Whether it’s the lumber used to build your home, the pulp used to make the paper for a letter you wrote to a loved one, or the mulch you applied to help your garden grow, the products we create in Alberta touch people’s lives around the world every day. And the way we manage our forests is one of the most important considerations for the future of our province and the planet.
As an industry, we’re responsible for stewarding one of Alberta’s most important natural resources. The scope of that responsibility calls for all kinds of skills – whatever your strengths and interests are, there’s a rewarding career in forestry waiting for you.
This sector is about maximizing environmental, social, and economic benefits for Albertans today, while making sure those same benefits will also be here for future generations. We work together as a supportive and close-knit professional community – across diverse job types, to secure Alberta’s future on all three fronts.
WOODLANDS OPERATIONS
This side of the industry works to understand forest ecosystems, carefully plan and harvest areas, maintain meaningful relationships with surrounding communities, and grow healthy, diverse forests post-harvest.
If you want a career that takes you out into the wild, this might be the place for you. Scientists, planners, foresters, heavy equipment operators, community liaisons, and many other types of forest industry workers spend much of their working lives outside, immersed in the forests they manage.
PRODUCT MANUFACTURING
Alberta produces some of the best quality forest products in the world.
They range from essential, familiar materials like lumber to emerging materials like bio-methanol – a water-soluble, biodegradable material that can be used to create plastics, dyes, glues, and a wealth of other goods with less environmental impact.
If you’re interested in machinery, technology, engineering, chemistry, or any of the diverse skill sets that go into sustainable manufacturing, you’ll find opportunities here. Alberta’s mills strive to achieve zero waste, develop innovative products and processes, and meet consumer needs with a smaller environmental footprint.
Work Wild is here to help people who are looking for a career they’ll love – whether you’re a high school student evaluating career options for the first time, or looking to make a change in your career.
If you’d like more information about employment opportunities in the forest industry, you can find job profiles, current job postings, scholarships, and more here.
JOB POSTINGS
IT Network Analysis
COMPANY: Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries
Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac) is seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and supportive team player for the role of Network Analyst at our Millsite near Athabasca, AB. Reporting to the Business Unit Lead – IT, the job is responsible for providing ongoing maintenance and support of Al-Pac’s network infrastructure. This includes supporting the design of Al-Pac’s networks, monitoring and mitigating risks specific to Al-Pac’s networking assets (LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, and point to point). The role will serve as the escalation point for risks, action items, issues, and decisions related to Al-Pac’s networking infrastructure and services. This is a full-time, permanent position working a compressed schedule from Monday to Thursday. Relocation assistance is also available for those who need to move into the local area.
OUR BUSINESS & CULTURE:
Al-Pac is the largest single-line kraft pulp producer in North America. We strive to be leaders in what we do, from our quality products, mill operations, and responsible forest management practices, to the way we grow and develop our team members, and work with local communities. We are continuously investigating new and innovative ideas while delivering premium products with a commitment to strong environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility – a commitment that is demonstrated by our long-standing Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification*.
We are an inclusive workplace where different points of view are welcomed and encouraged. We believe that diversity in our workforce drives innovation, and we foster a culture that supports team members to be themselves and rewards thinking differently. You will experience firsthand that our culture values health and safety, teamwork, continuous improvement, open communication, productivity, and quality. We also understand that work should be just one part of your life, and we strive to ensure our team members have a healthy work-life balance. We offer a compressed workweek schedule, a hybrid work arrangement program, as well as a generous time-off policy starting with four weeks of vacation allowance. As a result of programs like these, combined with our culture and working environment, we have been recognized over the last decade with Canada’s Top Employer, Alberta’s Top Employer, and Top Employer for Young People awards.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Technical Support – Provide oversight, and day to day management of Al-Pac’s networks (LAN,
WAN, Wi-Fi, and point to point). Maintain physical network infrastructure across all organizational
sites. Troubleshoot issues as they arise. Monitor and identify network faults.
Design Networks – Recommend and monitor the implementation of network design principles
and standards across Al-Pac’s networks. Plan for and update network assets. Plan for and
update local, wide area, and Wi-Fi networks to ensure maximum accessibility for users. Activities
include purchasing, installation, and maintenance of firewall equipment, routing, switching, Wi-Fi,
and internet services - Project Management – Manage, organize, plan, control, and monitor all tasks and resources
required to achieve defined project goals. Control project tasks throughout the life of an approved
project. - Portfolio Supplier Management – Review vendor invoices to confirm delivery of contracted
technical services. - IT Security – Ensure IT security is appropriately addressed across Al-Pac’s technology
environment.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
- Completion of a post-secondary degree or diploma or its equivalent in information and
communication technologies or computing science, supplemented by 5 years of relevant
experience or demonstrated mastery in cyber security practices, principles, and solutions. - 2 + years progressively related work experience.
- A Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP) designation or equivalent experience in project
management. - Working knowledge of computer networking, technology infrastructure
- Experience in project management
SKILLS:
- Strong computer applications skills (Microsoft 365, including Teams, PowerPoint, Word, Excel,
Outlook) - Extremely well organized with exceptional planning, prioritization, and multi-tasking skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Outstanding interpersonal skills
- A high degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidentiality
Please forward your resume in confidence to alpac.careers@alpac.ca. This position will be considered open until filled.
Al-Pac is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. We wish to express our thanks to all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Successful applicants must provide government-issued proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Proof of vaccination for COVID-19 will be requested upon acceptance of an offer of employment. Please note that for Alberta residents, only the government-issued QR code is accepted as proof of vaccination.
FAQS
How do I start a career in the forest industry?
This is a dynamic, varied sector that includes all kinds of jobs. Where to start depends on what kind of work you want to do, whether that’s working with heavy equipment, trees, spreadsheets, wildlife, or people. Whatever your interests, there’s probably a job for you.
We’re always excited to welcome new people to the industry! If working in the forest sector seems interesting to you, we recommend checking out our partners at Work Wild. You can find information there on different job types, career paths, educational requirements, scholarships current job postings, and more.
Are careers in forestry considered green jobs?
A green job is any career that contributes to a sustainable future, and the forest industry in Alberta is 100% sustainable. Whether you are working on climate change research, developing sustainable forest management plans, planting our future forests, or helping manufacture green products, remaining sustainable and keeping our forests healthy is of the utmost importance to all of Alberta’s forest professionals.
Our sector works hard to provide Albertans with the renewable resources they rely on, while maintaining healthy forests for generations. As stewards of the forest, we take the health of our forest seriously. No matter the career path, our professionals all have common goals—addressing climate change concerns, working towards net-zero carbon, and being an example of sustainable forestry for the world.
Is the forest industry a low-tech industry?
The forest industry has been a high-tech industry for quite some time. Alberta’s forest industry works to apply innovative strategies to address the sectors challenging problems and improve current practices through consistent technological advancement. In the past, forestry professionals started their careers with no cellphones or GPS — just paper maps and a compass! Today’s forest sector is a lot more advanced. Armed with cell phones, tablets, and GPS units, it’s now much easier for foresters to review their maps, identify and mark important features like wildlife habitat or water courses, and define the harvest boundaries while on site. Our sector also uses advanced computer programs to create long-term forest plans that apply historic forest data to predict future fires or the spread of insects and diseases.
Whether we’re virtually mapping forest areas with AI or flying drones to capture regions out of reach to foresters, our sector uses the latest technology to ensure everything we do is efficient, accurate, and most importantly, sustainable.
Alberta Forest Products Association
AFPA is a non-profit association that represents Alberta’s forest industry. We support our members in reaching new heights of sustainability, safety, efficiency and innovation, and we give Albertans opportunities to learn about our forests and the forest industry.
Read more Work Wild is here to help people who are looking for a career they’ll love – whether you’re a high school student evaluating career options for the first time, or looking to make a change in your career.
If you’d like more information about employment opportunities in the forest industry, you can find job profiles, current job postings, scholarships and more here.
Workwild.caDID YOU KNOW?
96% of Alberta’s managed forests (where forest companies operate) are independently certified for sustainability.
Learn more about the forest industry’s sustainable forest management practices.
Forest Management