Plantation Specialist job at Aldelia

Plantation Specialist

Location: Uganda

Commitment: Full-Time

Travel: As necessary

Reporting To: Timber Plantation Manager

About the Role

The Field Supervisor is responsible for the ground-level execution of tree planting operations across the forest estate in Uganda. Field Supervisor serves two complementary mandates: growing commercial timber species and establishing permanent native species stands that generate carbon credits. This is a field-intensive role requiring strong planning capability, practical silvicultural knowledge, and the ability to manage large, diverse workforce groups across remote locations.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop detailed forestation plans with species mix, quantities, planting locations (defined as georeferenced polygons), and phased implementation schedules
• Map planting zones delineating commercial timber blocks and permanent native species areas.
• Assess site conditions such as soils, hydrology, slope and existing vegetation.
• Estimate seedling requirements by species and planting block
• Submit completed planting plans for review and approval
• Oversee all site preparation activities including vegetation clearing, land cultivation, drainage works, and access track preparation ahead of planting windows
• Ensure planting holes, spacing, and layout conform to species-specific silvicultural prescriptions
• Manage soil and water conservation measures during establishment, including mulching, erosion control structures, and fire breaks where required
• Apply correct spacing, planting densities, and establishment practices to maximise growth rates, stem form, and eventual timber quality
• Maintain planting records (species, polygon, date, quantity, survival) and report progress.
• Once planting plans are approved and seedlings confirmed, recruit the necessary workforce
• Organise, brief, and deploy large-scale planting teams across multiple blocks simultaneously.
• Manage attendance, productivity, and quality control across the planting workforce.
• Prioritise employment from host communities and manage community relationships.
• Conduct systematic post-planting survival surveys at defined
• Maintain georeferenced plantation records
• Flag silvicultural, pest, disease, or environmental risks promptly and recommend corrective actions within the context of the approved management plan

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Forestry, Silviculture, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or a closely related field
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in plantation forestry or large-scale reforestation
• Proficiency with GPS-enabled field data collection tools and spatial mapping applications (e.g. ODK Collect, KoBoToolbox, QGIS, ArcGIS) strongly preferred

Required Competencies

• Ability to develop detailed, spatially referenced planting plans
• Practical silvicultural knowledge of commercial timber and native species
• Ability to work with polygon-based planting maps and use GIS tools for planning and reporting
• Proficiency in Luganda or other relevant Ugandan languages is a strong advantage

Why Join Us?

• Create socioeconomic opportunities through high-impact projects.
• Work with a global team of experts.
• Access to competitive compensation and benefits.

• Develop detailed forestation plans with species mix, quantities, planting locations (defined as georeferenced polygons), and phased implementation schedules
• Map planting zones delineating commercial timber blocks and permanent native species areas.
• Assess site conditions such as soils, hydrology, slope and existing vegetation.
• Estimate seedling requirements by species and planting block
• Submit completed planting plans for review and approval
• Oversee all site preparation activities including vegetation clearing, land cultivation, drainage works, and access track preparation ahead of planting windows
• Ensure planting holes, spacing, and layout conform to species-specific silvicultural prescriptions
• Manage soil and water conservation measures during establishment, including mulching, erosion control structures, and fire breaks where required
• Apply correct spacing, planting densities, and establishment practices to maximise growth rates, stem form, and eventual timber quality
• Maintain planting records (species, polygon, date, quantity, survival) and report progress.
• Once planting plans are approved and seedlings confirmed, recruit the necessary workforce
• Organise, brief, and deploy large-scale planting teams across multiple blocks simultaneously.
• Manage attendance, productivity, and quality control across the planting workforce.
• Prioritise employment from host communities and manage community relationships.
• Conduct systematic post-planting survival surveys at defined
• Maintain georeferenced plantation records
• Flag silvicultural, pest, disease, or environmental risks promptly and recommend corrective actions within the context of the approved management plan

• Ability to develop detailed, spatially referenced planting plans
• Practical silvicultural knowledge of commercial timber and native species
• Ability to work with polygon-based planting maps and use GIS tools for planning and reporting
• Proficiency in Luganda or other relevant Ugandan languages is a strong advantage

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Forestry, Silviculture, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or a closely related field
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in plantation forestry or large-scale reforestation
• Proficiency with GPS-enabled field data collection tools and spatial mapping applications (e.g. ODK Collect, KoBoToolbox, QGIS, ArcGIS) strongly preferred