Forest Inventory Technician
City of Albany Department of Water & Water Supply
2026 SEASONAL Employment Opportunity
Forest Inventory Technicians $21 hourly rate
The City of Albany Department of Water and Water Supply (AWD) is offering seasonal employment to assist in forest inventory and watershed maintenance for the City of Albany’s public water supply system. AWD manages a water supply consisting of two surface water reservoirs, a finished water reservoir, and approximately 6,000 acres of lands and forests. The seasonal Forest Inventory Technicians will assist the Watershed Forester with routine forest inventory and other land management activities. This position is ideal for individuals who enjoy working outside, are interested in expanding their technical skill set, and are looking for hands-on natural resource management experience.
Potential Assignments:
Forest inventory & mapping using standard forestry tools and ArcGIS Online desktop and applications
Data entry & management
Natural resource surveys & management
Assist in timber marking, invasive species removal, and other forest management activities
Assist in the development and implementation of management plans
Assist with water quality sampling in the City and AWB Forestland properties
Other various activities as needed by the Department
Preferred Knowledge and Skills:
Knowledge of native & invasive plant species of Northeastern forests
Experience with common tools & procedures for forest inventory
Experience with scientific data collection and standard operating procedures
ESRI ArcGIS (computer and field use)
Microsoft Office Suite (primarily Word and Excel)
Good reading comprehension skills
Minimum Qualifications:
1. An associate's or higher-level degree in environmental science, conservation biology, forestry, forest biology, natural resource management, civil or environmental engineering, physical or natural science, or a closely related field; OR
2. Completion of at least 12 credit hours in forestry, which must include at least one course in three or more of the following areas: botany or forest vegetation, dendrology, forest mensuration or biometry, forest biology, forest ecology, forest ecosystem management, geographic information systems, land surveying, silviculture forest health, forest pathology, forest soils, general soils, forest and/or timber management, or forest and wood products engineering. You must submit a list of qualifying courses with your application- include the course title, number of semester credit hours per course, name of college or university, and date of completion. OR
3. One season/4 months technical forestry experience; OR
4. Combination of any of the 3 requirements above.
5. Possession of a NYS Driver’s License is required at the time of appointment and for the duration of employment.
Additional Requirements:
Be fluent in both written and spoken English.
Provide proof of legal right to work in the United States.
Be able to work full-time (32 - 40 hours/week) during the seasonal employment.
Must be able to lift 50 lbs. and to work in adverse weather conditions on water and on land that may be on steep, rocky, and uneven terrain.
Able to work independently as well as with a team.
Start Date and Work Schedule: Start date is targeted for APRIL 13, 2026. Start date, work schedule, and length for seasonal employment is flexible, but may not exceed 40 hours per week or 6 month duration (4/13-10/13/26). One Forestry Technician will report to the Alcove office in Coeymans, NY and the other Forestry Technician will report to the Albany office in Albany, NY.
To Apply: All applicants must submit a resume and cover letter by MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026 to Alex Ashby, Watershed Forester, via e-mail or US Postal Mail:
Alex Ashby
Albany Water Department
10 N. Enterprise Drive
Albany, NY 12204
Additional Information:
Participation in the Seasonal Employment does not automatically guarantee full-time employment
The City of Albany Department of Water and Water Supply does not provide medical benefits, vacation pay, sick pay or holiday pay as part of the Seasonal Employment program.