our hiring team will review applications from the open pool and reach out directly to candidates being considered for a specific location. If selected to move forward, you will be contacted with details about the hiring field office at that time.
Why choose Colorado State Forest Service?
We not only value our forests; we also value our employees. Joining our team comes with incredible benefits:
- Identity wear stipend: Elevate your professional image with a stipend for personalized wear.
- Work-life harmony: Achieve optimal work-life integration through tailored and flexible scheduling options.
- Premium healthcare benefits: Prioritize your well-being with access to exclusive and comprehensive healthcare benefits.
- Generous leave package: Recharge with a comprehensive sick leave and annual leave benefit.
- Retirement plan: Secure your financial future with a remarkable retirement plan through PERA Colorado.
- Assistance program: Access premium well-being resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Educational empowerment: Receive 9 hours of education credits per year through CSU.
- Tuition privileges for family: Secure your family’s future with 50% off tuition for your children, partner and spouse.
- Community leadership initiative: Give back to your community with paid administrative leave dedicated to volunteering.
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. MDT, June 30, 2026.
CSU is an EO employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Forestry technician - Ongoing recruitment
Forestry Technician – Open pool
Join the Green Team as a forestry technician!
Join the Colorado State Forest Service and play a key role in forestry! Are you passionate about forestry and the great outdoors? The Colorado State Forest Service invites you to be part of our dedicated team as a forestry technician! Contribute to healthy forests and vibrant communities with us. Apply now!
Field office locations: Boulder, Fort Collins, Franktown, Frisco, Golden, Cañon City, La Veta, Rifle, Woodland Park, Alamosa, Durango, Gunnison, Montrose, Salida, Grand Junction, Granby, Steamboat Springs, Colorado State Forest (Gould)
Salary range: $45,000 – $50,000 (Based on experience)
Important application information (Read carefully!)
Due to our transition to a new application system (Workday), there are a few important items to note:
- Not all field office locations may appear correctly in the online posting.
- Our previous system allowed us to ask applicants directly which field office(s) they were interested in.
- Our new system does not currently allow us to capture location preferences through a supplemental question.
As positions become available, our hiring team will review applications from the open pool and reach out directly to candidates being considered for a specific location. If selected to move forward, you will be contacted with details about the hiring field office at that time.
Why choose the Colorado State Forest Service?
We not only value our forests; we also value our employees. Joining our team comes with incredible benefits:
- Identity wear stipend: Elevate your professional image with a stipend for personalized wear.
- Work-life harmony: Achieve optimal work-life integration through tailored and flexible scheduling options.
- Premium healthcare benefits: Prioritize your well-being with access to exclusive and comprehensive healthcare benefits.
- Generous leave package: Recharge with a comprehensive sick leave and annual leave benefit.
- Retirement plan: Secure your financial future with a remarkable retirement plan through PERA Colorado.
- Assistance program: Access premium well-being resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Educational empowerment: Receive 9 hours of education credits per year through CSU.
- Tuition privileges for family: Secure your family’s future with 50% off tuition for your children, partner and spouse.
- Community leadership initiative: Give back to your community with paid administrative leave dedicated to volunteering.
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. MDT, June 30, 2026.
CSU is an EO employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Lead project forester - Gunnison
Lead project forester – Gunnison
Nurturing forests. Empowering communities. Lead the future of forestry in Colorado.
The Colorado State Forest Service is seeking an experienced and service-driven Lead project forester to guide forestry programs and projects that support forest health, wildfire mitigation and resilient landscapes across Colorado. This position plays a critical leadership role in delivering high-impact forestry work while mentoring staff and building strong partnerships with communities and stakeholders.
Lead project foresters are responsible for overseeing program delivery, managing teams, and ensuring projects are completed safely, efficiently and in alignment with CSFS and CSU standards. This is an exciting opportunity for professionals looking to take the next step in leadership while making a meaningful impact across Colorado’s forests and communities. Apply today!
Location: Gunnison
Salary range: $60,000 – $65,000 (based on experience)
What you’ll do
- Lead planning, prioritization, and implementation of forestry programs and projects (e.g., CWPPs, forest stewardship, Good Neighbor Authority, community forestry, outreach)
- Supervise and mentor foresters, forestry technicians, seasonal staff and interns
- Manage budgets, grants and contracts; track deliverables, timelines and compliance
- Support field office and area operations, including work planning and interagency coordination
- Build and maintain partnerships with landowners, agencies and community stakeholders
- Provide technical oversight of silvicultural prescriptions and vegetation management activities
- Coordinate across field offices to ensure consistent program delivery and resource sharing
What we’re looking for
- Strong leadership and team management experience
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex forestry projects and programs
- Experience with budgeting, grants, contracts and compliance
- Strong communication skills and ability to work with diverse stakeholders
- Commitment to safety, quality work and excellent customer service
Minimum qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Wildlife Biology/Management, Fire Ecology, or a related natural resource field
- Three years of professional forestry experience, including areas such as wildfire mitigation, forest management, silviculture, forest health or vegetation dynamics
Why choose Colorado State Forest Service?
We not only value our forests; we also value our employees. Joining our team comes with incredible benefits:
- Identity wear stipend: Elevate your professional image with a stipend for personalized executive wear.
- Work-life harmony: Achieve optimal work-life integration through tailored and flexible scheduling options.
- Connectivity privilege: Stay seamlessly connected with either a cell phone allowance or a provided work cell.
- Premium healthcare benefits: Prioritize your well-being with access to exclusive and comprehensive healthcare benefits.
- Time-off: Recharge with 15 days of sick leave and 24 days of annual leave.
- Retirement plan: Secure your financial future with a remarkable 12% employer contribution to your retirement plan.
- Assistance program: Access premium well-being resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Professional development: Enhance your skills through personalized professional training opportunities facilitated by CSU.
- Educational empowerment: Receive 9 hours of education credits annually through CSU.
- Tuition privileges for family: Secure your family’s future with 50% off tuition for children, partner and spouse.
- Community leadership initiative: Give back to your community with paid administrative leave dedicated to volunteering.
Submit your resume and cover letter today! To receive full consideration, applications must be submitted by May 4, 2026.
Join us in leading impactful forestry work that protects communities, supports landowners, and strengthens Colorado’s forests for generations to come.
CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Lead project forester - Summit County
Lead project forester – Summit County
Nurturing forests. Empowering communities. Lead the future of forestry in Colorado.
The Colorado State Forest Service is seeking an experienced and service-driven Lead project forester to guide forestry programs and projects that support forest health, wildfire mitigation and resilient landscapes across Colorado. This position plays a critical leadership role in delivering high-impact forestry work while mentoring staff and building strong partnerships with communities and stakeholders.
Lead project foresters are responsible for overseeing program delivery, managing teams and ensuring projects are completed safely, efficiently and in alignment with CSFS and CSU standards. This is an exciting opportunity for professionals looking to take the next step in leadership while making a meaningful impact across Colorado’s forests and communities. Apply today!
Location: Summit County
Salary range: $60,000 – $65,000 (based on experience)
What you’ll do
- Lead planning, prioritization and implementation of forestry programs and projects (e.g., CWPPs, forest stewardship, Good Neighbor Authority, community forestry, outreach)
- Supervise and mentor foresters, forestry technicians, seasonal staff and interns
- Manage budgets, grants and contracts; track deliverables, timelines and compliance
- Support field office and area operations, including work planning and interagency coordination
- Build and maintain partnerships with landowners, agencies and community stakeholders
- Provide technical oversight of silvicultural prescriptions and vegetation management activities
- Coordinate across field offices to ensure consistent program delivery and resource sharing
What we’re looking for
- Strong leadership and team management experience
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex forestry projects and programs
- Experience with budgeting, grants, contracts and compliance
- Strong communication skills and ability to work with diverse stakeholders
- Commitment to safety, quality work and excellent customer service
Minimum qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Wildlife Biology/Management, Fire Ecology or a related natural resource field
- Three years of professional forestry experience, including areas such as wildfire mitigation, forest management, silviculture, forest health or vegetation dynamics
Why choose Colorado State Forest Service?
We not only value our forests; we also value our employees. Joining our team comes with incredible benefits:
- Identity wear stipend: Elevate your professional image with a stipend for personalized executive wear.
- Work-life harmony: Achieve optimal work-life integration through tailored and flexible scheduling options.
- Connectivity privilege: Stay seamlessly connected with either a cell phone allowance or a provided work cell.
- Premium healthcare benefits: Prioritize your well-being with access to exclusive and comprehensive healthcare benefits.
- Time-off: Recharge with 15 days of sick leave and 24 days of annual leave.
- Retirement plan: Secure your financial future with a remarkable 12% employer contribution to your retirement plan.
- Assistance program: Access premium well-being resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Professional development: Enhance your skills through personalized professional training opportunities facilitated by CSU.
- Educational empowerment: Receive 9 hours of education credits annually through CSU.
- Tuition privileges for family: Secure your family’s future with 50% off tuition for children, partner and spouse.
- Community leadership initiative: Give back to your community with paid administrative leave dedicated to volunteering.
Submit your resume and cover letter today! To receive full consideration, applications must be submitted by May 26, 2026.
Join us in leading impactful forestry work that protects communities, supports landowners, and strengthens Colorado’s forests for generations to come.
CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Part-time employment
No part-time positions at this time.
Admin Assistant II
Admin Assistant II (Part-time)
Support Colorado’s forest stewardship – join us as a part-time administrative assistant in Woodland Park!
Do you enjoy helping others, keeping operations running smoothly, and supporting meaningful conservation work? The Colorado State Forest Service is seeking a part-time administrative assistant to support our Woodland Park Field Office and its important programs. Apply now!
Location: Woodland Park
Schedule: Part-time position
Salary: $1660.50 – $1992.50 Monthly (Part-time 20 hours per week)
In this role, you’ll…
- Serve as the friendly and professional first point of contact for walk-in visitors and phone calls
- Support staff working in forest management programs, seedling tree plantings and forest agriculture
- Assist with public relations, document creation/editing and data management
- Coordinate meeting logistics and take minutes as needed
- Process mail, payments and financial transactions
- Work with vendors—including coordinating services, processing payments and accepting payments
- Maintain and operate office equipment
- Provide administrative and accounting support as assigned by the Southeast Area Accounting Technician II and Area Manager
Why you’ll love this role
- Be part of a mission-driven team serving Colorado’s forests and communities
- Support field staff and conservation programs that make a real impact
- Enjoy a mix of administrative, customer service and behind-the-scenes support work
- Help keep a small, dedicated office running efficiently and effectively
Position details
- Part-time appointment as a Colorado State University employee
- Pre-employment background check required
- Primarily office-based with regular public interaction
- Standard business hours with occasional flexibility as needed
Why choose the Colorado State Forest Service?
We not only value our forests; we also value our employees. Joining our team comes with incredible benefits:
- Identity wear stipend: Elevate your professional image with a stipend for personalized wear.
- Work-life harmony: Achieve optimal work-life integration through tailored and flexible scheduling options.
- Premium healthcare benefits: Prioritize your well-being with access to exclusive and comprehensive healthcare benefits.
- Generous leave package: Recharge with a comprehensive sick leave and annual leave benefit.
- Retirement plan: Secure your financial future with a remarkable retirement plan through PERA Colorado.
- Assistance program: Access premium well-being resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Professional development: Enhance your skills through personalized professional training opportunities facilitated by CSU.
- Educational empowerment: Receive 5 education credits annually through CSU.
- Tuition privileges for family: Secure your family’s future with 50% off tuition for children, partner and spouse.
- Community leadership initiative: Give back to your community with paid administrative leave dedicated to volunteering.
For full consideration, applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. MST on December 29, 2025. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.
CSU is an EO employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Seasonal employment
May 18, 2026: No seasonal positions available at this time.
AmeriCorps positions
The CSFS has ongoing collaborations with AmeriCorps partners, which have allowed us to establish AmeriCorps positions throughout Colorado. These are full-time community service positions, and each AmeriCorps member is directly supervised by a CSFS employee. Members each receive a bi-weekly allowance and, upon completion of the service term, will receive an education award that can be used for current educational expenses or student loans. A full-service term requires 1,700 hours to be completed over the course of about a year.
Specific duties will vary by field office, and primary duties may include the following:
- Forest treatment monitoring
- Lay out and administer forest treatments such as timber sales or reducing hazardous fuels.
- Urban forestry, tree planting, forestry education and community engagement
- Expanding drone use within forestry
- Winter snow measurements
Memberships will vary in length from a summer field season to a full year, thereby increasing the potential for current and former students to seek these opportunities. Anticipated start time is early February for full-time memberships and late May for quarter-time (3-4 months) members.
NOTE: Apply as soon as possible, and do not wait until the end of the application period. These positions will be filled using rolling applications.
The CSFS is seeking early-career natural resource professionals with backgrounds in biology, forestry, natural resources, human dimensions, ecology and other related disciplines. For full-time positions, preferred candidates have recently graduated and are hungry to contribute to the management of private and public lands across Colorado. Preferred quarter-time applicants are current students looking for summer opportunities that will benefit their educational journey. Applicants should be prepared to provide a cover letter, resume and references.
Minimum requirements for all AmeriCorps positions
- 18 years of age
- High school diploma or G.E.D.
- Citizen, national or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
- Pass a criminal background check
Contact Kristen Switzer for more information.
Internships
The CSFS offers paid undergraduate internship opportunities each summer that run from May to August. The Warner College of Natural Resources Dean’s Office at Colorado State University has partnered with the CSFS to fund certain internship opportunities, which are only available to WCNR students. All other internships are available to all Colorado undergraduate students.
The application period for 2026 internships closed Feb. 13, 2026. Contact Kristen Switzer for more information about CSFS internships.
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:
- Associate director
- Communications specialist
- Contracts and agreements manager
- Education specialist
- Experiential learning specialist
- Forest carbon specialist
- Forest monitoring measurement specialist
- Forester
- Forestry technician
- GIS technician
- Nursery program specialist
- Watershed Coordinator
Contact Kristen Switzer with questions.
Job shadowing directory
| Employee name | Job title | Location | Shadowing topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Wagner | Forester | Alamosa |
|
| Audrey Miles-Cherney | Upper South Platte Partnership watershed coordinator | Broomfield, Golden, Franktown, Colorado Springs, Woodland Park |
|
| James Lucero | Associate director of policy and legislative affairs | Denver |
|
| Andrew Clements | Forest Inventory and Analysis supervisory forester | Durango |
|
| Josh Braun | Forester | Durango |
|
| Amanda West Fordham | Associate director of science and data | Fort Collins |
|
| Cameron Taylor | Nursery program specialist | Fort Collins |
|
| Danielle Ardrey | Conservation and youth education specialist | Fort Collins |
|
| Katie Rose Levin | Forest legacy program specialist | Denver, statewide |
|
| Kristen Switzer | Experiential learning specialist | Fort Collins |
|
| Luke Dittrich | Lead project forester | Fort Collins |
|
| Max Erickson | Supervisory forester | Fort Collins |
|
| Nic Kotlinski | Geospatial data and analysis program manager | Fort Collins |
|
| Rachel Richardson | Contracts and agreements manager | Fort Collins |
|
| Sarah Osborne | Supervisory GIS specialist | Fort Collins |
|
| Tori Hunter | Forest monitoring measurement specialist | Fort Collins, statewide fieldwork |
|
| Weston Toll | Watershed program specialist | Fort Collins |
|
| Maegan Aldous | Forester | Golden |
|
| Mitch Dahlke | Forester | Gunnison |
|
| Dylan Eimer | Forester | Gunnison |
|
| Ashley Prentice | Forest carbon specialist | Gunnison |
|
| Lauren Lomonoco | Forester | Montrose |
|
| Matthew Mastalir | Forester | Rifle |
|
| Pete Albrecht | Lead forester | Leadville |
|
| Francisco Murphy-Garcia | Lead project forester | Summit County |
|
| Eric Gehrke | Forester | Woodland Park |
|
| Griffin Payne | Forestry technician | Woodland Park |
|
| Michael Till | Supervisory forester | Woodland Park |
|
About the 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 18 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 Resources
- Information about careers in forestry: Holly Leary