Explore Green Jobs

Procurement Forester

A Procurement Forester purchases timber for a mill or other wood-using facility by working with outside timber brokers and landowners. This ensures proper wood flow and log quality for the forester's employer.

This position is ideal for an individual that enjoys working outside, is an excellent project manager, has a keen eye for detail, and thrives at building relationships to meet objectives.

This position is also referred to as a Timber Procurement Forester or Wood Supplier Forester.

Christopher Humann

Procurement Forester, Sierra Pacific Industries

I love that my job is outdoors and that I get to work with a large variety of people, including loggers, roadbuilders and foresters. I start every day driving to remote forested locations, where I hike with my tools to collect data. My dog, Timber, is my partner. I work with the mill to ensure we are buying the right logs for our market and that we have enough for production.

Education

A Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry or Forestry Management is typically required.

Helpful courses to take in high school include business management, mathematics and science (biology, botany, etc.).

Hands-on experience is beneficial for this position. Completing an internship under an established procurement forester would be helpful in gaining on-the-job experience.

Tools of the Trade

  • Computer software such as Microsoft Office to build and execute bid contracts.
  • Microsoft Excel for timber pricing analysis and general data tracking in spreadsheets.
  • Timber cruise analysis software such as T-Cruise, Assisi, TwoDog, etc. 
  • Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software for building maps of timber supply areas and field work during inventories. Software examples include ArcMap and Manifold. 

Important Skills

A procurement forester must be able to build and maintain positive relationships with various groups of people, such as landowners, loggers and timber dealers. This is necessary to procure, or obtain, a consistent supply of quality logs for mills, which are the end users.

Leadership skills are necessary when this role requires personnel management. 

A keen eye for detail is also important. Wood-using facilities require certain quality standards and sizes when it comes to purchased logs. Quality control is an essential part of this job.

Job Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of the procurement forester is to directly or indirectly identify sources of timber to supply a mill. Procurement foresters purchase logs from private landowners or timber dealers (brokers) and oversee and execute contracts related to harvesting and transporting the timber.

Procurement foresters often inventory private and public lands to get the information needed to make an informed purchase of the timber in question.

This forester also will oversee timber harvesting operations to ensure the safety of the crew, environmental compliance, and sustainability of the resource.

Procurement foresters examine wood being harvested and delivered to ensure it meets the size and quality requirements of the facility that they represent.

Duties assigned to this position often include participating in timber auctions, measuring and appraising timber values, and determining the value of contract bids. Procurement foresters also oversee and ensure that assigned projects are completed to the satisfaction of the landowner.

< Back to all job profiles

Forestry Dog Working on Logging Site

Christopher's dog, Timber, travels with him to forest sites every day. / Photo Courtesy of Christopher Humann