Northern Rockies Program Manager

~ Chartered by Congress, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) was created in 1993 with a simple mission: bring people together to restore and enhance our National Forests and Grasslands. ~

As the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service, we work with the agency and thousands of Americans each year to promote the health and public enjoyment of our 193-million-acre National Forest System. We believe that communities should play a leading role in determining the future of our National Forests and Grasslands, so we focus our efforts on connecting these communities, and the people who comprise them, to the tools, knowledge, and funding to become active and devoted stewards of this incredible public estate.

For more information about the National Forest Foundation visit the website. 

Position Overview

National Forest Foundation is pleased to offer a regular, full-time employment opportunity in its Conservation Connect program, based in the Northern Rockies Region (ID & MT). The incumbent is responsible for assisting the National Forest Foundation Conservation Connect Director by developing, implementing and managing conservation programs with the U.S. Forest Service, communities, conservation NGOs, and private sector partners to support National Forest Foundation strategic initiatives and long-term goals in Idaho and Montana. NFF will offer flexibility with location, as long as it is in proximity to central Idaho and western Montana, and the candidate has the ability to frequently travel to project areas.

The Northern Rockies Program Manager will work closely with the Conservation Connect Director and other program staff to provide collaborative process and project management, facilitation, program development, and administrative support. The position’s primary focus is to support Idaho and Montana communities in finding and implementing solutions to meet the tremendous restoration needs on the National Forests on which they rely.

Responsibilities

The Northern Rockies Program Manager will:

• Manage new and ongoing collaborative processes, including developing action plans to help groups meet their objectives, maintain diverse and balanced memberships, maintain group documents and history, develop internal leadership, and communicate effectively with the U.S. Forest Service.
• Proactively identify and develop strategies to address collaborative capacity needs or areas of conflict.
• Identify and document best practices and lessons that can be shared with other collaborative efforts in other parts of the country through the NFF’s online Collaboration & Conservation Toolbox.
• Represent the NFF in state-level collaborative organizations.
• Manage ongoing regional conservation and restoration projects and programs, and, proactively identify and address critical forest and watershed conservation needs – attracting and supporting projects that meet the NFF’s collaborative and science-based conservation goals.
• Strengthen NFF’s ability to support on-the-ground restoration work that benefits communities and conserves natural systems by developing new partnerships, finding opportunities to share resources, cultivating new funding sources, and leveraging support.
• Provide effective community capacity-building support through targeted funding, technical assistance, access to science, mentoring, and peer networking.
• Strengthen working relationships among the U.S. Forest Service, communities, and diverse local stakeholder organizations.
• Develop a stronger regional constituency for our National Forests by engaging citizens in conservation – including increased opportunities for hands-on volunteer projects that strengthen citizen knowledge.

Qualifications

Education and Qualifications:

NFF expects the Northern Rockies Program Manager to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• Education: Minimum of an undergraduate, Bachelor’s Degree in conservation, forestry, planning, environmental science or related field.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of work experience in the field. 5+ years preferred.
• Facilitation: Experience facilitating, building consensus, and securing agreements in interagency and stakeholder processes that preferably involve the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service or other federal, state, and local public land management agencies.
• Project Management: Experience serving as project manager for collaborative processes involving multiple agency and stakeholder teams, and will preferably have training in project management from an accredited institution or training provider.
• Network: Demonstrated experience in building, maintaining, and utilizing a professional network to advance their work on specific projects. This does not have to involve a resource management network.

Additional Desired Qualifications:

• Forest and Watershed Management: Demonstrated experience with forest and watershed science, policy, and management, including fire science, vegetation management, wildlife conservation, and/or meadow and stream restoration.
• Grant Writing and Contract Management: Demonstrated experience in managing grants and subcontracts, and will preferably have demonstrated experience in writing and applying for grants.
• Commitment to the mission of the National Forest Foundation.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Strong writing skills and past experience with writing successful grants and project proposals.

Abilities and Skills:

NFF expects the Northern Rockies Program Manager to possess:

• Strong systems, integrative and landscape-scale conservation thinker, including knowledge of barriers related to forest conservation and restoration and how to overcome them from a practical, administrative and/or conservation biology, or pragmatic forestry point of view.
• Ability to work with a wide range of people with differing and sometimes conflicting opinions, and to maintain neutrality at all times.
• Ability to work well, and be flexible in, a team-oriented environment.
• Ability to represent the NFF in a clear and professional manner through excellent written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills.
• A strong attention to detail, with skill in working in a timely and well-organized fashion.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to upload your cover letter and resume to: Sheree Bombard, Director, Administration and include “Application for Northern Rockies Program Manager” in the subject line. Applications must be received by email no later than July 12, 2018.

~ The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates in this search. ~