Area Manager

The Manulife Forest Management (MFM) Lake States & Northeast Division currently consists of timberland investments on approximately 561,000 acres within five United States including Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania. Upon successful acquisition of the New Hampshire timberlands the division’s acreage will encompass 707,000 acres. This job position has responsibility for the management of timberland assets in New Hampshire and Maine with a primary focus on northern hardwood forest management along with a lesser amount of management in spruce and fir, and mixed cover types. The forestland management regimes include both even age and uneven age silviculture.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a strong service-oriented relationship with appropriate MIMT and MIMFM personnel and maintain client fiduciary obligations.

• Follow stewardship policies and practices to meet or exceed state BMP for Water Quality, Soils, and Invasive Species compliance and third party SFI/FSC certification standards.

• Responsible for maintaining and strengthening key relationships with area stakeholders, including contractors, timber market personnel, recreation groups, conservation organizations, local communities, Indigenous communities, elected officials, adjacent landowners, and government representatives. Promote collaboration, trust, and alignment of forest management objectives through proactive communication and engagement.

• Lead stakeholder engagement and community outreach efforts within the management area. Develop and maintain trusted relationships with local communities, conservation organizations, government agencies, elected officials, recreational user groups, adjacent landowners, and industry partners. Ensure timely, transparent, and professional communication regarding forest management activities, conservation initiatives, public access matters, and operational concerns.

• Supports budgeting and planning process for all forest management activities within the management area. Represent MIMFM in a professional manner to public, industry, peers, associations, and regulatory entities.

• Provide leadership and supervise area employee(s) and consulting personnel.  Currently this role has one internal direct report, Area Forester, and several consulting personnel.

• Provide oversight and implementation of safety procedures for all area personnel, contractors, and property assets.

• Direct timber harvesting operations including planning, harvest layout, contract administration, timber security, quality inspections and reporting.

• Marketing of all timber products while managing delivery logistics. Explore new markets, timber specifications, logistic opportunities. Manage harvest volumes and silvicultural prescriptions to maintain conservation easement and carbon project compliance. Adopt, follow, practice, assist in updating all MFM Stewardship Policies and Procedures.

• Prescribe, schedule, and implement silvicultural operations.

• Oversight, planning and implementing road building and road maintenance.  Maintain relations with appropriate Township and County Road Commissioners.

• Maintain Conservation Easement compliance. This includes updating Annual Operating Plans, attending on-site monitoring meetings and attending stakeholder meetings.  Oversight, maintenance and implementation of recreational trail use agreements.

• Address and remedy trespass, encroachments, illegal activities or environmental issues.

• Utilize and oversee consultant activities on field tasks as appropriate.

• Seek eligible non-timber income opportunities from MFM managed properties.  

• Lead and support communications efforts related to stakeholder engagement, community relations, public affairs, media inquiries, and forest management activities. Serve as a visible and trusted representative of MFM, ensuring stakeholders are informed, consulted, and engaged on issues affecting the forestland portfolio.

• Reporting of operational status, markets, stewardship activities, and risks. Reports include Weekly Reporting, Fire Weekly (Seasonal) Reporting, Monthly Flash Reports, Quarterly Property Highlights, Quarterly Safety Tracking, Annual Budget Reports, Annual Board Reports, Casualty Loss Reporting.

• Participate in special projects and support company strategies such as acquisitions and land sales.  

• As requested, plan and lead property tours for clients, stakeholders, MFM peers.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in forestry or equivalent experience as required

• A minimum of five-year career experience with organizational and team supervision experience desirable

• Proficient in Northern Hardwood, Spruce, Fir and mixed cover type forest management. This includes knowledge and experience with management cost and return expectations, discounted cash flow analysis, harvest administration, and timber marketing.

• Valid driver’s license and be insurable with company’s commercial carrier.

• Maintain State of New Hampshire Licensed Forester status

• Strong computer and analytical skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office365 and GIS skills.

• Knowledge of, or ability to learn and apply key financial concepts to business decisions.

• Must be service oriented from a fiduciary perspective.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders, facilitate productive discussions, manage sensitive issues, and communicate complex forest management objectives to varied audiences.

• Strong experience in community engagement, public outreach, stakeholder relations, and collaborative problem solving.

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact hr@manulife.com.

Referenced Salary Location

Working Arrangement

Salary range is expected to be between

Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact hr@manulife.com for the salary range for your location.

Manulife/John Hancock offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in the U.S. includes up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence.

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