Backyard Habitat PCEF Project Specialist

Bird Alliance of Oregon • Portland, OR

3d • $30 - $30 • Hybrid

About The Position

The PCEF Project Specialist and Habitat Technician will lead our PCEF-funded project work and conduct site visits with Eastside Portland residents. The ideal candidate will bridge urban conservation actions and community equity, focusing on the neighborhoods most affected by climate change. This exciting new role will split their time among community collaboration, event coordination, stipend distribution and management, conducting site visits and providing recommendations, report writing, and data entry. This role is designed to help mitigate barriers to participation in BHCP while engaging residents in community building and climate-resilient actions. As such, we seek a candidate with a deep commitment to collaborative, community- and culturally responsive engagement; who views advancing climate justice and resilience as central to their practice; and who has a strong, demonstrated connection to PCEF Priority Communities. As a Project Specialist, this role will coordinate with landscape professionals, local native plant nurseries, and community groups; coordinate community outreach and engagement activities, including workshops and plant giveaways; oversee and lead the distribution of up to $50,000 in professional landscaping services and up to $56,000 in native plants and project materials to program participants each year; monitor project progress; assist with grant reporting, administration, and monitoring; and gather feedback from participants and community partners. As a Habitat Technician, this role will coordinate and conduct up to 140 site visits per year at residential and community sites on Portland’s east side, make recommendations based on site and participant needs, enter site data into a database, write site reports, and provide follow-up support to participants. In this role, you will also collaborate with the Habitat Technician Supervisor, who is housed with the Columbia Land Trust.

Requirements

• Experience in landscape design or maintenance, environmental education, restoration, conservation, or a related field.
• Experience with some or all of the program’s focus areas: native plants, managing introduced plants, wildlife stewardship, stormwater management, and reducing pesticide use.
• Experience developing and administering culturally and community-responsive outreach, engagement, and/or community education strategies with diverse populations.
• Deep familiarity with Portland Eastside communities; lived experience is highly valued.
• Multilingual skills in language(s) commonly spoken in Portland Eastside communities (native speakers preferred).
• Ability to utilize additional language skills in a job setting such as in outreach, workshops, site visits, and other community engagement settings.
• An understanding of climate justice and equity principles.
• Familiarity with Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITEK) and a respectful, relationship-based approach to working alongside Indigenous communities and knowledge holders, gained through professional, community, cultural, and/or personal experience.
• Experience administering equity-based resource distribution, e.g. stipends, plants, and/or supplies.
• Ability to maintain detailed records such as tracking funding, writing reports, and entering data.
• Effective oral and written communication skills, in English, including the ability to use inclusive language and to communicate effectively across diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Highly organized, with the ability to self-manage time while tracking and completing multiple open-ended projects, deadlines, and responsibilities.
• Works collaboratively within a team environment.
• Ability to navigate and/or learn multiple software platforms, including Google Suite and a WordPress database.

Nice To Haves

• Candidates are invited to demonstrate professional and life experience.
• We encourage those who may have gaps in their experience to apply, as we plan on fostering the development of skills for the individual in this role if needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop new and existing relationships and processes for working with native plant nurseries, local professional landscapers, and other contractors, ensuring compliance with PCEF best practices for inclusive recruitment strategies and with minimum wage requirements.
• Develop and lead a stipend distribution system of up to $50,000 in professional landscaping services and up to $56,000 in native plants and project materials each year, utilizing an equity-based framework
• Maintain detailed records of stipend distributions and oversee the invoicing process for contractors.
• Assist with grant reporting and administration.
• Develop or deepen partnerships with community and culturally specific groups and with the community members they work with
• Develop and coordinate outreach and community engagement strategies.
• Coordinate and facilitate community education opportunities, including workshops.
• Monitor the project process to ensure alignment with grant milestones and deliverables.
• Gather feedback and the history of implementation of feedback from participants, contractors, and community partners to continually refine and improve project delivery.
• Collaborate with program and organizational colleagues.
• Schedule and conduct site visits with program participants on Portland’s Eastside.
• Enter property data into the BHCP database.
• Create and submit written site reports with recommendations for creating habitat.
• Certify properties that meet program criteria during the site visit.
• Place follow-up phone calls to participants 6-9 months after the site visit.
• Attend regular BHCP team meetings.
• Coordinate and support outreach events.
• Use an anti-oppression framework to support equity and access across the organization and program.
• Collaborate with other departments and program team members to support a whole-org identity and perspective through transparency, team building, communication, and collaboration.

Benefits

• Medical insurance: 100% payment of premiums for medical and dental insurance for employees only
• Competitive leave benefits: Two (2) weeks of paid vacation in year one, eight (8) hours of paid sick time per month, eight (8) recognized paid holidays, 40 hours of flexible holiday time per year
• 401(k): 3% match
• Professional development: Ability to attend free or subsidized courses at Bird Alliance of Oregon
• Retail benefits: Substantial discount at our Nature Store, including optics

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed