Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide technical leadership for and participate in the issuance of local allocations, permits and authorizations, and supporting the delivery of resource monitoring, inspections, compliance and audit activities for the district forestry resource management program. To provide customer services to internal and external clients.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Job requires:

1. Administering forest license, permit and approval processes such as forest resource licenses and Bills of Lading and for planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring technical/operational forestry program activities in the district, including participating in work program activities (e.g. monitoring forest road use strategies, administering forest roads funding programs, supporting Independent Forest Audits), organizing field projects (e.g. Silvicultural effectiveness monitoring), controlling budget expenditures, monitoring progress and results of projects, reviewing local plans.

2. Providing technical/operational/group leadership, guidance and advice through consultation, negotiations, and conflict resolution (e.g. harvest and Area of Concern boundaries) with staff, resource industries, Aboriginal peoples, clients and interest groups, providing education, training, transferring knowledge/information and ensuring consistent application of legislation, regulations, policies and procedures.

3. Supporting the preparation and implementation of compliance plans in the district by assessing priorities based on risk, conducting field inspections and investigations, reviewing annual resource reports, comparing actual harvest levels to planned harvest levels, undertaking or coordinating of scaling/wood measurement activities, and providing testimonial evidence in court and legal tribunals.

4. Supporting long range planning teams by providing technical input to land use and resource management planning decisions regarding forestry matters such as harvest and access operability. Reviewing various planning documents such as Forest Management Plans and amendments, Road/Bridge Abandonment Plans, land use amendments, annual work schedules, and independent forest audits for alignment with broader program direction and work plans.

5. Communicating forest management program information to the public, clients, partners, resource industries and Aboriginal peoples by making presentations, attending meetings, speaking to the media, drafting media releases, preparing technical reports, correspondence, briefing notes and Minister's letters, and responding to information and data requests.

6. Participating in the delivery of other district resource management programs (e.g. Lands and Waters, Fish and Wildlife, Aggregates).

7. Other duties: Management has the right to assign additional duties.

The incumbent shall, work in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its Regulations and any workplace practices as directed by the employer. The incumbent shall take precautions to protect the health and safety of themselves and others by complying with such acts, codes, policy, procedures or accepted workplace practices as may be appropriate. The incumbent shall advise workers of actual and potential dangers in the workplace and the required precautions.

Staffing and Licencing :

Valid Ontario Class “G” Driver's License visit sites, usually in rural or remote settings.

Knowledge :

Job requires:
In-depth knowledge of forestry legislation (e.g. Crown Forest Sustainability Act) and general knowledge of fish, wildlife, lands, waters, and aggregate resources related legislation and regulations (e.g., Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, Federal Fisheries Act, Public Lands Act, Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, Aggregate Resources Act) and objectives and procedures related to these programs to participate in long-range planning processes, provide technical leadership, advice and training to staff, resource industries, Aboriginal peoples, clients, interest groups and the public, respond to requests for assistance and information on matters such as legal requirements for licensing, mandatory resource related reports.

Knowledge of ministry policies, procedures, guidelines, and manuals (e.g. Forest Management Planning Manual, Forest Operations and Silvicultural Manual, Independent Forest Audit Protocol, Scaling Manual, Forest Compliance Handbook) to ensure various resource operations (e.g. forest harvest and silviculture) comply with provincial standards and ecological sustainability; to review applications and legal submissions; to review site plans/amendments and to recommend approval of licenses and permits.

Knowledge of forest management operations and techniques (e.g. forest resource inventory surveys, forest renewal and maintenance, wood measurement, forest roads and access) to design, organize and audit forestry field projects and operations by attending site inspections, consulting with partners/stakeholders and reviewing progress and results to meet resource sustainability objectives.

Knowledge of enforcement and compliance procedures to conduct, or participate in, operational audits of resource industries by determining level of adherence to operating approvals, investigating infractions and providing technical information as a witness in cases of non-compliance.

Knowledge of administrative practices, policies and procedures (e.g. contract administration, partner agreements) to initiate, draft and audit contracts (e.g. Crown road maintenance contracts), partnership agreements (e.g. road funding programs with Sustainable Forest licensees) , including attending meetings to identify needs, developing terms and conditions and monitoring contractor/partner performance (e.g. road and/or bridge construction).

Knowledge of personal computers/software including word-processing, data base, electronic mail, internet and spreadsheet applications to prepare correspondence and reports; input and retrieve data; prepare budgets and track expenditures; use internet and e-mail.

Good working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and those Regulations made under the act that apply to the workplace and the work being performed.

Skills :

Job requires:
Analytical and problem solving and analytical skills to review and analyze data (e.g. field inspection reports, allocation approval documents and harvest reporting information); identify resource sustainability and/or compliance issues, establish resource management priorities and recommend management and allocation actions.

Evaluation, interpretation and problem-solving skills to evaluate information from staff and resource industries, confirm adherence to legislation/policy or, in the case of non-compliance, take corrective action such as establishing additional monitoring or referring to the District Enforcement Manager or appropriate District Supervisor; review and interpret forest management variables (e.g. time of year for operations,) used to design management prescriptions for habitat protection or to minimize site disturbance; evaluate and develop training plans and compliance strategies by reviewing annual project/program implementation, identifying shortfalls and/or deficiencies in target achievement and determining corrective action.

Analytical and assessment skills to analyze data to determine the nature and extent of operational audits required by understanding and interpreting the variables associated with resource plans (e.g. economic, social, ecological), in order to identify, measure and analyze the degree of success in application (e.g. effectiveness of road use strategies) and making adjustments to current work schedule; and to make revenue and expenditure projections to ensure program funding needs are met (e.g. forecasting equipment/supply purchases, costing of contracts, and preparing budget estimates).

Interpersonal, oral and written communication skills to make presentations; participate in public meetings and public consultation processes as a ministry representative (e.g. sharing information, initiating partnerships); conduct media interviews; respond to public inquiries; prepare briefing notes; draft Minister's letters, press releases and write technical reports; interact with staff, industry, local citizen's committees, resource users and the general public to promote understanding and discuss sensitive resource decisions, facilitate resolution of resource management conflicts (e.g. forest infractions, Area of Concern prescriptions) and disposition of Crown resources; and to work with external clients/partners (e.g. community advisory groups, forest industry, local roads boards ) in the decision making process requiring facilitating meetings and establishing partnerships/contracts with groups holding conflicting views while promoting an understanding of ministry resource management policies.

Planning and coordinating skills to provide technical input to land use and resource management planning processes, plan and coordinate project expenditures, staff, equipment and transportation for resource inventory and survey projects; ensure the timely review, assessment, approval and audits of ministry, individual/business and agency projects, initiatives, proposals, licenses, permits and plans (e.g. forest resource licenses and harvest approvals) requiring the coordination of several processes/projects occurring at the same time; and to ensure contracts and agreements are completed to standard by coordinating the staff and equipment to perform site inspections, contractor performance reviews and audits at appropriate intervals during field operations.

Freedom of Action :

Job works within the procedural controls of ministry and government policies, legislation, associated manuals, guidelines, directives related to resources management and established practices and procedures. Results are formally reviewed in an annual performance appraisal where target achievement is set based on mutually agreed upon performance measures. Targets and progress are regularly reviewed with the supervisor and adjusted due to unforeseen priorities and workloads but little direct supervision is received.

Job works in a team environment and is required to accept responsibility for actions taken and work carried out.

Job requires making decisions on resource management program activities (e.g. Forestry, Fish and Wildlife, Lands and Waters, Aggregates) and work program planning matters by identifying standards, establishing resource needs, production targets, and arranging for the programs to be monitored/evaluated.

Job represents the ministry in court and legal tribunals by providing testimonial evidence and by communicating/responding to issues and concerns from the public, clients, partners, resource industries and Aboriginal peoples.

Situations that are not covered by ministry policies or normal operation procedures are reviewed and recommended course of action is submitted to supervisor (e.g. level of penalty of non-compliance, or divestment of ministry programs).