Lead Arborist presso King County, WA

About the Department

Ready to lead the future of tree care in King County? We are excited to announce we are seeking a Lead Arborist to build and guide a high-impact Arborist Program that protects and enhances our region’s trees and natural landscapes. If you're a certified arborist with strong leadership skills and a passion for public service, this is your chance to shape something meaningful — and help a team grow with you.

About the Role:

As the Lead Arborist, you will be instrumental in launching and shaping King County Parks’ Arborist Program. Reporting to the Arborist Program Supervisor III, you'll help build and implement a comprehensive, forward-thinking approach to tree care across the park system. In this role, you’ll lead a team, develop internal training, set high standards for safe, sustainable arboricultural practices, and perform all regular front-line Arborist duties. You'll also guide daily operations while contributing to long-term strategies that support environmental health, equity, and public safety. This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact—on our trees, our communities, and the future of our natural spaces.

About the Team:

The Operations Team includes approximately 180 full-time staff and over 100 temporary employees, supporting a diverse range of services that offer meaningful experiences for team members at all levels. The Lead Arborist plays a vital role in this dynamic team, helping shape the future of sustainable tree care across King County Parks.

This highly collaborative position embodies King County’s True North values and supports Parks’ mission to steward natural resources for the benefit of all. Our Arborist team is committed to preserving and enhancing public lands through expert tree care, thoughtful risk management, and service rooted in community engagement. With a strong focus on safety, environmental stewardship, and inclusion, we foster a culture that prioritizes professional development, technical excellence, and lasting impact—on the land and the people who depend on it.

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice: King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As the Lead Arborist you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at www.kingcounty.gov/equity. 

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Parks Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP). Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities.  Enjoy training, comprehensive benefits, and growth opportunities.

Discover More About the Parks and Recreation Division: Visit our website and check us out atFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.

Position Duties

What You Will Be Doing: 

• Lead and supervise the daily activities of the arborist crew, including planning, scheduling, assigning tasks, and monitoring workflow to ensure program goals are met.
• Evaluate staff performance, provide coaching and training, recommend disciplinary actions, and participate in performance appraisals to maintain a high-performing team.
• Perform tree assessments, manage permit applications, coordinate contract services, and inspect contractor work to ensure compliance with project specifications and safety standards.
• Assist in budget planning and monitoring, track expenditures, and recommend capital improvements to support the arborist program’s operational needs.
• Engage with the public, internal stakeholders, and user groups to address inquiries, cultivate positive relationships, and support risk management and safety initiatives.

In addition to the Lead Arborist duties, this role is also required to perform all the regular duties of a front-line Arborist, which includes overseeing the care of trees and their appearance by pruning and/or repairing branches, training young trees, and removing damaged limbs, evaluating trees for disease and pest problems and developing Tree Management Plans for all assigned sites and programs. Additionally, the Lead will operate, maintain, and inspect a wide range of vehicles, equipment, and tools, including chain saws, chippers, pole saws, and boom trucks. For a comprehensive description of the Arborist role, please see the classification.

Minimum Qualifications

Qualifications You Bring: 

Experience, skill and ability in the following areas: 

• Safely leading, organizing, and evaluating a team of arborists to ensure high-quality work.
• Developing, coordinating, and delivering technical training related to arboriculture, safety protocols, and equipment use.
• Utilizing GIS/GPS software for data collection and reporting in urban forestry or environmental projects.
• Planning projects, monitoring budgets, coordinating procurement and overseeing contracts.
• Communicating in a professional setting and engaging diverse communities with equity and professionalism.

Competencies You Bring:  

• Plans and Aligns: Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Instills Trust: Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Builds Effective Teams: Builds strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Decision Quality: Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Customer Focus: Builds strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

Required Licenses/Certifications: 

• Washington State Driver License 
• Washington State Public Pesticide Operator’s license 
• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential 
• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) credential 

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Experience using asset management systems (e.g., Lucity, or similar) to track tree risk assessments, maintenance schedules, and work orders in support of proactive urban forestry or park asset management.
• Knowledge of Parks maintenance operations and procedures including trail maintenance and construction, landscaping, and grounds keeping and facilities.
• Ability to safely operate trucks and trailers and other assigned maintenance equipment.
• Skill in performing minor equipment and/or machinery repairs in the field.

Other Qualifications

Work Location: Employees in this role work onsite at various locations throughout King County with the primary reporting relocation being the Central Maintenance Facility in Renton.

Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible. 

Union Representation: This position is represented by SEIU L925-DNRP (Parks).

Physical Requirements:

• The ability to use power tools and operate equipment on a continuous basis.
• The ability to perform heavy physical labor with weights up to 75 pounds.
• The ability able to work on uneven slopes, surfaces, grades and terrain in inclement weather and other adverse conditions.
• The ability to work at ground level, boom/bucket trucks, and all levels in between.
   

Application and Selection Process:

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness and alignment with the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills essential for this role to determine which candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews.  

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter: Your cover letter must be structured to include the following:
  1. How your education, experience, training, skills, and abilities have prepared you for the King County Parks Lead Arborist position, and
  2. How these same elements have shaped your understanding of Equity, Race, and Social Justice (ERSJ), and how that understanding would support your work in the Lead Arborist role.

Note: Additional documents will not be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Successful candidate will be required to complete professional reference check, criminal background check, driving record review, and pass a pre-employment physical.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Crystal Yost at [email protected].

Visit our webs­ite, explore an interactive mapof our recent accomplishments and check us out at Facebook, X(formerlyTwitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, YouTubeand Keeping King County Green News.

Sign up for Job Alerts to be notified of additional career opportunities with King County. Select the Natural Resources category for DNRP opportunities and explore other categories of interest.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. 

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.