MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY
CIRCULAR NOTICE NO. 1 OF 2025
Ref: MEF/CIRC/1
APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FROM SUITABLY QUALIFIED LOCAL CANDIDATES
for the following position tenable in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry:
Position: Senior District Forestry Officer
Department: Forestry
Section: Forestry
Grade: G
Responsible To: District Coordinator
Location: Thaba-Tseka
JOB SUMMARY
Under the general supervision of the District Coordinator, the Senior District Forestry Officer will be responsible for seed collection, social forestry promotion, agro-forestry programme implementation, forestry information management, coordination of forestry reserves and activities, utilization of forest products, and preparation of the sectional budget.
MAIN DUTIES
- Implementation of Forestry Policy
- Develops operational plans to guide implementation of forestry policies
- Conducts staff workshops and interprets forestry guidelines
- Monitors and evaluates policy effectiveness
- Forest Measurements
- Develops and interprets guidelines for forest measurement and tree volume estimation
- Establishes sample plots for data collection and growth modeling
- Simplifies volume tables for pricing and harvesting purposes
- Seed Collection
- Develops guidelines for quality seed collection and treatment
- Conducts demonstrations on threshing, cleaning, and drying
- Interprets moisture content and seed treatment tables
- Promotion and Extension of Social Forestry
- Facilitates community campaigns on social forestry
- Supports NGOs and common interest groups in forestry activities
- Implementation of Agro-Forestry Programmes
- Conducts training on agro-forestry and silvo-pasture
- Develops project proposals for donor funding
- Designs guidelines for project selection
- Forestry Information Management
- Develops guidelines for forest inventory data collection
- Analyzes data to produce silvicultural prescriptions
- Coordination of Forestry Reserves
- Coordinates seedling distribution and collaborates with stakeholders
- Liaises with local authorities for community engagement
- Utilization of Forestry Products
- Designs harvesting guidelines
- Surveys reserves to determine end-use of harvested wood
- Ensures quality standards in processing
- Budget Preparation
- Prepares and justifies annual budgets
- Recommends realignment of funds as necessary
JOB SPECIFICATION
Education and Experience
- Master of Science (MSc) in Forestry, Soil Science, Environmental Science, or Natural Resource Management with 2 years relevant experience in the Department of Forestry
OR - Bachelor of Science (BSc) in the same fields with 3 years relevant experience in the Department of Forestry
Other Required Skills
- Computer literacy
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Negotiation and persuasive skills
- Technical report writing
RESPONSIBILITIES
- For Property: Accountable for office equipment and furniture
- For Budget: Controls the sectional budget
- For Effect of Errors: Responsible for work-related errors and impact on outputs
COMPLEXITY
- Decision-Making: Recommends appropriate seeds and actions to the Chief Forestry Officer
- Problem-Solving: Addresses complex field-related disputes between field staff and farmers
- Supervision: Works independently but reports monthly to the supervisor
CONTACTS
| Office/Stakeholder | Reason | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Forestry Officer | Coordination | As required |
| District Coordinator | Reporting, Planning, Reviews | Monthly, Quarterly, Annually |
| NGOs and Cattle Organizations | Collaboration & Research | As required |
| Agricultural Assistants & Area Supervisors | Coordination | As required |
| Farmers | Programme implementation | As required |
EFFORT
- Mental Effort: Budgeting, policy development, data analysis
- Physical Effort: Field work involving long-distance travel
- Emotional Effort: Interacting with varied communities requires patience and tolerance
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Unfavourable Conditions: May work beyond normal hours, on weekends, and public holidays
- Hazards: Possible exposure to wild animals and dangerous environments during forest visits
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Applications on relevant Forms, GP 103 for non-serving officers and GP 104 for serving officers, accompanied by curriculum vitae, certified copies of educational certificates and transcripts should be addressed to:
The Principal Secretary
Ministry of Environment and Forestry
P.O. Box 10993
Maseru 100
Or hand delivered to:
Human Resources Office
Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Thaba Bosiu Building, Industrial Area
Only shortlisted candidates shall undergo a competency assessment facilitated by the Assessment Centre (Ministry of Public Service) or a Driver’s Assessment, where applicable.
NB: All applicants are required to submit a verification report from the Council of Higher Education (CHE) or proof of application from CHE.
Deadline for applications: 08 August 2025
If you do not hear from the Human Resource Office, consider your application unsuccessful.