How to Become a Procurement Forester: Career Guide
If you have an interest in forestry, negotiation and working with people, a career as a procurement forester is well suited for you!
Below we've outlined what you'll need to become a successful procurement forester.
We've also included helpful information for a procurement forester career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Procurement Forester
To become a procurement forester, a bachelor’s degree in forestry, economics, business or related fields is typically needed.
Preferred qualifications include a focus in timber or forestry procurement within a forestry degree program, or general procurement within an economics or business degree program.
Procurement Forester Job Description
Procurement foresters (sometimes known as Timber Procurement Managers) are responsible for the oversight and management of the procurement of timber and safe execution of the service contracts that conduct harvesting and transport work. The procurement forester directs contract bids and negotiations, harvesting & transportation methods, operations, and all related personnel.
Procurement Forester Job Duties
• Oversee the purchase or sale of timber
• Participate in timber auctions
• Measure and appraise timber values
• Determine the value of contract bids for harvesting and transportation
• Arrange and oversee the management of harvesting and transportation contracts
• Maintain trust of contractors, forestry technicians, employees, log buyers, timberland managers, landowners and others
• Monitor project quality and compliance with relevant legislation and regulations
• Ensure that projects are completed within budgetary and timeline restrictions
How to Get a Job as a Procurement Forester
Procurement forestry positions are very competitive. Typically plenty of industry experience is necessary to become a procurement forester; gaining entry-level employment in forestry is a great way to begin gaining this experience.
Even gaining employment in entry-level positions is highly competitive. Having work experience or internship experience may be a pre-requisite for a permanent job in forestry, depending on who the employer is.
Landing an internship opportunity or getting a part-time job with an organization involved in forestry or conservation are great ways to add beef to your resume and stay ahead of the competition. Speak to your school's career services office, as well as your professors and other faculty, in order to learn about any available positions.
Who Hires Procurement Foresters?
Procurement foresters are often hired by those who own forested land, as the wood products produced on these lands are not pledged to a specific lumber mill and are therefore available to be sold on the open market with the aid of a procurement forester.
Organizations that hire Procurement Foresters include:
• Industrial firms
• Consulting firms
• Farmers
• Private landowners (for purposes such as aesthetic, recreation or revenue)
• Land trusts (which can be managed by banks and other financial entities)
Procurement Forester Salary
It's difficult to determine how much procurement foresters make, as it is very difficult to acquire accurate information regarding the salary levels of these professionals.
Procurement Forester Salary United States: The U.S Labor and Statistics reports that the median salary for workers in the Foresters occupational group, which includes Procurement Forester, was $57,140 USD per year.
Procurement Forester Salary Canada: In Canada, the numbers are a little different. According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Foresters occupational group earned on average from $29.92 to $38.45 an hour.
Please Note: Salary levels can vary greatly for procurement foresters, depending on the level of education, whom the employer is, and the amount of experience of the procurement forester.
Skills Needed to Become a Procurement Forester
Procurement forestry is much more complex than simply buying and selling wood. Today’s procurement foresters must posses a vast skill set in order to perform their jobs effectively. These skills include:
• Personal and industrial negotiation skills
• Familiarity with relevant legal and environmental legislation
• Must be able to manage independent road, logging and hauling contractors
• Must be able to operate within the constraints of corporate guidelines and governmental regulations
• Knowledge of local log markets
• Competence in timber inventory techniques
• Ability to work effectively in a log procurement team
• Good computer and math skills
• Must be able to effectively manage large financial transactions
• Knowledge related to different wood species and measurements
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Careers Similar to Procurement Forester
Listed below are jobs that are similar in nature to Procurement Forester, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
• Forester
• Inventory Control Specialist
References: Procurement Forester Career
Please consult the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a procurement forester.
Occupations in Alberta: “Forester.” (December 1, 2012). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
Occupational Employment and Wages: “Foresters.” (March 29, 2019). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
Please Note: Some of the information for this career guide was gathered from actual job postings, which due to the brief nature of their online presence, are not listed here as sources.
Scholarships for Becoming a Procurement Forester
Scholarships listed for majors that apply to becoming a Procurement Forester can be found on our Finance Scholarships and Forestry Scholarships pages.
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Becoming a Procurement Forester: Applicable Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming a procurement forester. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
