Inventory Forester

Attention GIS, forest carbon, and forestry professionals! Do you want to be part of an ambitious, forest-focused team addressing climate challenges through local solutions? Do you want to contribute to safeguarding forestland and wildlife habitats? Are you looking to use your skills in a fast-growing industry? We want to hear from you.

Inventory Forester

Position Overview

The NativState Inventory Forester is a technically focused field role responsible for the design, execution, and quality assurance of forest and carbon inventory activities across NativState’s portfolio of enrolled landowner properties. This position is the company’s primary resource for generating the rigorous, registry-compliant measurement data that underlies NativState’s carbon credit issuance and project verification processes.

Reporting to the Inventory Director, the Inventory Forester works across multiple properties and project areas to collect, process, and validate forest inventory data in accordance with applicable carbon registry protocols (ACR, Verra VCS, CAR IFM) and NativState’s internal measurement standards. A core component of this role is supporting and coordinating third-party verification site visits — ensuring that field data, documentation, and plot records are audit-ready and that verifiers have the access and information needed to complete their review efficiently. The successful candidate will combine precision field-measurement skills with strong data-management discipline and a working knowledge of carbon accounting methodology.

Key Responsibilities

• Forest & Carbon Inventory

  • Implement statistically rigorous forest inventory sampling designs appropriate for carbon project methodology requirements and property characteristics.

• Third-party Verification Support

  • Participate in all third-party verification site visits, working closely with accredited verification bodies (VBs) on behalf of NativState.

• Data Management & Quality Control

  • Enter, validate, and manage inventory data in NativState’s forestry database and GIS systems with a high standard of accuracy and completeness.

• Coordination & Reporting

  • Coordinate inventory scheduling with Management Foresters and landowners to ensure timely access to enrolled properties.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Forest Biometrics, Natural Resources, or a closely related field from an accredited institution. (Required)
• Master’s degree with an emphasis in forest mensuration, biometrics, or carbon accounting. (Preferred)
• Minimum of 2–4 years of professional forestry experience with a strong emphasis on forest inventory, mensuration, or timber cruising. (Required)
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing sample-based forest inventory programs. (Required)
• Experience with permanent sample plot establishment, monumenting, and re-measurement. (Required)
• Experience with forest biometrics, volume and biomass equations, and carbon stock computation. (Preferred)

Certifications

• State Registered Forester (RF) designation, or ability to obtain within 18 months of hire. (Required)
• Society of American Foresters (SAF) Certified Forester (CF) credential. (Preferred)
• Familiarity with or training in carbon registry inventory protocols (ACR Forest Carbon, Verra VCS VM0010/VM0034, CAR IFM Protocol). (Strongly Preferred)
• Valid driver’s license with clean driving record. (Required)

Skills

• Expert-level proficiency in field mensuration techniques, including DBH measurement, height estimation, crown assessment, and plot layout.
• Strong command of GPS/GIS technology, including plot navigation, shapefile management, and map production using ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Proficiency with forestry inventory software (e.g., T-Cruise).
• Working knowledge of carbon registry inventory protocols, additionality requirements, and monitoring/reporting/verification (MRV) frameworks.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data integrity; experience working in audit-sensitive or regulated data environments.
• Ability to work independently across a geographically dispersed project portfolio with minimal supervision.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple inventory projects, plot networks, and verification timelines simultaneously.
• Physical capacity for sustained, precision-oriented fieldwork in demanding outdoor environments, including dense forest, rough terrain, and variable weather.

Location

Most work is conducted in LA and AR with remote options considered.

Compensation & Benefits

NativState offers a competitive total compensation & benefits package designed to attract and retain skilled forestry measurement professionals.