Utility Forester

Southside Electric Cooperative is seeking a Utility Forester to help protect electric reliability, support safe right-of-way maintenance, and strengthen vegetation management across Southside Virginia. If you have experience in forestry, arboriculture, utility vegetation management, line clearance, or natural resources-and you enjoy working outdoors where your decisions make a visible impact-this could be a great fit.

About the Role In this field-based role, you will identify vegetation risks, monitor contractor work, support hazard tree mitigation, and help ensure safe, reliable power delivery for Cooperative members. You will use forestry knowledge, tree risk assessment, GPS tools, vegetation management software, and sound judgment to support SEC's right-of-way and integrated vegetation management programs.

A Mission Worth Building a Career Around

Our Mission: Provide safe, reliable, affordable, and innovative power solutions through empowering our people and commitment to the Cooperative Principles.

Our Vision: Powering prosperity in Southside Virginia through community enrichment and a trusted power delivery experience.

What You'll Do · Inspect rights-of-way and identify hazard trees, undergrowth, overhang, and other vegetation concerns that could affect electric reliability.

· Monitor right-of-way contractors and arborists to ensure work meets safety standards, contract specifications, and Cooperative expectations.

· Use vegetation management software, GPS tools, mobile devices, and field data to document work, support reporting, and improve program performance.

· Partner with Operations, Engineering, System Operations, contractors, and other teams to reduce vegetation-related outages and support storm restoration.

· Communicate professionally with members about tree trimming, line clearance, right-of-way maintenance, and vegetation management concerns.

How You'll Work and Make a Difference

We're looking for someone who enjoys working independently and being a dependable teammate-ready to step in where needed and build positive, productive relationships throughout the Cooperative.

The right person will:

· Bring a customer service orientation: earn trust through responsive support that helps coworkers succeed and supports Cooperative operations, members, and communities-not technical expertise alone.

· Maintain a safety-first and security-conscious mindset, understanding that protecting people, information, systems, and operations is part of every decision.

· Communicate clearly, honestly, consistently, and transparently with all stakeholders, especially about risks, issues, delays, mistakes, or difficult decisions.

· Demonstrate the grit and persistence to work through complex problems when the answer is not obvious and conditions are demanding.

· Value human connection and treat employees with patience, respect, and empathy, regardless of their level of vegetation knowledge.

· Take initiative to identify problems, develop practical solutions, and follow through to resolution without waiting for step-by-step direction.

· Remain steady, organized, and responsive when balancing competing priorities, interruptions, projects, and deadlines.

Certifications · ISA Certified Arborist

· ISA Utility Specialist

· Certified Pesticide Applicator

· VDOT Work Zone Traffic Control – Basic

Qualifications

· Bachelor's degree in forestry, forestry management, arboriculture, natural resources, or a related field.

· Four or more years of experience in forestry, arboriculture, utility vegetation management, or related electric utility field work.

· Knowledge of right-of-way management, hazard tree assessment, tree identification, line clearance, integrated vegetation management, and electric distribution or transmission systems.

· Ability to read design drawings, staking sheets, survey plats, easements, and vegetation-related service requirements.

· Strong communication skills, good judgment, safety focus, and the ability to work effectively with members, contractors, employees, and leadership.

Why Join SEC? At Southside Electric Cooperative, your work matters. You will help protect critical infrastructure, improve reliability, and serve communities across Southside Virginia in a mission-driven cooperative environment. This position offers the opportunity to combine outdoor field work, forestry expertise, technology, teamwork, and public service.

Ready to help keep Southside Virginia connected, safe, and growing?

Apply today and bring your forestry and utility vegetation management experience to SEC.

All hires are subject to a pre-employment background check to include local, state, and federal criminal history; employment history; employment references; education verification; driver's record history; and, where applicable: license verification; safety history (linemen); and FMCSA query for positions requiring a CDL. We are a zero-tolerance drug-free workplace. All hires must take a pre-employment drug & alcohol test and have a pre-employment physical. All employees of Southside Electric Cooperative are subject to random drug tests at any time.