Job Description

Arborist Assistant Superintendent - Urban Forestry

Department: Public Works City and County of San Francisco
Job Class: 0932 Manager IV
Starting Salary: $167,336 $213,512 (Range A)
Hours: Fulltime
Location: San Francisco, California

About the Role

The Arborist Assistant Superintendent reports directly to the Bureau of Urban Forestry Superintendent and provides strategic leadership for urban forestry, landscape maintenance, and vegetation management across city environments. The position supports the Citys greening and sustainability goals by ensuring operational efficiency, fiscal oversight, and compliance with safety standards for more than 100,000 trees in the public rightofway.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide supervisory oversight of leveltwo supervisors and their teams.
• Assist in planning, scheduling, and evaluating daily operations and longterm initiatives in line with bureau policies.
• Develop production goals for tree pruning for internal and contractor crews, evaluate performance, and create operational plans to achieve goals.
• Assess and adjust resource deployment to meet bureau goals.
• Enforce compliance with established safety protocols and training programs.
• Support fiscal oversight by contributing to budget development and monitoring the use of materials, supplies, and mechanical equipment.
• Manage procurement and resource distribution, ensuring necessary materials, vehicles, and equipment are maintained and replaced appropriately.
• Oversee development of interdepartmental work orders and contract proposals; assist with bid evaluations and vendor recommendations.
• Represent the bureau in labor negotiations, interagency coordination, public meetings, and communications with elected officials, community groups, and the public.
• Make public presentations to commissions, boards, and public meetings as required.
• Investigate and resolve complaints, service requests, and operational issues; document findings and propose action plans.
• Conduct field inspections to ensure conformance with performance standards, city codes, and environmental objectives.
• Utilize digital tools to produce operational reports, memos, staff evaluations, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Maintain effective communication through twoway radios, cell phones, and digital correspondence platforms.
• Participate in citywide emergency response efforts and deploy resources during critical events.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Six (6) years of professionallevel experience in arboriculture, urban forestry, or the management of trees.
• Three (3) years of experience supervising journeylevel trades/craft staff performing arboriculture tree services in the public rightofway or land.
• Valid California drivers license.

Desirable Qualifications

• Advanced degree or bachelors degree in horticulture, urban forestry, or related field.
• Arborist certification from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
• Previous professional urban forestry experience in the public sector.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience making public presentations.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The City and County of San Francisco is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. All applicants will receive the same consideration for employment.

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