Lead Forester

HIRING NOW | Seek the Challenge. Love Adventure.

We’re one of the largest plantation growers in Australia. That’s an exciting opportunity and it’s also a great responsibility.  Our business – like our industry – is interesting, diverse and always evolving.  Whatever your role, we want you to experience that, too.

The Opportunity

Following an internal promotion, we are seeking a Lead Forester for our North Qld District.  The role will be open to negotiation with you to be based at either our Ingham or Tolga office in beautiful North Queensland.

Working closely with the District Manager, you and the team will deliver a high-quality plantation silviculture program growing a sustainable timber resource for future generations.  Through a collaborative approach with the regional planning team, you will also deliver harvest and haulage operations supporting customer supply requirements. Not to mention taking on the challenges and opportunities to achieve custodial and fire management programs.

The Person

Beyond a proactive work ethic driven to achieve high quality results, the skills, qualification, and experience that will help you to thrive in this role include:

• Bachelor of Forest Science (or other relevant tertiary qualification) and relevant field with at least 5 years as a forester or senior forester role in either:

o    Silviculture;

o    Roading;

o    Harvest and haulage;

o    Fire management; or

o    General plantation management (e.g. stewardship, planning and or resources).

• Highly competent in the use of forest management systems including ArcGIS and Business Intelligence reporting;
• Existing fire management qualification, or a willingness to obtain Sector Commander and/or appropriate Incident Management Team (IMT) accreditation; and
• Unrestricted “C” class drivers licence.

The Offer

Our people are our business – their passion, resilience and integrity make us who we are.  It’s real people doing work that matters and that makes us proud.

In return we offer highly competitive remuneration including commuter use of a company vehicle, access to our annual incentive program, additional compensation for fire management activities, and relocation allowance, if required.

We are genuine about flexibility and ensuring you work to live, not live to work.  We take your wellbeing seriously.  Whether that is through our annual health programs, employee and family assistance program, individual physical and wellbeing initiatives, or your team’s local wellbeing activities we want to ensure you can be at your best.

If this sounds like you and you want to “Grow with us” then please take the opportunity to review the Position Description and submit a copy of your current resume and a brief response (no more than 2 pages) via the careers opportunities page on our website www.hqplantations.com.au.   We’re good people, doing good things and we’d love to meet you.

Closing date: 5:00pm Friday 16 January 2026

To make an enquiry about this role, please contact the HQPlantations People & Safety Business Group on telephone (+617) 3882 8271.

HQPlantations embraces a diverse and inclusive workplace. All members of our community with people from diverse experiences and backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people with disabilities being strongly encouraged to apply.