Tree Supervisor II

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity inclusion and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the citys historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture community and individualism of employees.

Why join the City of Oakland Public Works Department Parks and Tree Division

The City of Oakland Public Works Department Parks and Tree Division is responsible for the maintenance of:

• Over 130 city parks and public grounds
• More than 2300 acres of street park and plaza landscaping including scenic Joaquin Miller Park and Lake Merritt
• 56000 street trees citywide

We are looking for someone who is:

• Experienced in planning managing and evaluating an urban forestry program using work management systems to prioritize work assess workloads and advocate for staffing and resources.
• Skilled at selecting training supervising and evaluating staff who oversee crews and inspection teams providing guidance on safety practices arboricultural procedures and City ordinances.
• Skilled at coordinating and integrating work across departments and programs building strong relationships with internal partners contractors community groups and other stakeholders.
• Able to manage operations during emergencies or short staffing including directing emergency tree response efforts and reallocating resources as needed.
• Knowledgeable in arboricultural safety standards and compliance ensuring safe work practices monitoring work quality and holding staff and contractors accountable.
• An effective communicator and public representative responding to public inquiries engaging community groups collaborating with the City Attorneys Office reporting to City Council investigating tree-related claims and serving as an expert witness when needed.
• Proficient with administrative and operational systems including work management contract fiscal and HR systems and reviewing and analyzing staff-prepared reports.
• Analytical and forward-thinking with experience researching grant funding investigating tree-related claims and contributing to short- and long-term urban forest planning.

• Providing daily direction guidance and resources to staff while monitoring workflow and team performance.
• Preparing and managing zone-based work schedules to ensure timely and efficient completion of tree maintenance activities.
• Supervising training coaching and evaluating staff including serving as second reviewer for division wide performance plans.
• Using City Works to plan schedule document and analyze routine and emergency tree maintenance and response efforts.
• Developing and executing special projects including tree planting root pruning stump removal and large tree removals.

Read the complete job description by clicking this City of Oakland Tree Supervisor II Class Specification

*Click on the link below to see a video on what its like to work for the City of Oakland!

Working for the City of Oakland

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You and your team will work outdoors citywide enjoying Oaklands moderate climate diverse neighborhoods and unique urban forest.
• Your work will directly improve environmental health public safety and the quality of life for Oakland residents while supporting equity-focused urban forestry initiatives.
• You will be part of a supportive mission-driven team that values professionalism service and helping employees succeed.
• You will play a key leadership role in shaping and sustaining Oaklands tree canopy for future generations.

• You will need to address citizen complaints regarding fallen trees and other tree-related service requests.
• You may face resource and staffing challenges that limit your operational capacity.
• You will need to be organized to keep up with reports division budget changes and keep track of numerous work assignments.

Competencies Required:

Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment
Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
Analyzing & Interpreting Data:Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative and qualitative data
Building & Maintaining Relationships:Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
Critical Thinking:Analytically and logically evaluation information propositions and claims
Decision Making:Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
Legal & Regulatory Navigation:Understanding interpreting and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
Managing Performance: Ensuring superior individual and group performance
Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
Professional Integrity & Ethics: Displaying honesty adherence to principles and personal accountability
Safety Focus: Showing vigilance and care in identifying and addressing health risks and safety hazards

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time permanent part-time or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable:

Education:

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade and 8 units from an accredited college or university in forestry horticulture or botany. A Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in arboriculture horticulture forestry or botany may be substituted for two years of work experience.

Experience:

Six years of progressively responsible experience in an urban forestry program including two years of supervisory experience.

License or Certificate:

• Possession of a valid Certified Arborist Certificate from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is required at time of application and must be maintained throughout tenure of employment.
• Possession of a valid California Drivers License Class C to be maintained throughout the tenure of employment with the City of Oakland.

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online and HR staff reviews their experience education and training listed on the application against the minimum qualifications listed for each position.

Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge skills and abilities in job-related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications.

In the final review candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history education or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.

For this recruitment all qualified applicants will be invited to the structured interview (sometimes referred to as an Oral Exam) (weighted 100%) which will be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The structured interview will be conducted as a one-way video interview where you will record your responses to a set of questions. You will have seven days from the time you receive the interview link to complete and submit your video responses. The tentative date of the structured interview is the week of January 19 2026.

Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points for example if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If youre applying to a restricted posting and you are eligible as a current City employee you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores so if you do not pass every element of the testing process you cannot use extra points to pass.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

Whats in it for you

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem Blue Shield United Health Care and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account Wellness Program Employee Assistance Program Tuition Reimbursement Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

*Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland City of Oakland CA

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

How to Apply

Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:

you do not have access to a computer there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza 2nd Floor Oakland CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at for information; however we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions please contact Cynthia Ng Senior Human Resources Analyst at .