Job Specification
Position Title:
SUPERVISOR, FOREST ANALYSIS AND MODELLING UNIT
Job Code:
PRP20 - Resources Planning & Mgt PM-20
Purpose of Position :
Under the administrative direction of the Manager, Forest Sustainability and Information Section, provide support to the Manager for overall leadership of the Section, with specific responsibility for supervision and professional leadership to the Provincial Forest Analysis and Modelling Unit, for the provincial coordination, design, development and implementation of forest analysis and modeling capabilities.
Duties / Responsibilities :
1. Supervising and leading a team of professional and technical staff responsible for delivering forest analysis and modeling services, including staff selection, staff development and training, performance appraisal, discipline, recommendation of merit increases, approval of vacations and responding to grievances.
2. Directing staff in the design, development and acquisition of analysis methods and models to ensure MNRF meets or exceeds the requirements of MNRF's Environmental Assessment Act approval(s) for forest management and supports MNRF policy and program development and delivery.
3. Directing and promoting development of analysis techniques and tools that improve the Unit's ability to conduct and support MNRF's policy analysis and program delivery (e.g. spatially-explicit decision support tools).
4. Maintaining and enhancing competencies related to forest modeling, analysis techniques and new tools.
5. Directing the review and evaluation of forest analysis methods and results developed by stakeholders.
6. Directing and providing expert professional advice in designing and conducting modelling and analysis activities, reporting results and supporting interpretation of the results to the Manager, other senior managers and stakeholders.
7. Promoting an integrated and collaborative approach to forest analysis, modeling and tool development across the forest program including: Crown Forests and Lands Policy Branch; Forest Industry Division; Regional Operations Division planning and science staff; science professionals at OFRI, CNFER; Business Solutions Services of the Land and Resources Cluster; Forest Resource Inventory units of Provincial Services Division; external agencies such forest industry companies; industry associations; universities; consultants; and other stakeholders.
8. Representing the MNRF on provincial task forces, management teams, committees and working groups.
9. Providing training opportunities and supporting the development of competencies for the use and application of methods and technologies related to forest analysis and modeling, forest management planning, policy analysis and landscape analysis.
10. Instituting information management guidelines and principles in the management of resource related data and information and incorporating the use of geographic information system technology in the development of tools and models.
11. Providing professional advice and direction to Branch and Regional Director's staff in respect of resource analysis; undertake a review and assessment of forest industry proposals to deploy new tools and models and recommending to the Director of the Crown Forests and Lands Policy Branch, the adoption and approval of new forest analysis and modeling tools for use in forest management planning.
12. Preparing annual work plans and administering budget allocation and resources of the Forest Analysis and Modelling Unit; setting work plan priorities and ensuring targets are met; negotiating partnerships and funding with external agencies and partners to support program initiatives.
13. Ensuring the effective delivery of an Occupational Health and Safety program that complies with the OH&S Act and other related legislation, standards and management principles.
Knowledge :
Registered Professional Forester (R.P.F.) designation required.
Position is required to lead and manage the development of legislation, regulations, policies and standards directly related to assessment of impacts of policies and practices to forest sustainability. Position provides services in relation to the development, management, conservation and sustainability of Crown Forests and provides leadership for the development of provincial regulations and policies for forest modelling and assessment. To do this effectively, the Registered Professional Forester designation has been added as a requirement for this position.
Comprehensive knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of forest resource management to effectively assess impacts of policies and practices to forest sustainability. Sound knowledge of related legislation, policies and directives (CFSA, Forest EA, FMPM, FIM). Knowledge, background and training to provide professional leadership in forest management planning, socio economic impacts, spatial and non-spatial decision support tools, systems development lifecycle and information management. Superior organization, administrative and leadership skills essential to coordinating and directing complex projects across diverse functional units and geographies. Ability to plan, organize and direct training and competency development initiatives. Strong communication skills to deal with staff, cooperators and partners, both within and outside the Ministry, as well as preparing detailed reports and planning documents and making oral presentations. Negotiating and facilitation skills are needed to effectively resolve complex analysis and modeling issues (wood supply, wildlife habitat supply, biological diversity and landscapes metrics determination) involving Regional and Branch Directors, their staff, field staff and stakeholder representatives. Highly developed planning and coordination skills to integrate opposing interests, scientific and professional opinions on complex resource issues. Ability to effectively communicate, collaborate and to tactfully negotiate with Ministry and stakeholder representatives. Supervisory skills are required to direct the work of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
Demonstrated capability to prepare budgets, strategic plans, work and program plans, monitor costs and targets; to organize and co-ordinate staff schedules; to assess performance and training needs. Working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, regulations under the Act, other related legislation, standards and management principles that apply to the work supervise or controlled.
Judgement :
Judgment is exercised in recommending to the Director of the Crown Forests and Lands Policy Branch, the adoption and approval of new forest analysis and modeling tools for use in forest management planning in Ontario; in determining appropriate partnership relationships and funding levels; in providing advice and direction in the development and use of spatial decision support systems and in the delivering of training and competency
development initiatives. The advice and judgment must be provincial in scope and both professionally and administratively sound.
Judgment is exercised in developing long range, strategic plans for a delivery model to ensure an efficient and effective deployment of forest resource analysis and modeling resources to support forest sustainability and management. This judgment must be in accordance with overall government direction, the MNRF components of Results Based Planning and applicable legislation and policies (Crown Forest Sustainability Act, Forest Environmental Assessment, Forest Management Planning and Forest Information Manuals, and Forest Management Guides.
Judgment is exercised in the supervision of professional and technical staff.
Accountability - Programs :
Providing for a sound and effective delivery of forest analysis and modeling resources; development of processes and procedures to ensure that MNRF meets Conditions of the Declaration Order; position the MNRF and forest industry partners to meet expectations of stakeholders and the public in the wise use and management of Ontario's forest resources; increase and maintain MNRF capacity and competency in the use of Geographic Information System technology and spatial models and tools; recommend for use and approval new tools or systems for use in forest management planning.
Accountability – Personnel :
Directly supervises 6 staff.
Accountability - Finance and Materials :
Responsible for developing and administering a budget and controlling financial and material resources of the Provincial Forest Analysis and Modeling Unit; responsible for directing funds to external agencies and partner groups and subsequent reporting and monitoring of these allocated funds and their associated targets and assets.
Accountability - Impact of Errors :
Errors could result in an inability to meet conditions of MNRF's EA approval(s) resulting in legal non-compliance, criticism of Ministry by public and industry, and could compromise the management of the provinces forest and the ability to ensure a healthy, diverse forests that provides a wide range of benefits over the long term to the people of Ontario. Errors could result in negative effects in Ontario's species at risk and other significant wildlife
species, an inability to ensure successful delivery of forest analysis and modeling activities undertaken by MNRF and result in the need to take corrective action and waste ministry financial and human resources.
Contact - Internal :
Provincial - Branch Directors of Industry Relations, Forest Management, Science and Information and Applied Research and Development Section Managers and staff;
Regional - Regional Directors, Managers and staff; Science and Information Managers and staff;
District - District Managers and staff
Contact - External :
Forest Industry senior management and staff; University professors and research associates; resource managers from other jurisdictions (other Canadian provinces and the USA); forest consultants and private sector geomatics firms and vendors; not-for-profit agencies; environmental non-government organizations; planning teams; Local Citizen Committees and the general public.