The City of Salem is actively seeking a qualified and highly motivated individual to join us as the Natural Infrastructure Specialist for the Green Stormwater and Natural Areas program. In this role you will help with the maintenance of all public green stormwater facilities (rain gardens, water quality planters, swales, etc.) and help implement programs that enhance and restore natural areas and mitigation wetlands.
Make an Impact: The City of Salem has almost 500 publicly owned and maintained Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) facilities and several hundred acres of natural areas that capture stormwater runoff and improve the quality and quantity of water going into Salem’s streams. This position is an opportunity to be a part of a team that ensures these facilities are functioning and cleaning stormwater, while also looking beautiful.
Learn and Grow: We value our employees and their professional development. If you are someone that has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, has strategic foresight and practical planning abilities, a strong knowledge of native and invasive plants species for Oregon, and is a self-starter who can work in a team and work with the public, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety and welfare of our community, including our team!
What you will do: The Natural Infrastructure Specialist acts as a leads within the group and will assist the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Supervisor with overseeing the day to day maintenance work necessary to meet permit requirements for GSI facilities and mitigation sites. This position works closely with Engineering staff and will help reviews plans for new construction of GSI facilities to ensure that all plants and soils meet City standards. This position is also responsible for designing new irrigation systems for new and existing projects and developing work plans that include planting designs (time, material, and labor estimates) for both GSI facilities and Natural Areas.
The GSI and Natural Areas program utilizes Adults in Custody (AICs) Work Crews to maintain large facilities, and the Natural Infrastructure Specialist will provide general oversight and coordinating with Work Crew staff on projects. This position will work with outreach and volunteer groups on projects, and will work with multiple other City departments and outside agencies. Writing technical reports, working with the public, and giving presentations will be expectations of this position.
The Natural Infrastructure Specialist is a journey, professional level classification and provides input on aspects such as hydrology, bank stabilization, habitat value and wetland monitoring, in addition to function and maintenance of facilities. Employees plan and implement green stormwater and natural area vegetation projects requiring the application of scientific principles and theory. They lead projects requiring independent judgment and action. The employee exercises discretion in selecting appropriate resources to use in accomplishing the work.
The Natural Infrastructure Specialist works under the general direction of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Supervisor. The employee receives general instructions regarding the scope of and approach to projects, but the procedures and techniques are left to the employee's discretion. Regularly provides directions and leadership to seasonal staff, other career staff, or AIC labor to accomplish projects. The coordination of projects constitutes a major portion of the work. Full supervisory responsibility for crew performance remains with the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Supervisor.
Additional information on job responsibilities:

• Plan, organize, and manage re-vegetation projects that protect, restore or enhance GSI and natural areas. Evaluate sites to determine deficiencies and provide a plan.
• Develop project plans that include materials and staffing estimates, specifications, and planting designs. Select and purchase appropriate native plant species. After planting, monitor site for changing conditions and evaluate progress of project goals; take corrective action due to changing site conditions.
• Schedule, prioritize and coordinate personnel to complete planned projects. Arrange for and coordinate supplemental staffing such as volunteers or correctional work crews. Lead the work of crews engaged in planting, weeding or irrigating sites; train work crews in proper plant care and horticultural techniques; provide input into performance evaluations, or corrective actions.
• Monitor GSI and mitigation sites for compliance with regulations and permit requirements. Evaluate plant development, irrigation needs, invasive species, hydrology, wild life presence and seed development; decide measures to correct deficiencies; alter current or develop new work plans to achieve improved natural resource conditions.
• Train staff, volunteers, supplemental labor and other City staff in native plant identification and wetland management techniques.
• Compile and write reports that summarize work completed, planned work projects, successful techniques and work plans to achieve compliance objectives. Develop annual work plans and project budgets. Create project base maps, planting plans, as-built maps and management plans using Arc View, GIS and GPS software.
• Collaborate with City natural resource staff on planning and developing future projects. Evaluate designs for proper plants and prepare plant lists and planting plans; monitor contractors' work by evaluating and monitoring contractor planted sites; work with contractors to correct conditions.
• Provide other wetland related natural resource support such as developing and coordinating the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan, and serving on the IPM Committee and possibly as the IPM Coordinator.

What are the minimum qualifications?

• A Bachelor's Degree with a major in biology, botany, horticulture, environmental sciences or natural resource science; and three years' experience in horticultural or natural area development activities; or any combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities
• Must pass a pre-employment background check.
• Must have an Oregon Driver license and meet the City of Salem's driving standards.
• Must have, or be willing to get within 6 months of hire, an Oregon Public Pesticide Applicator License.

What you will bring along:

• Respect towards others, along with an enthusiasm to understand and value individual differences to foster and support a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• Knowledge of:
  • Theories, principles, methods and practices of natural resource and natural area protection, restoration and enhancement, including erosion control methods and techniques, native planting, resource monitoring protocols and ecosystem management
  • Practices, methods and techniques of watershed management
  • Threats to health of local ecosystems (e.g. invasive non-native plants) and methods for their elimination or mitigation
  • Theories and principles of botany, biology of flora and fauna, and native plant species
  • Plant physiology and plant soil interactions
  • Principles, methods and techniques of plant propagation and plant collection management including plant fertility, soils, pruning, planting and plant-removal techniques
  • Methods and techniques for recognizing and controlling threats to the horticultural assets and health of local ecosystems, such as insects, diseases, invasive non-native plants
  • Methods and techniques of integrated pest management programs
  • Local water quality issues
  • Principles, methods and practices of wildlife biology, multi-objective management of flood plains and watershed
  • Principles of recreation management in natural areas
  • Methods and techniques of project management including estimating time, labor and materials to complete projects typical to the assignment
  • Horticultural safety practices
  • Principles, techniques and tools involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints or drawings

Tentative Recruitment Timeline:
Posting Closing Date: May 20th
Review of Applications: Completed by May 24th
Interview Dates: June 10th through June 14th
Planned Start Date: July 1st
This timeline is tentative and could be subject to change as needed.
About us:
The Public Works Department values employees and their professional development. If you are someone that takes pride in collaborating on innovative ideas, proactively responding to community needs, and being a good environmental and financial steward, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety and welfare of our community, including our team!
The City of Salem is the second largest City in the State of Oregon. Located in the lush Willamette Valley, Salem is the capital city of Oregon with a population over 170,000. Centrally located, Salem is 47 miles south of Portland and an hour from the Cascade Mountains to the east and an hour from the ocean beaches to the west. Salem is an exceptional community for living and working with exciting new and comfortable well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings.
A full-service City, Salem has eight primary departments:Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community and Urban Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City has five labor unions and employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members. The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Urban Development department.
Where can I find out more about the position?
How can I apply?
The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.
Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to include how you meet the qualifications outlined in the class specification in your application.
Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.
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