Seed Orchard Technician

**Explore A Career At Mosaic**
Operating for over a century on Vancouver Island and coastal BC, Mosaic Forest Management is Canada’s largest private timberland producer. We take pride in our land base and have a long-term view of managing our trees and the eco-systems in which they grow.

**The Opportunity**
Mosaic is seeking a **Seed Orchard Technician** to work out of our Mt Newton Seed Orchard in Saanichton, British Columbia. Mt Newton Seed Orchard has produced enough seed for over 300 million seedlings since its establishment in 1979, and the Seed Orchard team works with Provincial tree breeders to select orchard trees that will pass on desirable traits for volume growth, wood quality, pest and disease resistance, and that are adapted to meet projected future climates while thriving in the present. Orchard species include Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western white pine.

**The Role**
Reporting to the Manager, Tree Improvement, the Seed Orchard Technician is responsible for safely performing a diverse range of activities related to the care and maintenance of the seed orchard trees and the optimization of seed crop volumes and yields.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Maintaining and caring for orchard trees, including irrigation, fertilization, grafting, pruning and pest monitoring;
- Working as part of a team to oversee the cone crop activities, including:

- Induction of cone crops through stem girdling or injection with plant hormones
- Reproductive bud surveys and phenology surveys
- Pollen monitoring
- Cone and seed pest monitoring
- Harvesting cones using an orchard ladder or mobile-elevated work platform; and
- Supporting with the supervision of seasonal harvest workers as required.

***Required Skills and Experience**
- Certificate or Diploma in Horticulture, Forestry or a related field;
- 2 + years experience in horticulture, agriculture, forestry or orchard-related fieldwork;
- Knowledge of tree biology and propagation;
- Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel;
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills;
- Able to work independently and as part of a team; and
- Physically fit and able to work outdoors in all types of weather.

***Preferred Skills and Experience**
- Experience operating agricultural equipment;
- BC Assistant Pesticide Applicator Certificate;
- Mechanical or carpentry experience

**What You Get**
Mosaic Forest Management is one of BC’s Top 100 Employers. We are proud of our highly collaborative, respectful, and innovative work environment. Our employees are empowered with high levels of role autonomy and the ability to make decisions and lead change.

Our pay-for-performance compensation philosophy is a key driver of our culture and includes competitive compensation and benefits, a bonus based on individual and company performance, a company-funded defined contribution pension plan, paid vacation, and a health and fitness reimbursement program.

Our employees are also eligible for a variety of other benefits and perks, including but not limited to hybrid work options, maternity/parental leave top ups, a camping benefit and free firewood.

**To Apply**

**About Mosaic** **Forest Management**
Mosaic Forest Management Corporation is in the business of sustainable forest stewardship, managing private timberlands and Crown forest tenures in Coastal British Columbia for more than a century.

Mosaic employs several thousand people directly and indirectly, and is committed to achieving positive economic, social and sustainability outcomes from the working forest.

The Mosaic land base spans across beautiful Vancouver Island. Beyond generating strong economic returns, we manage our private forest lands to protect the cultural values of our Indigenous partners, provide sustainable forest stewardship and environmental services, and offer a variety of recreational opportunities, scholarships, and donations to our neighbouring communities.