Fruit Tree Specialist, City Fruit

Job Title: Fruit Tree Specialist

Status: Part-time, non-exempt (10-29 hours/week)

Reports to: executive director

Location: 90% of time will be spent at job sites around South Seattle, West Seattle, and South King

County. 10% of time will be spent at the City Fruit office (4000 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103).

About City Fruit

City Fruit stewards and harvests from urban fruit trees to support sustainable and equitable access

to fruit within the Seattle community. Our three main programs include our Harvest Program,

Volunteer & Education Program, and Tree Care Services.

● Our Harvest Program coordinates with local orchards and private tree owners to harvest

fresh fruit, including apples, cherries, persimmons, and more. City Fruit provides this fruit to

food banks and meal program partners, as well as prevents fruit from going to waste by

diverting fruit “seconds” to local businesses and nonprofits who process the food into

products such as baked goods, ciders, and applesauce.

● Our Volunteer and Education Program offers workshops on fruit tree stewardship and

education about the role of fruit trees in our local food system. We welcome volunteer

groups throughout the year to support harvesting and tree care activities.

● Our Tree Care Services Program provides services such as mulching, pruning, and

integrated pest management for residential fruit tree owners and in public orchards.

Collectively, our programs unite our community in a shared effort to reduce food insecurity and

increase environmental resiliency by protecting the health of local fruit trees, increasing the

accessibility of locally harvested fruit, reducing food waste, and cultivating knowledge and

connection to public orchards.

Key Responsibilities

City Fruit is seeking a dedicated and organized Fruit Tree Specialist. This position supports City

Fruit’s Tree Care Services Program by providing high quality tree care maintenance to improve tree

health and quality of fruit harvested.

Based in South Seattle, this job requires an individual willing to manage their daily work

appointments, meet with clients, drive throughout the greater Seattle and South King County area,

and work outside with fruit trees in varying conditions and weather. This role is almost 100%

outdoors, and specialists work with a variety of fruiting plants including vines, shrubs, espaliers,

dwarves, and taller fruit trees, which may require ladder work and/or climbing.

City Fruit encourages candidates to apply even if they do not meet all the requirements in the job

description. If you are someone who would enjoy a combination of working outdoors and caring for fruit trees, all in service of increasing food access, this role may be for you!

Job duties include:

● Assessing, pruning, mulching, and netting a wide variety of local fruit-bearing trees

including apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, quince, figs, and more. These trees may be

located on private or public lands.

● Providing tree owners and orchard liaisons with one-on-one feedback on their particular

fruit trees and explaining any recommended pruning, mulching, or pest management

strategies to ensure the health of their trees or fruit.

● In coordination with tree owners and orchard liaisons, creating and implementing a

year-round tree care plan for tree(s), including clearly communicating expectations for the

scope and cost of services.

● Abiding by City Fruit’s Standard Operating Procedures, such as detailing interactions with

tree owners and photo-documenting work.

● Helping maintain City Fruit’s tree care equipment and tools.

● Working independently, including scheduling client jobs, tracking hours, invoicing clients

and documenting expenses such as mileage reimbursement in a timely manner.

● Communicating regularly with the executive director, including scheduling updates,

questions about the role or scope of work, right-sizing the volume of work, etc.

● Communicating immediately with the executive director if an incident occurs (e.g., injury,

accident, etc.), and completing incident report forms when necessary.

Required Skills

● Independent learner who is eager to develop new skills

● Collaborative team player who prioritizes the success of the team over individual successes

● Able to communicate clearly and empathetically, particularly regarding tree stewardship

strategies and rationale for various approaches to year-round tree care with clients that may

have minimal knowledge on tree care

● Good attention to detail to maintain accurate records, submit invoicing/mileage

reimbursements in a timely manner, and schedule appointments

● Able to offer feedback to others, as well as be open receiving feedback

● Able to work with limited supervision, and able to document and regularly communicate

what work has been done

● Able to build positive and trusting relationships with different stakeholders (tree owners,

orchard liaisons, fellow staff members, etc.)

● Able to respond to client inquiries, issues, and complaints in an effective and positive

manner

● Able to work comfortably outdoors in all seasons

● Able to lift, push, & pull 50lbs, use tree care tools, and to scale trees as tall as 20’

● Current driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle for travel to different job sites

(mileage to tree care service jobs is reimbursed, currently at $0.70/mile)

Desired Experience

● 3 - 5 years experience in a relevant horticultural role, particularly arboricultural/fruit

tree-specific work experience

Benefits & Compensation

This is a part-time, hourly, non-exempt position that requires occasional evening and weekend

work. The hourly rate for this role is $30/hour. We expect this person to work 10-29 hours per

week, depending on the season, scheduling needs, and their desired work hours.

The hours worked as a City Fruit Tree Care Specialist can be applied towards an Arborist

Certification from the ISA.

Part-time staff at City Fruit are eligible for Seattle Paid Safe and Sick Time, which accrues at a rate of

1 hour for every 40 hours worked.

Other benefits: Fruit Tree Specialists have access to City Fruit’s tools for service such as pruners,

saws, ladders, necessary gear, etc. for City Fruit work. All City Fruit staff have access to $500

annually to cover relevant professional development expenses, including relevant trainings,

certifications, and/or specialized equipment. City Fruit staff also enjoy seasonal access to free and

fresh local produce, ciders, and more!

To apply

Please send a resume and one page cover-letter to emily@cityfruit.org with the subject “Fruit Tree

Specialist Application”. Priority will be given to applicants who apply by April 16, 2025. No phone

calls please. Position is open until filled.