City Arborist

JobID: 522

Position Type:
Civil Service/Full-Time/Non-Exempt/AFSCME

Date Posted:
2/13/2026

Location:
Urbana Public Works Department

Closing Date:
When filled

Join Our Team!

City Arborist

Starting Salary Range

$85,984.42 - $113,929.35 annually

Department:

Public Works

Division:

Administration

Full-Time; Exempt; Civil Service

Job Summary:

Under general direction of the Public Works Director, the City Arborist oversees capital projects and administrative programs related to public arbor, horticulture, and landscape recycling. This is an exciting opportunity that combines technical arboriculture expertise, public service, and sound business and project management skills application. This position administers the City's Tree Ordinance; serves as the City's public consultant and primary point of contact for assigned areas of responsibility; manages and oversees business operations of the City's Landscape Recycling Center; provides subject matter expertise and administers arboriculture, horticulture, and business management best practices in the performance of assigned duties.

Essential Functions include (but are not limited to):

• Serves as the City's public consultant and primary point of contact for community trees and landscapes; responds to related citizen concerns and complaints; resolves tree ownership/jurisdiction concerns.
• Assists in planning, coordinating, and facilitating annual Arbor Day event and other special events as necessary.
• Administers and enforces the City's Tree Ordinance; provides technical assistance to City staff related to other ordinances (e.g., vegetation ordinance).
• Assists with reviewing and overseeing contractual and permitted work authorized by the City that impacts arbor and landscape assets, assists with enforcement when work violates city codes and regulations related to area(s) of responsibility.
• Monitors activities of utility companies, contractors, and private citizens as required in relation to arbor and landscape work being performed on City property.
• Reviews construction plans for residential and commercial developments to ensure compliance with applicable City ordinances, codes, rules, and regulations.
• Coordinates and/or manages capital projects related to arbor and landscape assets.
• Administers and coordinates City tree planting programs (Cooperative, Legacy, etc.).
• Coordinates with governmental and partner agencies to promote public interest and participation in tree planting and protection.
• Develops and administers efforts related to public promotion of landscape recycling, arboriculture, and horticulture; serves as subject matter expert for inquiries related to areas of responsibility and oversight.
• Develops recommendations to policies and procedures pertaining to arbor and landscape asset best management practices; presents recommendations to department head; implements approved policy recommendations as needed.
• Reviews and amends the City's arboricultural specifications manual as necessary.
• Serves as lead staff on the City's Tree Commission.
• Manages business operations of the City's Landscape Recycling Center (LRC), including, but not limited to budgeting, marketing and providing public information; assessing market supply and demand; establishing product pricing adjustments; establishing and maintaining business procedures; administration of related contracts and agreements, including intergovernmental agreement; and collaborating with Operations management staff on staffing and logistical operations of the site.

Minimum Qualifications include:

• Completion of an associate's degree in forestry, horticulture, landscape architecture, or relevant biological or environmental science.
• Three (3) years of professional tree/urban forestry management experience or professional experience in a closely related field that would provide the requisite knowledge. Five (5) years of related experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
• At least three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in business or project management, including planning, coordinating, overseeing, and/or supervising projects, operations, and/or staff.
• Must possess or obtain within fifteen (15) days of employment a valid State of Illinois driver's license ana maintain a safe driving record.
• Must possess International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist designation or obtain within six (6) months of hire.
• Must possess ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) or obtain within eighteen (18) months of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:

• State of Illinois Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with Air Brake endorsement is preferred.
• Landscape Industry Certified Technician - Exterior (formerly CLT-E) or training/education with similar content and coursework is preferred.

For a complete list of duties and qualifications, please refer to the job description.

Compensation and Benefits

The city of Urbana offers competitive compensation and benefits to our employees. The full salary range for this position is $85,984.42 - $141,874.28 . The City of Urbana provides its employees with a robust benefits package that includes the following options:

• Health insurance through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, including a no-cost premium option for employees
• Dental insurance options through Delta Dental
• Vision, Voluntary Life, Short/Long-term Disability, Accident, and Critical Illness insurance options
• Flexible Spending Plan option
• Paid holidays
• Generous vacation and unlimited sick leave accruals

For more information about City benefits for this position, please visit

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, however the date of first application review will occur after Friday, February 27, 2026. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply prior to this date for priority consideration.

Selection Process:

The application will serve as the Civil Service exam; applicants meeting or exceeding the passing score will be placed on an open competitive register to fill current and/or future vacancies that may occur within approximately the next two years; this register may be extended or voided as needed by the Civil Service Commission. Questions may be directed to [email protected] or call (217) 384-6293. The City of Urbana provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities; if you need information, please contact the Human Resources Division at the number or e-mail above.

What happens after I submit my application?

You will be contacted by e-mail regarding your status once a decision has been made in the selection process. Once you apply, almost all communication regarding the status of your application will be by email through the City's applicant management platform, so please add the domain "@applitrack.com" to your address book to prevent any emails from going to your Spam/Junk folder.

The Organization

The City of Urbana, founded in 1833 and the county seat of Champaign County, is a home-rule municipality situated in east central Illinois, approximately 135 miles south of Chicago and 45 miles west of the Indiana border. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the state's flagship university, is located in both Urbana and Urbana's twin city of Champaign. Urbana's population is estimated at 38,336 and 11.9 square miles are within the City boundaries. The City is led by Mayor DeShawn Williams and operates under the mayor-aldermanic form of government. On average, Urbana employs 260 full-time personnel. For more information about the City of Urbana, visit: UrbanaIL.gov.

About the Urbana Community

Award-winning dining. Cutting-edge technology. World-class education. Gigabit-speed fiber network. Urbana is a city where artists, thinkers, and innovators thrive. And we're just getting started!

Urbana boasts a history built on innovation. From the famed Morrow Plots, a National Historic Landmark, to the groundbreaking research conducted every day on the flagship campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana embraces creative thinking and diversity to drive innovation and advancement. We're connected to each other and the world thanks to an award-winning mass transit district, Amtrak rail, a regional airport, and three major interstates. Prefer to get around on two wheels? We are proud to be the first Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community in Illinois. Our West Urbana neighborhood has been named of the 10 Great Neighborhoods in America by the American Planning Association, and together with our twin city Champaign, we've been recognized as the Greatest Food Town in the Midwest by Midwest Living Magazine, as well as an AARP Age-Friendly Community. Led by Mayor DeShawn Williams, Urbana's progressive values include civic engagement, celebrating entrepreneurs and innovators, smart growth, and transparent governance. Award-winning schools, outstanding parks, a mosaic of diverse and engaged neighborhoods, a robust array of businesses located throughout the city, and reliable public services committed to the best possible quality of life for residents serve to make Urbana a great place for all to thrive.

The City of Urbana Welcomes Diversity!

We foster an environment that values and encourages mutual respect, inclusion of all people, and utilizing differences and similarities as an organizational asset. EOE.