INFORMS Open Forum

At Weyerhaeuser we believe trees are a remarkable resource that can, and should, be managed responsibly to make a range of products that meet human needs, while also providing recreation, wildlife habitat, and other important ecosystem benefits. For more than a century, we've been building our reputation as a leader in sustainable forest products.

Our focus is as much on building our people as building our business. We are committed to creating an environment where individuals can flourish, diversities encouraged, and communities supported. We are one of the premier integrated forest products organizations in the world. At Weyerhaeuser, we are always looking for people who can contribute, grow, think, and create!  Our associates are the real reason we have been in business for over 120 years. Their skill and ingenuity have made Weyerhaeuser one of the largest and premium timber, land, and forest products company in the world.

Find out more about Weyerhaeuser at www.weyerhaeuser.com and learn our Story here: https://youtu.be/c2R_lQ7wo0A

As a member of the Quantitative Systems and Inventory (QSI) team at Weyerhaeuser you will work on a diverse range of projects and will support the Forest Carbon team within our Corporate Development Organization (CDO). In this role, you will work on projects supporting refinement of our harvest scheduling systems, forest inventory, quantitative silviculture, and economic modeling with consideration for uncertainty. Our group's mission is to ensure the availability of reliable and cost-effective forest information for the optimal management of Weyerhaeuser land and timber. The QSI team is committed to fulfilling this mission by providing world-class data acquisition, analytical technologies, and support.

The Forest Carbon Biometrician position will be based out of the Weyerhaeuser headquarters building in Seattle, WA, and has the option for a flexible/hybrid work schedule. Other work locations may be possible.

Roles & Responsibilities

Forest carbon projects

• Design, develop, maintain, deploy, and support the toolchain for carbon projects including data transform and processing, growth and yield modeling, harvest scheduling and scenarios analysis, verification, and validation
• Collaborate with peers and cross-team colleagues in all aspects of project work including project development, scheduling, analysis, and reporting
• Oversee forest inventories, cruise design and sampling protocols consistent with carbon registry methodologies

Harvest scheduling

• Contribute to the development and support of internal harvest scheduling system to enable the Timberlands business to optimize value-generation and investment decisions for its forestlands
• Participate in developing innovative stochastic optimization techniques to incorporate uncertainty and risk in the timberlands harvest planning
• Work as a member of the QSI team to design, develop, and maintain the elements of our forest modeling and biometric systems including: 
  • Growth and yield models 
  • Volume and merchandizing models 
  • Financial valuation models
  • Remote sensing tools 
  • Partner with other teams in Strategy and Technology, Inventory and Planning, and throughout the Timberlands business to perform various analyses using QSI-supported tools.  

Education: A degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) in Forestry, Forest Ecology, Forest Biometrics, Forest Operations or related technical fields.

Experience: We place an emphasis on our candidate's skills, willingness to learn, and drive results. We prefer candidates who can demonstrate a deep understanding of forest biometrics, forest carbon offset program protocols, forest operations research, the use and interpretation of growth and yield models and forest inventory data.  

Technical Skills: Demonstrated experience leading successful forest carbon projects and driving success without direct authority in a matrix organization. Experience working with forest inventory data and forest growth and yield modeling (including the Forest Vegetation Simulator, FVS). The position requires specific experience and training in forest harvest scheduling with Remsoft Woodstock and/or linear mixed-integer programming with commercial solvers (Gurobi or CPLEX). Demonstrated proficiency in R, C++, Python, SQL is preferred. The successful applicant understands fundamental concepts in forest economics and their application to developing realistic forest operations plans.

Drive: We are looking for someone who is eager to learn, engages with subject matter experts, and business clients; works well with their team; and who looks for opportunities to improve processes, while applying their technical expertise to ensure analytical rigor and effective implementation of our decision support tools in our Timberlands business environment.

Communication: Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential for working effectively with a diverse set of internal and external clients.

Safety: We expect all team members to hold themselves and their team members accountable to a high level of safety awareness and safe behavior. Our goal is an injury-free workplace.

About Weyerhaeuser

At Weyerhaeuser, we are the world's premier timber, land, and forest products company.  Sustainability is the founding concept of our business, and our values drive every decision to ensure we continue to lead the forestry industry in sustainability practices.  And we know about sustainability – we led it in the forestry industry when we planted our first seedling by hand in 1938.  We recognize that our success is dependent on the success of our people.  For over 100 years, our Weyerhaeuser team has been making a difference in the world – from the seedlings we plant, to the forests and trees we nurture, we ensure every acre is managed with diligence, patience, and pride.  That's the Weyerhaeuser way.

When you join our team, you'll earn competitive pay, a generous retirement plan contribution/match and comprehensive health benefits. We also support personal volunteerism, sponsor diversity networks, promote mentoring, and provide training and development opportunities to help you chart your path to a fulfilling career.  Come join us in our quest to effectively manage the most sustainable, versatile resource on earth – our forests.

Weyerhaeuser is an equal opportunity employer. Inclusion is one of our five core values, and we strive to maintain a culture where all our people feel a sense of belonging, opportunity and shared purpose. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and supporting an equitable and inclusive environment that inspires people of all backgrounds to join, stay and thrive with our team.