Sr. Planner - Urban Forestry Officer
Pay Range: $34.45 - $44.79/hr. | $71,661 - $93,159 annual compensation
Job Posting Closing on: Wednesday, October 9, 2026
Workdays & Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm; Some evening/weekend work required.
Benefits for this position include: 11 Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off, Pension Plan, and Professional Development Opportunities. Find Out More!
The City of Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing large cities in the U.S. Our employees serve the needs of over 1,000,000 residents, promoting our values of exceptional customer experience, mutual respect, embracing our diversity, continuous improvement, ethical behavior, and accountability.
A Sr. Planner - Urban Forestry Officer job is available with the City of Fort Worth Development Services Department. This position is reviews, plans or updates Ordinance/s, issues permits, and inspects landscaping in the field, ensuring compliance with the City of Fort Worth’s Zoning and Urban Forestry Ordinances.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Planning, Urban Planning, or Design, Urban Geography, Public Administration, Forestry, Landscape Architecture, Horticulture or a related field
- Five (5) years’ experience in planning, urban design, urban forestry, park planning supervision/installation or related field
- Valid Driver’s License
- For this job description, there is no applicable education substitution for the minimum qualifications
Preferred Qualifications:
- Arborist certification issued through the International Society of Arboriculture is preferred or must be obtained within one year of employment
- Two years of supervisory experience reviewing performance for assigned staff
- Experience in facilitating and reviewing urban forestry ordinances
- Bilingual English/Spanish skills
- ArcGIS and Adobe Creative Suite skills
The Sr. Planner - Urban Forestry Officer job responsibilities include:
- Verify that all city urban forestry and tree mitigation requirements are met
- Work with commercial property owners, developers and design professionals to identify existing tree species onsite and maximize preservation of the urban forest
- Retain detailed records of all site visits, including periodic reporting to managers and/or department executives
- Coordinate urban forestry activities with other divisions, departments, outside agencies and organizations
- Monitor and evaluate urban forestry programs, methods and procedures
- Provide information to citizens concerning urban forestry; provide community outreach and developing presentations for neighborhood associations, organizations and clubs
- Work with landscape architects, developers and citizens to maximize the city’s urban forest
- Assist with tree-related contracts and agreements
- On-site inspections may represent about 20% of the weekly workload, or as needed
- Present urban forestry cases to the Urban Design Commission and assist Zoning Commission staff as needed
- Supervise staff, review performance and approve time for direct reports
- Other tasks as assigned or required based on Department’s needs
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically require touching, talking, hearing, seeing, grasping, standing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, walking, repetitive motions, climbing, balancing, pushing, pulling and lifting; depending on assignment. Incumbents may be exposed to moving mechanical parts, odors, dusts, poor ventilation, chemicals, oils, extreme temperatures, inadequate lighting and intense noises.
Light Work - Depending on assignment, positions in this class typically exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly having to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for the Sedentary Work category and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated Light Work.
Apply Now! Come be part of something special in Fort Worth.
Conditions of Employment
The City of Fort Worth is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of the City to recruit, hire, train and promote a diverse workforce without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or another non-merit factor.
The City of Fort Worth is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.
Candidates who do not meet the Education requirement, may be considered if they have more relevant work experience than the position requires. Those selected for employment will be required to pass Pre-Employment checks depending on the position requirements. Those could include, but are not limited to: criminal background check, drug screen, education verification, etc. criminal convictions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Employees are paid by direct deposit only.