Conservation Program Manager

~ Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois Natural History Survey and Lewis and Clark Community College, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC?) is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. ~

The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities. The center's scholars and scientists study the ecology of the big rivers, the workings of the watersheds that feed them, and the ties to the river communities that use them.

Our Goals and Functions: 

• To conduct research that makes significant contributions to our understanding of big rivers and their watersheds.
• Actively solicit community and other stakeholder input to ensure that our research is truly relevant and responsive to societal needs.
• To promote the use of adaptive management and continuous improvement strategies that regularly apply lessons learned from the river/watershed sites to ongoing sustainable management practices, continuing research, and policy development.
• To develop and implement education and outreach programs that foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the great rivers and extend and apply knowledge gained from the research to protect and sustain the quality of river environments. 

Position Overview

NGRREC has regionally placed several grant funded Land Conservation Specialists (LCS and Specialist) and a Conservation Program Manager to target and implement relevant conservation programs aimed at reducing sediment and nutrient loading, and improving wildlife habitat in the Illinois and Kaskaskia River Basins in a coordinated effort.

Under supervision of the Conservation Program Manager" the Land Conservation Specialists work with EPA, NRCS, USFWS, and IDNR to actively target Best Management Practices (BMPs) or conservation practices on private lands, using sound data; hiring and training of LCS and other related staff; and on special projects as they arise with NGRREC? partners. As time allows the Manager will serve as a backup to perform certain duties assigned to those in LCS roles if it would become necessary.

Partners and Position Background: 

• Project title: Optimize Farm Bill Conservation Practices for Water Quality and Habitat Restoration Goals in Illinois' CREP Region.
• The position is a grant funded, 100%-time position, which may be extended if funding is available; the position is housed within Lewis and Clark at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center at the Costello Confluence Field Station in Alton, Illinois and requires significant travel within the Kaskaskia and Illinois River basins.  

Responsibilities 

The Manager will be responsible for overseeing the work of the Specialists, ensuring that they are meeting established performance measures, and have adequate training. The Manager will be required to successfully demonstrate and report that project goals and mile stones are being met. LCSs will be required to demonstrate the following:

• Successful integration of relevant conservation cost-share and grant programs with CREP. Staff will be required to demonstrate they are knowledgeable and understand program requirements for all applicable federal and state programs, above and beyond CREP that can be utilized to improve water quality and wildlife habitat. These programs will include but not be limited to: USFWS Partners for Conservation, CRP, EQIP, WHIP, WRP, SSRP, CSP, IEPA Section 319, TMDLs. 
• Ability to successfully establish working relationships and coordinate with local, state and federal agency staff as well as stakeholder groups, active watershed groups, and NGO's. 
• Ability to successfully communicate with private landowners and communicate the various programs, program requirements and eligibility requirements.
• Understanding of local watershed issues and activities such as existing watershed planning efforts and TMDLs, water quality conditions, and landowner attitudes.
• Ability to develop successful IEPA Section 319 implementation grants where applicable.
• Ability to use existing data to prioritize and target the various programs to areas they are needed the most. Staff must be able to evaluate project sites and determine what programs are most relevant. 

IDNR and the Manager will evaluate quarterly reports and conduct site visits with staff to determine if staff are successfully meeting established performance measures. With input from staff, IDNR will establish numerical implementation and load reduction goals and will compare quarterly reports to those numerical targets. IDNR and the Manager will provide training to regional staff and work with staff to establish realistic numerical performance targets within high priority areas. Numerical performance targets will be based on, but not limited to the following: 

• Watershed specific water quality pollutant load reduction targets as identified in existing watershed plans or TMDL's.
• Watershed specific eligible acres.
• Number of landowners and history of conservation success.
• Watershed specific modeled pollutant loading. 

The Manager also will be responsible for the following: 

• Oversee and supervise the day to day work of the Specialists. 
• Ensuring staff are meeting established performance measures, staff training, reporting, and maintaining communications among partnering agencies.
• Assess the success of specialists in meeting project goals and milestones. 
• Using sound science and available data, work with Agency staff to identify strategic sites and conduct outreach to landowners in high priority areas.
• Landowner outreach and on-on-one contact will actively target practice implementation.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with local agency staff and other stakeholder groups.
• Understand watershed conditions and opportunities to leverage state and federal programs for the purposes of implementing conservation practices and BMPs.
• Evaluate private ground, assess sources of nutrient and sediment loss and recommend the most applicable cost share or grant programs to maximize water quality, habitat benefits, and landowner needs.
• Develop field specific project plans and cost estimates
• Work with landowners to negotiate practice implementation and provide technical assistance where needed.
• Direct landowners to relevant program support and agency staff and provide assistance on meeting eligibility requirements and completing "paperwork".
• Develop project specific grant applications and provide administrative and technical assistance.
• Adhere to and meet or exceed established performance measures.
• In cooperation with IDNR, provide training to watershed coordinators.
• Serve as lead or team member on special projects as they arise with NGRREC partners.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications  

Minimum Qualifications, Training & Experience Required to Perform Essential Job Functions: 

• Highly motivated, organized, mid-level natural resources professional who desires to work in a dynamic, environmental science center environment that requires honed interpersonal skills.
• A bachelor's degree in environmental science, natural resources, biology or a related field is required. 
• Master's degree preferred. 
• Two to five years of experience in natural resources planning desired, education may substitute for experience.
• Proven record of working one on one with private land owners on Farm Bill conservation programs.
• Grant writing experience is preferred. 

Compensation: Rate of pay is commensurate with experience. 

~ Lewis & Clark Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, LCCC will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

It is also the policy of the College to prohibit any form of harassment based on an individual's protected status, such as gender, color, race, ancestry, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation or other protected group status as defined by law. If interested, please contact the Human Resource Department, Erickson Hall - Room 107. ~