Manager, Capital Forestry and Access
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Providing clean electricity to 4 million customers takes a diverse workforce and that’s where you come in. We need your talent to help us build major projects to meet growing demand. To help our customers find clean energy solutions for their homes and businesses and to be ready to respond during storms and outages to keep our system reliable
.
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We offer a healthy work life balance, training opportunities and career progression. We're proud to be ranked as one of B.C.'s Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. Join us as we build an even cleaner B.C.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Duties:
The Manager, Capital Forestry and Access leads and delivers BC Hydro’s Capital Forestry and Access programs in support of transmission and distribution capital projects across the province. The role is accountable for planning, developing, and delivering professional forestry and access planning services that balance safety, cost, schedule, environmental stewardship, Indigenous commitments, and system reliability. This position provides strategic direction, leadership, and technical oversight to a multidisciplinary team and represents the program with internal and external partners.
* Reporting to the T&D Portfolio Manager, Vegetation and Access, leads and executes BC Hydro’s Capital Forestry and Access programs in support of transmission and distribution capital projects across the province.
* Ensures forestry, clearing, and access planning activities meet BC Hydro’s reliability, regulatory, environmental, Indigenous, customer, and organizational commitments.
* Provides strategic direction, leadership, and mentorship to a multidisciplinary team of Capital Foresters and Access Work Program Managers.
* Translates portfolio‑level priorities into actionable work programs, balancing safety, risk, cost, schedule, and constructability.
* Develops a program oversight model that identifies and manages key performance indicators to provide program oversight indicating capacity and health of the programs under their responsibility.
* Oversees the delivery of professional forestry services, including timber harvesting, vegetation clearing, forestry engineering, road and access planning, and associated contractor activities.
* Provides expert guidance on technical scope, cost estimating, scheduling, and risk mitigation for forestry and access activities supporting capital projects.
* Oversees planning, construction, and maintenance of access required to support capital project delivery, ensuring alignment with land tenure, environmental, and cultural considerations.
* Provides field leadership through site visits, addressing safety, quality, and performance issues, and removing barriers to effective work execution.
* Supports procurement strategy development, contract scoping, proposal evaluation, and ongoing contractor performance management.
* Is accountable for program budgets, forecasting, and financial performance, tracking progress against annual plans and performance metrics.
* Builds and maintains effective working relationships with internal partners, including Project Delivery, Properties, Indigenous Relations, Environment, Safety, Legal, and Procurement
teams.
* Represents Capital Forestry and Access programs with First Nations, regulators, government agencies, landowners, and other external stakeholders.
* Supports regulatory compliance, audits, and reporting related to forestry, access, and capital construction activities.
* Leads continuous improvement initiatives and the adoption of innovative practices, tools, and technologies to improve program efficiency and effectiveness.
* Contributes as a member of the Vegetation and Access leadership team to strategic planning and operational decision‑making.
Qualifications:
* A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., science, forestry, resource management, business), or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
* Registration in British Columbia as a Professional Forester.
* Minimum eight (8) years of progressive experience in utility operations, vegetation management, forestry, construction management, environmental protection programs, or related fields, demonstrating increasing responsibility for planning, coordinating, and overseeing field based work.
* Road construction experience is considered an asset, including involvement in new builds, upgrades, or maintenance projects, right of way or access road development, and work within active construction environments, with exposure to contractor oversight, safety, scheduling, and regulatory or environmental compliance.
* Demonstrated excellence in people leadership, with the ability to foster engagement, collaboration, and an inclusive, safe work environment.
* Strong technical expertise in utility vegetation management, utility arboriculture, or a related field.
* A Project Management Professional (PMP) designation and/or an MBA is an asset.
* Proven ability to plan and deliver large‑scale, multi‑project work programs, balancing safety, reliability, cost,
and risk.
* Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal partners and external service providers.
* Experience driving continuous improvement and applying sound judgment in complex operational environments.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
* This is for an M&P Group 45 full-time permanent position (FTR), based out of our Edmonds office in Burnaby, BC.
* The preferred headquarter location for this opportunity is Burnaby (Edmonds), however we may be willing to consider other Regional Offices (Prince George, Kamloops, Vernon, Nanaimo), depending on operational requirements and this can be discussed further in the selection process. Please note this flexibility would also be subject to workspace availability.
* Please be advised that this role has been assessed as safety sensitive and pre-qualification alcohol and drug testing will be required as a pre-condition to employment.
* As part of the selection process, applicants may be required to take a written test or do a presentation.
* Shortlisted applicants will be required to complete an online leadership assessment as part of the interview process.
Don't forget to update your Candidate Profile with your current resume and copies of your certifications. If applicable, include your Trades Qualification. This will ensure we have all the necessary information to assess your application without any delays.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their applications online at https://app.bchydro.com/careers/current_opp.html by May 7, 2026.
Click here to access the job posting or visit the BC Hydro “Current Opportunities” Careers page to view and apply for jobs. You must use a supported browser, such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari. Your pop up blocker will also need to be disabled for the BC Hydro
Careers site.
On the BC Hydro Careers site, click on the Apply button in order to complete the steps to apply for this job. Please be sure to update your Candidate Profile with your current resume and include copies of your certifications, if applicable.
We're always looking for exceptional people to bring new ideas, fresh thinking and the motivation to help shape the electricity system in B.C. It's an exciting time to be a part of our team as we invest in our system and prepare to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
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BC Hydro is an equal opportunity employer.
We include everyone. We welcome applications from anyone, including members of visible minorities, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
We are also happy to provide reasonable accommodations throughout the selection process and while working at BC Hydro. If you require support applying online because you are a person with a disability, please contact us at Recruitmenthelp@BCHydro.com