Conservation Manager

~ The American Forest Foundation (AFF) works on the ground with families, teachers, and elected officials to promote stewardship and protect our nation's forest heritage. ~

A commitment to the next generation unites a nationwide network of forest owners and teachers working to keep our forests healthy and our children well prepared for the future they will inherit.

The Foundation is committed to creating a future where forests are owned and sustained by the public, and that the public understands the social, economic, and environmental benefits forests provide to our communities, our nation, and the world.

Position Overview

The Manager will oversee the day-to-day implementation of a $9.6M body of work to deliver technical and financial assistance to non-industrial private forest landowners across nine counties in the northern Sierra and southern Cascade ranges. In addition, the Manager will establish or build on strong relationships with project partners, stakeholders, and decision-makers to integrate this work with related and on-going work as well as identify opportunities to increase the scope and impact of AFF’s work within California.

Location is flexible within California, though preference will be for those who are able to provide a consistent and visible presence within the southern Cascades and northern Sierra project area.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day operations to engage ~10,000 NIPF landowners across northern California resulting in over 40,000 acres of forest health and/or reforestation treatments over 4 years
• Ensure project partners have the tools, knowledge, and capacity to help in the achievement of these outcomes
• Develop and oversee of systems, protocols, and process to ensure rigorous accountability in the use of program resources and towards program outcomes
• Facilitate and manage partner and stakeholder communications; cultivate new partners and donors
• Establish strong working relationships with regional opinion-leaders and decision-makers to increase the visibility and support of AFF’s work within the state
• Manage vendors and consultants  
• Manage program budget, overseeing tracking and funding allocations and development of progress reports and financial updates for funders 
• Oversee collection of project data to ensure fiscal accountability while contributing to the analysis and evaluation of that data
• Development and dissemination of program reports internally and externally

Skills and qualifications include:

• Project management experience, including budgeting and contracting
• Experience managing, cultivating, and balancing multiple partnerships
• Outstanding organizational skills and an ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with unfailing attention to detail
• Demonstrable self-starter with tenacity, resilience, and high energy
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with a wide variety of constituencies, including co-workers, business and community leaders, partners, donors, board members, volunteers, public officials, and the public at large, in a wide variety of settings
• Experience working within the forestry sector and familiarity with California regulations and forestry practices highly desired
• Experience with data management and business systems required
• Passion for conservation and dedication to AFF’s strategic mission
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout northern California and out-of-state as needed

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required in forestry, business, communication or related field, master's degree is preferred
• At least 3 years of experience in forestry, environmental science, business or related fields is required
• This position requires a self-starter who can work without constant, direct supervision and who is dedicated to contributing to both regional and national teams

Compensation

• Salary is commensurate with experience and is combined with an attractive benefits package

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload your cover letter and resume
• Application Deadline: September 28, 2018

~ We are committed to creating a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. ~