Director of Indigenous Partnerships

Blue Forest•Sacramento, CA

1d•$128,000 - $150,000•Remote

About The Position

About Blue Forest Blue Forest is a conservation finance non-profit founded in 2015 that is focused on advancing ecosystem restoration through scientific research, financial innovation, and collaborative partnerships. Since 2018, Blue Forest has managed investor capital through its flagship financial product, the Forest Resilience Bond (FRB), which deploys private capital to finance forest restoration projects to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. More recently, Blue Forest has also established Blue Forest Asset Management (BFAM), an investment management platform connecting investors to compelling, mission-aligned opportunities in a broader set of asset classes beyond FRB projects, such as private equity and private credit investments. Blue Forest is made up of an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, foresters, finance, and communications professionals committed to the mission: “To accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, enabling climate resilience for ecosystems and communities.” Employees at Blue Forest are: Committed to Continuous Learning Driven by Collaboration Thoughtful Innovators for Impact Grounded in Science Passionate about Restoring Earth’s Ecosystems Position Summary As an organization supporting the restoration of ceded and unceded Indigenous lands across the West, we affirm and recognize Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Through our Indigenous Partnerships Program, we aim to build meaningful relationships with Native Nations and Indigenous communities, and increase financial resources for Indigenous-led ecosystem stewardship. Reporting to the Managing Director of Government Relations, the Director of Indigenous Partnerships will lead the strategic vision and institutional development of Blue Forest's Indigenous Partnerships (IP) program, ensuring its long-term durability and integration across the organization. This role is responsible for setting department direction, managing IP staff and budget, leading funder relationships, and enabling meaningful and positive partnerships through organizational trainings and processes. The Director will serve as Blue Forest's primary external leader on Indigenous partnerships, representing the organization in coalitions, government relationships, and public forums, including as a spokesperson on Tribal lending across Blue Forest’s portfolio. This role works closely with Blue Forest leadership, the fundraising team, and cross-functional teams to align the IP program with organizational strategy and ensure it can sustain and grow through structural changes.

Requirements

5+ years working with Tribal Nations and Indigenous organizations, with demonstrated understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems, governance, and place-based stewardship traditions — ideally developed through sustained, trust-based relationships over time
Experience managing and developing a team, providing clear direction and feedback to direct reports, and supporting professional growth
Collaborative, trust-building approach with demonstrated experience facilitating or supporting relationships between Tribal and non-Tribal entities. Skilled at identifying new and creative partnership opportunities with both Tribal and non-Tribal organizations to drive meaningful impact
Ability to understand complex interdependencies and systematize processes to create structure, efficiency, and scale across programs and partnerships
Able to synthesize complex information into compelling presentations, written materials, and facilitated conversations, with strong active listening skills for Tribal and non-Tribal audiences
Familiarity with forestry, federal agencies, and co-stewardship frameworks, alongside a solid understanding of historical and present-day land governance
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and solutions-focused, with the ability to work independently in a remote setting and collaboratively across cross-functional teams

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with U.S. Forest Service-Tribal Nation policy frameworks preferred
Background in environmental science, natural resources, forestry, or Tribal governance preferred
Background in finance, community development financial institutions, conservation finance, or Tribal economic development preferred

Responsibilities

Set and communicate the department vision in alignment with Blue Forest leadership
Oversee department Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and drive accountability across IP workstreams
Institutionalize IP program processes, knowledge, and frameworks to ensure continuity across departments and staff
Keep Blue Forest informed on relevant Tribal policy developments, legislative updates, and news
Develop internal trainings to deepen organizational capacity for meaningful Tribal engagement
Identify new opportunities and develop a strategy alongside Blue Forest leadership to support Tribal stewardship goals through conservation finance
Serve as an external spokesperson and thought leader on Indigenous partnerships, with a focus on Tribal lending across Blue Forest’s portfolio
Maintain and grow relationships with federal and state government Tribal affairs partners
Build coalitions with Native and Native-serving nonprofits to advance shared goals
Support board development and engagement related to Indigenous partnerships
Manage the Indigenous Partnerships team, including hiring, planning, and professional development
Lead funder relationships and serve as the primary point of contact for Indigenous Partnerships funding opportunities, partnering with the fundraising team to develop and execute a sustainable funding strategy.
Lead budget planning and resource allocation for the department
Manage collaboration processes and handoffs across teams to ensure IP is integrated into project development, the science team’s research and development, investment decisions, and other workstreams
Lead program impact reporting for the annual impact report and required grant reporting
Partner with the communications team to maintain or improve external messaging about the Indigenous partnerships program on Blue Forest’s website, impact report, and other communications materials
Support the project development team with Tribal engagement on specific FRB projects as needed

Benefits

100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage; subsidized coverage for dependents
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with a 5% employer match
4 weeks paid vacation and 17 paid holidays; paid sick time and paid volunteer time
3 months of paid family leave
Employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
Access to Dependent Care FSA and Health FSA
Public Lands Exploration stipend (reimbursements for visits to National Forests, county parks, etc.)
Monthly Home Office stipend or co-working space provided
Dependent care costs are subsidized for business travel
Additional stipends for health & wellness, home internet, and cell service
Financial support for professional development